The England forward Nikita Parris has had a busy two weeks with three crucial games for Manchester City, including a 120-minute grind against Arsenal to their third Continental League Cup, before travelling to the US to take part in the SheBelieves Cup.
Parris has since started the Lionesses’ 2-1 defeat of Brazil and the impressive 2-2 draw against the USA on Saturday night and it would have been no surprise if the pacy forward had found a little less in her legs.
Against the Americans, though, she refused to get frustrated. “Whenever I see any midfielder get their head up and have five yards of space, I know my role: get in behind,” she said. “If it doesn’t come, it doesn’t come. The girls will pick out the pass the next time. You can’t get frustrated. You’ve just got to keep making them runs.”
With England level, thanks to a stunning Steph Houghton free-kick, her chance finally came and she gave England a 2-1 lead in the 52nd minute. “I knew if I got in behind Crystal Dunn I would be able to have at least two yards on her. She is quick, she will recover but I’m just as quick and, if I’ve got two yards, I’m going to go for it.”
Falling behind in both matches has tested the team in a new way and both times they have shown resilience and confidence. “From the start in the game against Brazil, when we went 1-0 down, to here, when we went 1-0 down, our responses are unbelievable. We don’t ever get down on ourselves because we know the quality that we’ve got and in offensive moments we can cause some damage and we did that today.”
Houghton laughed when asked whether Phil Neville should give his half-time talks pre-game: “Obviously we’ve travelled a long way, some of us have played a lot of games for our clubs and we’re coming into an environment with 22,000 screaming USA fans,” she said of their slow starts. “But we handled it and grew into the game.”
And it was Houghton’s indirect free-kick that pulled England level three minutes after a blistering Megan Rapinoe half-volley had put the US in front. “I don’t practise indirect free-kicks but the technique and how I strike the ball I practise a lot,” said the Lionesses’ captain. “I knew where I was going to put it but Rapinoe was standing right in front of me, in my eyeline so I was like: ‘Could you actually move so I can have a look?’ But at the same time it’s about remaining calm in those moments and sticking to where you want to put it, kind of like a penalty, make a decision and go for it.”
England have come a long way since their defeat against the USA in this tournament last year and Houghton believes this side is now showing they can go “toe to toe with the best teams in the world”.
“Everyone is pushing for that starting place,” Parris said. “No one can be complacent and that’s what you need in order to push on and win a World Cup. You need everyone firing.”