FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (July 9, 2026) – The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team drew with England, 1-1, in the first-ever women’s international match at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, which openedlast May.
The USA started a lineup of six college players and five NWSL professionals against an England side stocked with players on the books of England Women’s Super League clubs. The historic match was an entertaining one and featured a stellar performance from England goalkeeper Katie Cox, who denied the USA a winning goal in the second half with several top-quality saves.
The match was an even affair in the early going, but England started to impose its game on the USA as the first half wore on. England opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when the USA couldn’t deal with a service into the penalty box. Chelsea FC midfielder Lola Brown won the loose ball and touched it back to fellow Chelsea forward Vera Jones, who smashed her half-volley into the right corner from the penalty spot.
To the USA’s credit, the response was good. Bay FC winger Onyeka Gamero created a chance in the 38th, making space for a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but it hit the outside of the net.
The USA then equalized in the 40th minute on a great dribbling run from Chicago Stars FC forward Micayla Johnson after she received the ball from Kansas City Current defender Katie Scott just outside the penalty area on the left side. With her back to the goal initially, Johnson spun to beat her defender around the corner and dribbled toward the near post before striking her shot from just outside the six-yard box, planting the ball inside the far post from a sharp angle. It was Johnson’s second international goal at the U-20 level after scoring nine times at the U-17 level.
The USA forced England into an own goal in the 52nd minute off a corner kick from Scott, but the linesperson ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds and curved back in front of the goal before England knocked it in its own net. The match remained tied.
In the 63rd, Stanford defender Lizzie Boamah had a golden chance inside the penalty area off a re-service after a corner kick, but Cox, who is also a Chelsea player but on loan to Aberdeen in Scotland, made a fantastic point-blank save to smother the ball.
The USA looked the more dangerous side in the second half and 69th-minute substitute Audrey McKeen of Racing Louisville FC made a powerful dribbling run down the right wing in the 71st minute, cutting inside all the way to the top of the penalty box before pushing her shot just wide left of the goal. McKeen had another chance in the 78th minute, this one coming from the left side of the penalty area, but she put her shot wide of the goal.
Gamero had a chance in the 81st when Notre Dame midfielder Lily Joseph won the ball in midfield with a hard tackle and then played to McKeen, who fed Gamero on the left, but her blistering shot was well-saved by Cox and pushed out for a corner kick. Seconds later, after the USA had taken that corner kick short, Joseph smashed a high shot from the center of the field just above the penalty area that Cox pushed over the bar.
In the 86th minute, the USA had its best chance to bag a game-winner as McKeen raced down the left wing on the break. She played the ball into the middle for UNC forward Sealy Strawn, who had come on in the 68thminute, but with the goal gaping, she blasted her shot off the right post from 13 yards out.
The age cut-off for the 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup is players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006. The USA and England are both preparing for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. This is the final training camp for the U.S. U-20s before head coach Vicky Jepson chooses the 21 players who will represent the USA at that tournament. The USA will open Group D play at the World Cup on Sunday, Sept. 6 against Italy (Noon ET / 6 p.m. local), then faces 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finalists Japan on Wednesday, Sept. 9 (9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local) and finishes the group stage vs. New Zealand on Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local). The U.S. will play its first and second group games at Stadion Miejski LKS Lodz in Lodz and its final group game at Arena Sosnowiec in Sosnowiec. England will face Brazil, Canada and Tanzania in Group B.
The USA will next face the Colombia U-20 WNT on July 12 (6 p.m. ET streamed on the U.S. Soccer YouTube channel) at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center.
These matches are a part of the Federation’s continued focus on the U.S. Way philosophy, which emphasizes increased programming for Youth National Teams to create more opportunities for young players to advance through the pathway to the senior National Team with the goal of representing their country at a world championship.
-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States U-20 Women's National Team vs. England U-20 Women’s National Team
Date: July 9, 2026
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center – Field 1; Fayetteville, Ga.
Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
| Scoring Summary |
1 |
2 |
F |
| USA |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| ENG |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| ENG – Vera Jones (Lola Brown) | 32nd minute |
| USA – Micayla Johnson (Katie Scott) | 40 |
Lineups:
USA: 21-Evan O’Steen (12-Kealey Titmuss, 69); 13-Katie Scott (8-Peyton McGovern, 69), 4-Ella Bard (14-Pearl Cecil, 69), 5-Lizzie Boamah (Capt.) (15-Zoe Matthews, 85), 3-Emma Johnson (23-Jaida McGrew, 46); 6-Y-Lan Nguyen (2-Aven Alvarez, 69), 22-Addison Halpern (18-Hope Munson, 46), 10-Sofia Cedeno (19-Lily Joseph, 58): 7-Micayla Johnson (17-Sealey Strawn, 58), 9-Alex Buck (24-Audrey McKeen, 69), 11-Onyeka Gamero (20-Kylie Maxwell, 85)
Subs not used: 1-Caroline Birkel, 16-Keira Kemmerley
Head Coach: Vicky Jepson
ENG: 1-Katie Cox; 2-Ria Bose, 5-Lucy Newell (15-Chloe Paxton, 61), 6-Cecily Wellesley-Smith, 3-Chloe Sarwie (12-Rachel Maltby, 46); 4-Alexia Potter (14-May Cruft, 61), 8-Laila Harbert (Capt.) (18-Chloe Hylton, 61), 10-Lola Brown (17-Vivienne Lia, 46); 7-Eleanor Klinger, 9-Denny Draper (19-Princes Ademiluyi, 46), 11-Vera Jones (23-Eva Hendle, 60)
Subs not used: 13-Kaiya Jota, 16-Grace McEwen, 20-Lily Dent, 21-Layla Druy, 22-Sophia Poor
Head Coach: Lydia Bedford
Stats Summary: USA / ENG
Shots: 15 / 5
Shots on Goal: 6 / 4
Saves: 3 / 4
Corner Kicks: 5 / 1
Fouls: 12 / 5
Offside: 3 / 2
| Misconduct Summary |
| ENG – Laila Harbert (Caution) | 45+2nd minute |
| ENG – Princess Ademiluyi (Caution) | 79 |
| USA – Jaida McGrew (Caution) | 88 |
Officials:
Referee: Kyle Johnston (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Florian Bethune (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Raphael Mospanuk (USA)
Fourth Official: Dan Benson (USA)
