Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Emma Hayes USWNTGetty Images

Talking tactics: With a depleted roster, Emma Hayes changed things up, but a lack of cutting edge saw the USWNT stutter to an England stalemate

So, what do we make of that? Nil-nil. All of the hype, all of the storylines, all 78,000 fans in Wembley for the highest-profile friendly in years, and the result was a game in which neither side found the back of the net.

The word "intrigue" will be thrown around a lot. It's a good cop out to describe what was, in abstract, a pretty boring game. The numbers back that up: 14 shots, four on target, one penalty call correctly overturned by VAR. This was billed as a battle between two serial winners, the top two teams in the world in FIFA rankings. The reality was, both sides seemed pretty content with a draw.

But still, things were happening. This sport is more complex than two teams settling for a result. At times, both sides played to win. Each manager set their team up looking to exploit weaknesses in their opponent. A bit more cutting edge, a moment of inspiration, or a massive blunder could have blown it open. Instead, what transpired at Wembley Saturday was two very good teams playing a fairly flawless game of football at the right times, but lacking the individual quality to make it anything other than a goalless draw.

Injuries played a role, with the Emma Hayes' USWNT without their attacking front three of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson. So too did the relative youth on display. This was hardly a thriller. But there were still interesting elements to it all. Intrigue - yes, there's the word - was apparent. A 0-0 draw might suggest a bore. In actuality, the reality is the opposite: these are two very good, very well-matched football teams. For the U.S., there's little to complain about.