In the 2017 Women’s U-20 Nike Internationals, England three times pegged back the USA to hold them to a 3-3 tie in front a crowd of over 2,000 at the Premier Sports Campus in Florida.
Sophia Smith’s 19th-minute opener for the US brought an almost immediate reply as Ellie Brazil scored, before she went off injured just 6 minutes later.
The hosts restored their advantage when Zoe Morse’s ball was diverted into her own net by Grace Fisk.
Ellie Roebuck pulled off two fins saves to thwart Smith later in the first half and after the interval England got back on level terms again, with a 54th minute finish by Anne Patten.
Roebuck came to the rescue again with a double save to deny Civana Kuhlmann and Samantha Coffey’s follow-up.
US goalkeeper Lauren Ivory saved Rinsola Babajide’s close-range shot before the hosts broke away and Smith got her second in the 87th minute.
Roebuck went off with a knock at the end but England struck a 90th-minute equaliser when Alessia Russo got her head to Mayumi Pacheo’s corner. Ivory had turned the ball onto the bar but it was adjudged to have then bounced behind the line.
The Young Lionesses next play Brazil on Saturday 9 December (10pm GMT) and then Finland on Monday 11 December (10pm GMT), with matches streamed live on www.ussoccer.com and www.youtube.com/ussoccerdotcom.
USA U-20s: Ivory; Brewster, Morse, Girma, Rodriguez (McKeown, 63); Howell, DeMelo (Kornieck, 90+1), Pinto (Coffey, 63); Kim (Kuhlmann, 46), Smith, Harr (Turnbow, 46)
England U-20s: Roebuck (Maclver, 90); Patten, Pacheco, Wubben-Moy, Peplow, Fisk, Rouse, Allen, Russo, Brazil (Babajide, 35), Charles (Wellings, 66)
Att: 2,054.
Hoping both Ellies are OK after their knocks. I loved every second of that match, particularly the Lionesses’ bravery when dispossessing the opposition. Both sides should benefit greatly from the lessons learned. Delighted that US Soccer are streaming all the matches worldwide, these women deserve the biggest audiences possible.