England beats Colombia to advance to Women’s World Cup semifinals
SYDNEY — The exams preserve coming for England on the Women’s World Cup and the Lionesses preserve roaring.
Alessia Russo fired England into the semifinals with a second-half aim to beat Colombia 2-1 on Saturday in a sport that showcased the resolve of Sarina Wiegman’s staff and arrange a conflict with co-host Australia.
“We always find a way through,” mentioned Russo, whose aim accomplished a come-from-behind win after Leicy Santos had given Colombia a first-half lead. “One of the strongest things about this team is we never give up.”
England superior to the final 4 for the third consecutive Women’s World Cup, regardless of going into the event with a bunch of key gamers out injured.
Kiera Walsh was then sidelined after hurting her knee within the second sport of the group stage and Lauren James is serving a two-game suspension for stepping on Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie within the spherical of 16.
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Yet England preserve arising with solutions.
“We’ve had lots of challenges, and we’ve got through these challenges,” Wiegman mentioned. “It showed the resilience of the team.”
Without star participant James, England’s path to the semifinals was made all of the extra difficult by Santos’ strike within the forty fourth.
It additionally needed to take care of a partisan crowd of 75,784 at Stadium Australia that was vastly in favour of Colombia, after which there was the bodily strategy of Colombia’s gamers, who left the Lionesses bruised by a variety of heavy challenges.
Yet the composure of England’s gamers beneath intense stress was by no means extra evident than when going a aim down.
The Lionesses produced arguably their most composed play as they managed possession and probed Colombia’s half earlier than Lauren Hemp seized on a mistake by goalkeeper Catalina Perez to poke the ball over the road within the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time.
“Everyone knows their task and you try to stick to the task and keep your emotions in control. It’s easy to say, but that’s what you practice every day,” Wiegman mentioned. “That’s one of the strengths of this team that we do stay calm. So we conceded a goal and you don’t see any panic. We just try to speed up the game even more and create chances and score goals. So far I think we have done that really well.”
Wiegman is a step nearer to her second consecutive Women’s World Cup closing after her Netherlands staff was runner-up to the United States in 2019.
England misplaced within the semifinals in 2015 and 2019, going out to Japan and the United States, respectively.
Wiegman led the Lionesses to victory within the European Championship final 12 months, after having received that competitors with the Netherlands in 2017.
In main the Lionesses to success final 12 months, she grew to become solely the second England coach, male or feminine, to win an elite worldwide event. Alf Ramsey’s males’s staff received the World Cup in 1966.
If she had been to win the World Cup she would grow to be England’s most profitable coach of all time.
With lots of the favourites, together with America, Germany, France, and Japan already eradicated, the Lionesses will probably be more and more assured they will win a primary Women’s World Cup.
Colombia, in the meantime, exits having made historical past by securing a spot within the quarterfinals for the primary time. It was the final remaining staff from the Americas within the event.
“We have peace of mind,” Colombia coach Nelson Abadia mentioned. “Not satisfied, but peace because of our very good performance in the World Cup. We proved how Colombian football has evolved.”
Colombia regarded able to going even additional after Santos’ aim gave it an sudden lead.
Taking the ball on the precise of the field, she formed to cross, however her effort as an alternative flew straight towards aim, catching out England keeper Mary Earps and dipping beneath the bar.
It sparked an eruption of noise, whereas Colombia’s substitutes ran to affix within the celebrations with Santos and the remainder of the gamers.
If going behind for the primary time within the event got here as a shock to England, it didn’t present.
They evened the rating after the error from Perez.
The keeper ought to have simply gathered the ball when Russo mis-controlled within the field, however let it slip out of her grasp and Hemp pounced.
Russo’s winner got here after England had dominated the second half with out managing to open up Colombia’s protection.
Georgia Stanway collected the ball round 40 yards from aim and slipped a move to the striker, who held off a problem from Daniela Arias earlier than firing low into the far nook from a decent angle.
England will play Australia in Sydney on Wednesday, when the Stadium Australia crowd will probably be in opposition to the Lionesses as soon as once more.
Wiegman, who’s Dutch, would possibly want a crash course within the rivalry between the nations.
“I just think it’s going to be really big, but now I’ve had a couple of questions about it so it’s probably going to be bigger than I imagine now,” she mentioned.
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