The gap between expectation and reality can be a big one and the tight chess match between England and the United States did not quite provide the action to match the clash-of-the-titans narrative that had been set up before the game.
In front of 78,346 fans eager to see who would come away from the showpiece friendly in better shape – the European champions, led by Sarina Wiegman, or the Olympic gold medallists, led by the London native Emma Hayes – the answer was neither.
