England Women’s friendly with Canada on Friday will leave them better equipped for next month’s World Cup, says head coach Mark Sampson.
The Lionesses have travelled from their base in Toronto to Hamilton, where they will take on the host nation in one final warm-up match in front of almost 23,000 supporters.
And Sampson believes this match will put England in a better place ahead of their World Cup opener against France on Tuesday 9 June.
Canada v England
A Women's International
Tim Hortons Field
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
7pm (Midnight BST) Friday 29 May 2015
He said: "We are looking forward to the game to give players some minutes and to get used to the Canadian atmosphere.
"The players are still a little bit tired, a little bit jet-lagged so we probably won't be able to go full cylinder but it will be a great run out for us.
"We've got some history with Canada and every time we play each other they are good games. We will enjoy that challenge but we are also realistic. The players are just getting off the plane really. We are still adapting to Canadian conditions.
"It's a great chance for us to get the boots on and get a feel for the atmosphere. Whatever the result it will be a really positive exercise."
Sampson continued: "At this stage, it’s about replicating a World Cup scenario as best as possible. We are up against a fantastic Canadian team, one that will be there or thereabouts in this tournament.
"They have got a good manager and good players, and they will have a huge home support so it will be a good test for us on the field, and off it too, in terms of how we can deal with a partisan crowd.
"Most importantly it's an opportunity to play on [an artificial pitch]. To play a competitive game on this surface will be a big boost to us going into the tournament."
England defeated Canada 1-0 in the Cyprus Cup final in March, one of eight matches Sampson’s side have played since they qualified for the World Cup last August.
The head coach used a number of different players in those eight games and, after narrowing his group down to just 23, he said he is happy to have a squad full of potential first-team players.
He added: "The great thing for us is that we don't really have a starting eleven.
"We've got a group of 23 players who, at any given time and given certain circumstances, can step in and do a job for the team."
After France, England take on Mexico on 13 June, followed by Colombia on 17 June.
