SARINA WIEGMAN is determined not to let friendship influence her goal of leading England to victory against Emma Hayes’ USA.

Tomorrow, the two coaches will meet for the first time as the Lionesses challenge the United States at Wembley Stadium.

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The game at 5:20 PM this Saturday will mark Hayes’ first homecoming as the USA’s head coach this year.

She took on the position in June after leading Chelsea to seven WSL titles during her time as head coach.

This match follows Hayes, 48, leading her U.S. squad to gold at the Paris Olympics in August.

With her team having gone 11 matches undefeated since her appointment, Wiegman is intent on providing her opponent with a taste of international defeat.

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The 55-year-old Lioness manager noted: “While Emma and I used to work together, we are rivals now, and I’m eagerly looking forward to that.”

“When it comes to competitive friends, you tend to want to outperform them, perhaps even more so than against those who are not friends.”

“Playing at Wembley with about 85,000 fans expected, and considering the USA’s recent Olympic success, heightens the excitement.”

This encounter will be the first meeting between the two teams since England’s 2-1 victory two years ago in October.

Since that match, the Lionesses achieved their first World Cup final appearance last summer, ultimately losing to Spain 1-0.

Recent international forms for both teams have varied significantly.

While Hayes’ squad celebrated victories over Iceland and Argentina with scores of 3-1 and 3-0, Wiegman’s team faced a disappointing 4-3 loss to Germany but rebounded with a 2-1 win against South Africa.

Despite the USA’s historical edge in their head-to-head record, winning 12 out of 19 encounters with England, full-back Lucy Bronze highlights the respect inherent in the rivalry.

The Lioness, nominated for the FIFA 2024 Women’s Player of the Year award, emphasized: “Even though there is a rivalry, there’s a significant level of respect.”

“This respect stems from competing at the pinnacle of the sport.”

“As an English team, we’ve always acknowledged the vast strides the US has taken to achieve their current status. We admire that greatly, and they’ve motivated us following our Euros triumph.”

“While we are rivals, we also form part of a community, and we all aspire to surpass each other.”

“In contests between England and America, there’s always a substantial degree of rivalry mingled with mutual respect.”

With over 83,000 spectators anticipated at Wembley, Hayes was queried on her perspective regarding the current state of women’s football in both countries.

The USA coach underscores the necessity of equal acknowledgement for women’s football in both nations.

Hayes remarked: “Both countries are committed to women’s sports and are making strides in promoting women’s football.”

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“As usual, we discuss the necessary improvements, but it’s also essential to celebrate how far we’ve come.”

“Having 80,000 fans present for such a significant encounter is not only a testament to our progress but indicates that the Lionesses are firmly in the spotlight.”

“It’s about recognizing the efforts in both nations rather than tearing anything down.”