Star: Chloe Kelly
(Picture: The FA via Getty Images)Chloe Kelly believes the Lionesses can make selling out Wembley the norm, as they prepare to take on the USA tonight.
The FA announced the friendly against the world champions just two days after England beat Germany in the final of Euro 2022 at a sold-out Wembley.
Tickets for the game were swiftly snapped up in less than 24 hours, with the FA website crashing as it tried to cope with demand.
Kelly, who scored the winning goal in the final, believes ticket sales for tonight’s game shows what is possible in the future.
“It wasn’t surprising, to be fair, because so many people got behind us in the summer,” said Kelly. “To sell out Wembley again, it was like: ‘Wow, this could be a regular occurrence’.
“It [playing the USA] is a great experience and looking forward to next summer [and the World Cup], it is a huge experience for the players. They’re tough opposition. To be back at Wembley, in front of a home crowd, is massive.”
The fact so many fans were keen to attend the game shows just how far the Lionesses have come since Sarina Wiegman took charge of them in September 2021. Support for the women’s game has never been greater and the FA are determined to keep the Euros fever burning.
And while this match demonstrates how far England have come off the pitch, it should also show how much they have developed on it, too. The USA remain the benchmark in women’s football and they will head to next year’s World Cup looking to win it for a third consecutive time.
England breezed through qualifying, winning all 10 of their games, scoring 80 goals and conceding none. Wiegman believes tonight’s friendly will show her side how much more work there is to do as they bid to end the USA’s dominance.
“It’s really important. We want these games, and we want to see where we are,” said Wiegman. “You need the best opponents in front of you because then you have to perform at the highest level and that gives you the best information.
“We can play lower-ranked teams and play really well, and score loads of goals, but that doesn’t give you the picture that you need to prepare for the World Cup next year. So I am really, really happy with the game at this moment and moving forward from there.”
The frustration for Wiegman is that she does not have her strongest team available tonight, with both captain Leah Williamson and striker Alessia Russo out injured. The USA have their own fitness problems, too, with star player Alex Morgan and fellow forward Mallory Pugh absent.
The FA are using the marquee friendly to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the senior women’s team, with more than 100 former England women’s internationals expected to attend.
The match is also significant for the USA, too, as this week a year-long investigation into the country’s National Women’s Soccer League found abuse and misconduct “had become systemic”.
England players have spoken this week in support of the victims and they, along with the USA team, will unite by wearing teal armbands during the Wembley game to stand in solidarity with sexual abuse sufferers.
“When I found out [about the abuse], I was sickened by the situation,” said England forward Beth Mead. “It’s a worldwide problem but women need to be taken seriously.”
