LONDON -- In one emotive moment at Wembley, the players of England and the United States highlighted the vulnerability of the women's game at the end of an emotionally-draining week for the sport. And then they gave us a 90-minute showcase of all of its strengths.
A collective pre-match team photograph with the players of the European champions (England) and world champions (United States) standing together behind a banner saying, "Protect The Players" was a direct response to the shocking findings of an independent report which found "systemic verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct" in the National Women's Soccer League.