In Focus: England Senior Women's Team

England Senior Women's Team
Current FIFA World Ranking: 6
2015 Women’s World Cup Qualifying: Finished first in UEFA Group 6 (10-0-0; GF 52, GA 1)
Women’s World Cup Finals Appearances: 4 – 1995 (7th), 2007 (7th), 2011 (7th), 2015
Record vs. USA: 3-7-1
Head Coach: Mark Sampson
Championship Honors: None
Leading Women’s World Cup Qualifying Scorer(s): Eniola Aluko (13)
Key Players: Stephanie Houghton (Manchester City), Karen Carney (Birmingham City), Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies), Lianne Sanderson (Arsenal), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Fara Williams (Liverpool)

England Women's National Team Roster by Position:
Goalkeepers (3): Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal), Carly Telford (Notts County)
Defenders (8): Anita Asante (Malmo), Laura Bassett (Notts County), Gemma Bonner (Liverpool), Alex Greenwood (Notts County), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Casey Stoney (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City)
Midfielders (8): Karen Carney (Birmingham City), Katie Chapman (Chelsea), Fran Kirby (Reading), Jade Moore (Birmingham City), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jo Potter (Birmingham City), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Liverpool)
Forwards (4): Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), Jess Clarke (Notts County), Lianne Sanderson (Arsenal), Jodie Taylor (Portland Thorns FC) 

USA VS. ENGLAND:

• The USA has played England just 11 times and only once since meeting in the quarterfinal of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, a 3-0 U.S. victory. Shannon Boxx, Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly scored that day.
• The most recent meeting came before the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a 2-1 loss for the USA in London.
• The WNT holds a 7-3-1 all-time record against England. The first two meetings (1985 and 1988) were both U.S losses in games played in Italy in the third and 29th games ever played by the Women’s National Team. Since then, the USA has won seven of the nine matches with only one draw, which occurred during the Four Nations Tournament in China in 2007. The USA has outscored England 31-9 over the course of the series.
• 11 of the 16 players who played against England in 2011 are on the USA’s roster for this match

ENGLAND ROSTER NOTES

• England has numerous players with ties to the USA. Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley grew up in Southern California and played for the SoCal Blues youth club and at Cal-State Fullerton. She was the Big West Goalkeeper of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
• Bardsley, midfielder Katie Chapman, defenders Anita Asante and Alex Scott, and speedy forward Eniola Aluko all played in WPS.
• Lianne Sanderson recently finished a highly successful stint with the NWSL’s Boston Breakers, while Jodie Taylor scored 11 goals for the Washington Spirit last season and is currently with the Portland Thorns.
• England Women's record goal scorer Kelly Smith, who played a fantastic match against the USA during the 2011 friendly, announced her retirement from international soccer after a 20-year career. Smith, who scored 46 goals for the Lionesses, will continue to play domestic football for Arsenal. Smith made her England debut against Italy in 1995, earned 117 caps, scored 46 goals and played in the 2007 and 2011 Women’s World Cups, the Euros in 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013 and played for Team GB at the Olympics in 2012.
• It was a perfect ten for England on the road to Canada, as they won all of their qualifying matches against Ukraine, Wales, Turkey, Belarus and Montenegro, despite changing coaches four games into the campaign. In total, they scored 52 goals with Eniola Aluko netting a quarter of them (13) and conceded just once in 900 minutes.
• The Three Lionesses scored 19 unanswered goals against Montenegro, with the only goal allowed to Olha Ovdiychuk in a 2-1 win over Ukraine in Lviv.
• England has a good mix of youth and veteran players. Alex Scott and Fara Williams both have more than 100 caps.
• Head coach Mark Sampson was appointed as Hope Powell's successor in December of 2013 and will be just 32 years old when he leads England into the FIFA Women's World Cup. Previously in charge of Bristol Academy, Sampson has been credited with bringing a more technical and creative side to the team's play, while encouraging a club style environment off the pitch.
• This will be England's fourth appearance at a FIFA Women's World Cup, and they are grouped with France, Mexico and Colombia.
• On their previous three occasions in 1995, 2007 and 2011 England have reached the quarterfinals. 

LAST TIME

On the field for the USA:
Feb. 8, 2015 – Stade du Moustoir; Lorient, France

USA                0         
FRA                2          Eugénie Le Sommer, 50; Jessica Houara, 51

Lineups:
USA: 24-Ashlyn Harris; 25-Meghan Klingenberg, 6-Whitney Engen, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 16-Lori Chalupny (11-Ali Krieger, 55); 17-Tobin Heath (8-Amy Rodriguez, 77), 15-Morgan Brian (20-Abby Wambach, 63), 12-Lauren Holiday, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.); 23-Christen Press, 13-Alex Morgan
Subs Not Used: 5-Kelley O'Hara, 7-Shannon Boxx, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 14-Julie Johnston, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 19-Rachel Van Hollebeke, 21-Alyssa Naeher, 22-Crystal Dunn, 26-Tori Huster
Head coach: Jill Ellis

FRA: 1-Sarah Bouhaddi; 8-Jessica Houara, 4-Laura Georges, 2-Wendie Renard, 22-Amel Majri; 12-Elodie Thomis (11-Claire Lavogez, 74), 10-Camille Abily (23-Kheira Hamaroui, 82), 6-Amandine Henry, 14-Louisa Necib (7-Kenza Dali, 40); 17-Gaëtane Thiney (18-Marie Laure Delie, 87), 9-Eugénie Le Sommer (15-Elise Bussaglia, 74)
Subs Not Used: 1-Céline Deville, 3-Laure Boulleau, 5-Sabrina Delannoy, 13-Kadiatou Diani, 19-Gridge Mbock Bathy, 20-Anaig Butel, 21-Meline Gerard
Head coach: Philippe Bergeroo

On the field for the USA vs. ENG:
April 2, 2011 – Matchroom Stadium; London, England

USA                1          Megan Rapinoe, 39
ENG               2          Jess Clark, 8; Rachel Yankey, 26

Scoring Summary:    1          2          F
USA                            1          0          1
ENG                            2          0          2

Lineups:
USA: 18-Nicole Barnhart (1-Hope Solo, 46); 11-Ali Krieger, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 19-Rachel Buehler, 6-Amy LePeilbet (14-Stephanie Cox, 46); 9-Heather O’Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe (17-Tobin Heath, 70); 8-Amy Rodriguez (13-Alex Morgan, 70), 20-Abby Wambach (12-Lauren Cheney, 62)
Subs not used: 4-Yael Averbuch, 5-Lindsay Tarpley, 16-Lori Lindsey, 21-Kelley O’Hara, 22-Becky Sauerbrunn, 24-Ashlyn Harris, 25-Meghan Klingenberg
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage

ENG: 1-Karen Bardsley; 2-Alex Scott, 6-Casey Stoney, 5-Faye White (capt.) (21-Sophie Bradley, 68), 3-Rachel Unitt, 8-Jill Scott, 4-Fara Williams, 7-Jess Clarke, 10-Kelly Smith, 11-Rachel Yankey (19-Karen Carney, 75), 9-Ellen White
Subs not used:  12-Anita Asante, 13-Rachel Brown, 14-Eniola Aluko, 15-Lindsay Johnson, 16-Sue Smith, 17-Steph Houghton, 18-Laura Bassett, 20-Claire Rafferty, 22-Siobhan Chamberlain, 23-Dunia Susi, 24-Natasha Dowie
Head Coach: Hope Powell