Wales manager Gemma Grainger has said that the invitation from the reigning world champions USA to feature in their Women’s World Cup send-off match next month should be viewed as a “sign of respect” and a tangible marker of the evolution of women’s football in Wales.
Wales Women were extended an invitation from the USA to play a friendly on July 9 in San Jose as a final preparation match ahead of the four-time World Cup winners’ journey to Australia and New Zealand for this summer’s showpiece event. The match will mark the first time Wales Women will play outside Europe in the history of the women’s national team.
Grainger’s side suffered last-ditch heartbreak in their World Cup qualifying campaign as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in their play-off qualification final last year in the dying seconds of extra time.
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The loss put an end to a thrilling campaign in which Wales looked destined to qualify for a first-ever major tournament.
Despite the defeat, Grainger and co. are steadfast in their commitment to qualify for the 2025 European Championships and have said that next month’s friendly against the USA is the latest evidence of their rapid evolution in the last two years.
“To play back-to-back world champions in their final preparation game is a sign of respect to the players and they should take huge credit for that,” Grainger said.
“For us, we want to use the game to know what the level is like. We want to play these teams because it’s how we learn and it’s how we learn quickly.”
Wales will be without stalwarts Sophie Ingle and Rachel Rowe, with the former out due to a double yellow card suspension and the latter to injury. Despite suspension, Ingle will travel with the squad to California.
Grainger admitted the disappointment in losing two key senior players but emphasised the potential availability of taliswoman and centurion Jess Fishlock.
Fishlock, who has four goal involvements in Wales' last three matches, is currently returning from injury, having not featured for NWSL side OL Reign since 29 May.
Grainger maintained that positive discussions are being held between OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey and the Wales camp surrounding Fishlock’s return and her honouring of both club and country commitments.
The NWSL season is currently under way, and while those players representing their respective nations at the Women’s World Cup have been given licence to depart their clubs early, Fishlock must remain with OL Reign while the season continues.
OL Reign are scheduled to play on 1 and 8 July, one day before Wales face USA in their World Cup send-off.
“We’re in discussions about what Jess’ role in this game will be, but no matter where she is or what she does, she wants to be involved in this game because this is the crowd that she plays in front of week in and week out,” Grainger said.
“It’s very much planning week-by-week, day-by-day, to assess her fitness… the plan is to have Jess travel to us after those matches. For Jess, this game is a non-negotiable in her mind, so if she’s fit, she’s playing.”
Fishlock moved to OL Reign in 2013 and has been a mainstay at the club, helping them to six major trophies, including last season’s Women’s Cup.
For her efforts, Fishlock was also named the 2021 NWSL Most Valuable Player of the season. It is precisely this quality and experience from Fishlock that Grainger underlined as key ahead of July’s clash, in which the atmosphere is set to be fiercely celebratory as the USWNT bid to hunt down an unprecedented three-peat on the World Cup stage.
“Our players, if they want to know what our level is, they will know after this game. We are playing against the USA but don’t forget Jess plays in the USA and she was voted the 2021 best player in the league,” Grainger said.
“So we’ve got the best player in their league playing for us. So we might be playing against Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe but we’ve got Jess.
“For us, it’s about embracing the opportunity, utilising Jess’s experience and making sure that we go out there and play our game. I’m under no illusions that we’re playing back-to-back world champions but that’s exactly who we want to play.”
The Wales manager added: “We have a game plan and it’s about seeing how we delivered it. We want to apply our principles and be brave enough to play the way we want to play and that will be the message that we will give to our players.
“Our senior players, and Jess, she will really help with that management, she can help to support those players. We’re playing against world-leading stars but they’re just 11 players.”
