SheBelieves Cup 2018: USA v England – live!

87 mins: CHANCE … and how did that ball not go in? The free kick is played short, then lofted to the middle of the 6-yard line, where Ellen White is somehow all alone. She heads it … and it hits the inside of the post. Then it’s cleared. Not England’s night.

86 mins: SUBSTITUTION. England brings on Jill Scott and Hannah Blundell before the free kick and ….

86 mins: And more late impact from Carli Lloyd, as she fouls Christiansen with a late, clumsy challenge on the edge of the U.S. box. Oops. Free kick …

85 mins: Corner kick for England, and they have absolutely no idea what to do with it. They play it short and end up going backwards.

84 mins: Well, now Lloyd has an impact. She wanders into the attack and gets her head to a cross from Abby Dahlkemper, who has had little to do in central defense and has been wowing everyone by kicking the ball 30-40 yards at a time. Not a bad chance.

Indeed it will …

Brian is fresh off the bench and probably up for it. Lloyd recently hit her head on the grass and hasn’t had an impact thus far.

80 mins: SUBSTITUTION as the young Savannah McCaskill, who’s about to start her NWSL career with Sky Blue, replaces Megan Rapinoe.

79 mins: Bronze gets forward on the right to challenge Crystal Dunn, and she wins a corner. Parris turns a defender but squanders an aimless cross.

78 mins: Morgan Brian wins a duel and plays the ball to Carli Lloyd, who randomly pops the ball into the air. But Alex Morgan gets fouled and earns a free kick.

Resume the game of keepaway in the U.S. half.

76 mins: Sofia Huerta’s first action at right wingish-back is to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick.

England win it back, where Christiansen goes 1-on-5 and still manages to set up a wayward shot from White.

73 mins: SUBSTITUTIONS. We will indeed see Sofia Huerta in this tournament. She replaces Allie Long, who had a difficult game in central midfield. Morgan Brian is also in, replacing Lindsey Horan.

ESPN’s Julie Foudy guesses that Dunn will move forward.

For England: Rachel Daly, who’s based in the USA with Houston, replaces the excellent Fran Kirby.

A quick tactical take:

Currently, the USA are defending deep, inviting more and more pressure.

71 mins: Allie Long gets away with one, knocking down Fran Kirby. Then Parris knocks down Long a bit more violently, awakening our referee and drawing a whistle.

70 mins: Free kick USA about 45 yards out, and they play it quickly to Crystal Dunn, who loses her defender with a cutback move at the side of the box and sends it over to Horan, who can’t get her header on frame.

68 mins: USA with a long ball over the top that isn’t quite as exciting as it seems. Then at the other end — Kirby, appropriately wearing the No. 10, looks for a passing option but can’t find one. She blasts a shot high and wide.

67 mins: Morgan and Rapinoe crash forward with the English defense retreating, but Morgan’s pass back to Rapinoe is a little too far in front.

England race the other way and again play the ball to Parris. The USA dare her to beat them with a cross. She can’t.

66 mins: Offside so far: ENG 7, USA 0. And England with no shots on goal.

65 mins: Mallory Pugh is probably still the leader for Player of the Match honors. She works down the right flank and crosses just over everyone.

England quickly take it the other way and once again try to get Parris isolated on Dunn. Parris gets a half-shot away.

63 mins: And still, the USA can’t get through the midfield. I’d be curious to see the analytical folks tell us if any U.S. midfielder has completed more than five forward passes.

But another offside flag stops another English attack in its tracks.

Here’s how it looked:

England have responded by sending Nikita Parris after Crystal Dunn on the right, but Dunn doesn’t concede anything.

Oh my, that was awful. Megan Rapinoe with another powerful but aimless shot or cross or whatever, and it deflects toward the goal. Karen Bardsley is waiting to collect it — but the outstretched foot of Millie Bright pushes it past her.

It’s Bright’s second own goal of the tournament. The other was an unfortunate bit of pinball in the box.

Ugh.

57 mins (still): My goodness, we’re going end to end now. Fran Kirby comes up the middle and plays left to Duggan who fires across the face of the goal.

57 mins: Carli Lloyd pushes the ball forward on the right and passes to the dasher board over the end line.

56 mins: SAVE BARDSLEY. Lucy Bronze turns it over. Lindsey Horan plays wide to Megan Rapinoe, whose first touch isn’t very good and leaves her a difficult angle. But she still gets a good swing at the ball and forces the veteran English keeper to push it wide.

54 mins: Our broadcasters are now trying to sum up an NWSL trade involving Carli Lloyd, Sam Kerr, Christen Press and others. They could’ve spent the entire halftime show on that one. It’s complicated.

The USA get some pressure now, with Sonnett marauding forward on the right.

51 mins: SUBSTITUTIONS. In case you didn’t think we had enough Manchester City players in this game, here comes Nikita Parris, replacing Jodie Taylor. Also on: Barcelona’s Toni Duggan, replacing Melissa Lawley.

50 mins: England look shaky now. They get a restart at midfield and immediately turn it over. Dunn presses Lucy Bronze into two mistakes.

48 mins: SAVE by Karen Bardsley. A long ball goes over the top, and it’s Mallory Pugh ahead of Stokes. Bardsley cuts down the angle well, and no one’s there for the rebound. The USA get another corner, which at this point is probably an excuse to go to the fridge.

47 mins: So the idea there seemed to be for Carli Lloyd to run at the far post at the last minute. Not a bad idea, but no one told Tierna Davidson, who inadvertently ends up in Lloyd’s way.

At the other end, England are caught offside playing the ball out to the right wing. Not for the first time.

46 mins: As in the first half, we start with high pressure, and Karen Bardsley’s clearance skitters out of play. The USA bring it forward and win another corner kick. They haven’t looked dangerous on these so far.

The USA’s best defender will be involved in the second half. Sort of.

Halftime stats seem unfair to England. No shots, just one corner kick. The USA had three shots, all off target (though Pugh’s didn’t miss by much).

The best chance so far, by far …

A little angrier …

Finding a few thoughts on the game so far …

The USA have a midfield?

A bit of drama here and there. I can’t remember a good English shot, but the visitors have created a bit of pressure on the American defense. No one is parking the bus here, and it should be an engaging second half.

Remember: If England get a draw here, they win the SheBelieves Cup.

45 mins: CHANCE. and Mallory Pugh nearly scores a beauty. She dribbled across the top of the box, wrong-footing the English defense and unleashing a shot that glances off the side of the post.

44 mins: Rapinoe remains on the right after the corner and gives the ball to the overlapping Pugh.

Alex Morgan falls at the edge of the box, and Rapinoe really wants a call. That would be harsh, to say the least.

43 mins: CHANCE. Rapinoe crosses (probably), and Karen Bardsley can only parry it. The ball sits tantalizing on the ground in the box, but no U.S. player can get to it. They win a corner.

41 mins: Allie Long is a little lackadaisical receiving a ball from Crystal Dunn, and England are off to the races. But not for long.

At the other end, Lindsey Horan sends a header well wide. The ever-steady Lucy Bronze had it covered.

39 mins: That was promising for England. Demi Stokes shrugged off pressure to play it up the left flank, and the ball is one-touched into space for Jodie Taylor. U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher is forced to race out and boot it away.

36 mins: English winger Melissa Lawley tests Crystal Dunn’s defensive skills and manages to get a little cross in.

Then a longer cross sails to Ellen White, who either (A) attempts to pull a Maradona Hand of God or (B) loses control of her body under a foul from Emily Sonnett. The whistle didn’t blow, so maybe it’s neither.