A 6-0 win for the United States of America over New Zealand in the early hours of Thursday morning (UK time) marked the end to United Women’s involvement in the October internationals.
Reds goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was an unused substitute for the high-scoring friendly triumph in Kansas City, the third of three games for Emma Hayes’s side across a busy break.
Phallon played the first, earning her fourth senior cap for the States in a narrow defeat to Portugal, before watching from the sidelines as her country avenged that loss with a 3-1 victory over the same opponent last Sunday.
Since then, 12 of her United colleagues have also got minutes on the international stage, including in Tuesday’s two UEFA Nations League semi-final second legs.
Unfortunately, progression to the final wasn’t to be for France despite Melvine Malard’s third-minute goal against Germany. That effort – a well-directed close-range header into the bottom corner – levelled the aggregate scoreline but Les Bleues would go on to lose 2-3 over two legs, after a 2-2 draw on the night in Caen.
Meanwhile, in Sweden, Reds trio Fridolina Rolfo, Anna Sandberg and Julia Zigiotti Olme all featured for the home side, who were unable to produce an extraordinary turnaround to extinguish Spain’s healthy four-goal advantage from the first leg.
Having won 4-0 on home turf, the Nations League holders and reigning world champions confirmed their place in another final with a 1-0 victory on the road, as Zigiotti picked up her 50th senior international cap.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, there was a healthy dose of friendly action involving members of Marc Skinner’s squad. That included in Spain, where Lisa Naalsund and Elisabeth Terland helped Norway beat a Japan side featuring Hinata Miyazawa 2-0, on neutral ground.
There was also a head-to-head clash involving United players in the Netherlands, where Dominique Janssen was a member of the hosts' XI that narrowly defeated Jayde Riviere’s Canada 1-0. Riviere played 85 minutes for the visitors.
In Derby, Ella Toone’s low pass assisted a goal for Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze as England beat Australia 3-0, with Maya Le Tissier playing 90 minutes at centre-back and helping the Lionesses to keep a clean sheet.
On the same evening, United Academy defender Scarlett Hill earned her second senior Wales cap in four days while appearing as one of three half-time substitutes during Cymru’s 5-2 home defeat to Poland.
Fellow young Reds Safia Middleton-Patel and Mared Griffiths, who scored her maiden international goal for the Wales first team on Saturday, were unused substitutes.
The aforementioned cohort, and their team-mates who stayed at Carrington, will now be looking ahead to the resumption of our season away to Brighton on Sunday.