England vs. New Zealand: 2019 Women's Soccer Friendly Date, Time, Live Stream
England's preparations for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup will continue with the Lionesses' final pre-tournament friendly against New Zealand on Saturday.
Phil Neville's team will be expected to win at Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium after brushing aside Denmark 2-0 in Walsall last week.
The head coach will be keen for key players such as forward Nikita Parris to maintain strong form ahead of the finals in France, which start on Friday.
Date: Saturday, June 1
Time: 1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. ET
TV Info: BBC One
Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC.co.uk
Parris is the match-winner in the final third who should scare England's World Cup opponents.
The 25-year-old has been prolific for Manchester City this season but has already agreed to move to Champions League holders Lyon.
She believes in her talent, telling Phil Medlicott of Press Association Sport (h/t Yahoo Sport) about her expectations for the World Cup: "I'm confident in my own ability, what I can do on a football pitch, and I'm confident in the players I've got around me."
Goals have never been a problem for Parris, so keeping her supplied with chances is the priority for England.
Midfielder Jill Scott, who also found the net against the Danes, can play a key role.
So can creative forward Karen Carney. The 31-year-old Chelsea ace must ensure there are plenty of crosses from the flanks for Parris to attack.
Carney, Scott and Parris should provide England with enough firepower to sweep New Zealand aside. However, the Kiwis have their own potent strikers in the shape of Rosie White and Sarah Gregorius.
They will test an England defence that was vulnerable from set-pieces at times against Denmark.
Neville knows the value of momentum, per BBC Sport: "Winning breeds momentum. We place a massive emphasis on winning in training, on and off the pitch. We like to create this competitive environment."
It will be important for England to keep performances and results on track ahead of the first group game against Scotland on June 9.
