SheBelieves Cup 2020: USA vs England – tactical analysis

USA faced England in one of the opening fixtures of the SheBelieves Cup 2020. After their high stakes encounter in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 semifinal that USA managed to win 2-1, this was the first time again that the two nations clashed in an international tournament. The expectations for an exciting match-up were sky high with England Women steadily improving their form over the past months.

This fixture was also the first major tournament for Vlatko Andonovski, the head coach of the USWNT appointed after Jill Ellis stepped down. Although he has managed to maintain their dominant momentum from last year’s Women’s World Cup victory through friendly fixtures, a tournament like the SheBelieves Cup 2020 against top nations like England, Spain and Japan serves as a real test for any national team head coach. The USA came out with flying colours in a comfortable 2-0 win in this fixture, but how did their tactics overcome a strong England side? In this tactical analysis we will breakdown both teams’ tactics and analyse the game objectively with an analysis of specific instances from the game graphically.

Lineups

United States: Alyssa Naeher; Kelley O’Hara, Abby Dahlkemper, Becky Sauerbrunn, Crystal Dunn; Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle (Samantha Mewis, 70’), Lindsey Horan, Tobin Heath (Lynn Williams, 70’), Carli Lloyd (Jessica McDonald, 89’), Christen Press (Megan Rapinoe, 62’)

Substitutes not used: Mallory Pugh, Andi Sullivan, Ali Krieger, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Ashlyn Harris, Casey Short, Adrianna Franch

Head coach: Vlatko Andonovski

England: Carly Telford, Leah Williamson, Millie Bright, Steph Houghton, Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway (Toni Duggan, 71’), Jill Scott (Jordan Nobbs, 65’), Keira Walsh, Nikita Parris (Chloe Kelly, 89’), Ellen White (Bethany England, 73’), Lauren Hemp

Substitutes not used: Rachel Daly, Demi Stokes, Ellie Roebuck, Abbie McManus, Lucy Staniforth, Alessia Russo, Sandy Maclver, Grace Fisk

Head coach: Phil Neville

Formations and numerical superiorities

From the lineups earlier, we see that Phil Neville lined up England in a 4-4-2 although during the game it was more of a 4-3-3 with a single, deep-lying pivot played by Walsh, with Scott playing as a more attacking box-to-box midfielder and Stanway playing just behind or alongside White as a number 10. Parris would operate on the right wing and Hemp on the left wing. Neville received criticism for picking this lineup in place of Nobbs and England who happen to be in sharper form in the FAWSL, but perhaps he trusted an experienced lineup to face a formidable opponent like USA.

Against USA’s 4-3-1-2 formation, we saw Ertz controlling the midfield and winning her duels against Stanway. Although Hemp and Parris had a couple of opportunities to threaten the spaces behind USA’s attacking full-backs, they struggled with being fed the ball consistently into these wide areas. USA had a whooping total of 22 shots, six of which were on target against England’s eight shots, three of which were on target.