Women's World Cup: 'Resilient England battle on but toughest test awaits'

England person answered each situation they person faced astatine the Women's World Cup, but it volition beryllium thing compared to what is apt to await them successful the semi-finals.

England had to travel from down connected Saturday - the archetypal squad successful the knockout stages of this year's contention to triumph contempt conceding archetypal - and did truthful successful beforehand of a assemblage of 75,784 fans, the bulk of whom were vociferously backing Colombia.

England bushed Nigeria successful a punishment shootout successful the past 16, past dealt with the archetypal crippled of a two-match suspension for top-scorer Lauren James.

Key midfielder Keira Walsh was besides ruled retired of the last radical crippled done injury, adding to a database of large names nursing injuries backmost home.

Manager Sarina Wiegman said she had "never experienced truthful galore problems" aft the last-16 necktie with Nigeria, but what has emerged is simply a hardened resilience and a relentless volition to triumph which has carried England done to the semi-finals.

Now England look a caller situation against co-hosts Australia, who person gone further than they person earlier and volition beryllium spurred connected by a passionate location crowd.

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The co-hosts of the tourney person carried the hopes of a nation, embracing the unit and utilizing it to their vantage to spot disconnected Olympic champions Canada and European giants France en way to the past four.

A hostile assemblage volition await England successful the semi-finals and, portion this is thing they person not faced earlier - Colombia surely did not marque them consciousness invited successful Sydney - the interaction of a sold-out location assemblage is thing Wiegman's broadside cognize lone excessively good aft reaping the payment astatine Euro 2022.

Australia person not lone built momentum connected the transportation with their agonising melodramatic punishment shootout triumph implicit France successful the quarter-finals, but they are transforming enactment disconnected it.

Free-to-air viewing figures person gone done the extortion successful Australia, its flagship Channel 7 pushed backmost its 6pm quality bulletin connected Saturday, and kick-off times for different sports events, including Aussie rules, person been moved to debar fixture clashes with the Matildas.

Fan festivals and ample outdoor screens person popped up crossed Sydney metropolis centre and present a federation which obsessed successful a cricket rivalry with England successful the Ashes this summertime are acceptable to clasp the latest conflict betwixt the countries successful football.

Aside from being the highest-ranked squad England person faced truthful acold - they person avoided the world's apical 10 up to this constituent - Tony Gustavsson's broadside are the lone state to person beaten the Lionesses nether Wiegman's management, ending a 30-match unbeaten run successful April.

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has not played a afloat lucifer successful the tourney yet arsenic she returns to afloat fittingness pursuing injury, but she came connected successful the 55th infinitesimal against France and scored her punishment successful the shootout, having made it done other clip unscathed.

She could beryllium timing her instrumentality to afloat fittingness conscionable successful clip to look England, and Kerr volition relish the accidental to look 2 defenders she knows amended than most, Chelsea team-mates Millie Bright and Jess Carter.

It is simply a mouth-watering necktie with intriguing challenges connected and disconnected the transportation for England, but they tin instrumentality bosom and assurance from what they person already overcome.

When England mislaid Walsh against China, Wiegman adapted and introduced a seldom seen enactment featuring a backmost three. It led to their champion show of the tourney successful a 6-1 thrashing, and they produced an immense antiaircraft show against Colombia having kept the aforesaid formation.

After James was sent disconnected against Nigeria, with England already struggling to get a stranglehold connected the game, the Lionesses dug successful to spot retired other clip and delivered nether unit successful the shootout.

England started good against Colombia successful the quarter-finals yet went 1-0 down erstwhile a wonderment onslaught from Leicy Santos caught retired goalkeeper Mary Earps, but the Lionesses' effect was swift and decisive.

Criticism has travel England's mode during their clip successful Australia arsenic their performances person stumbled and underwhelmed but, if they person travel this far, who is to reason against them overcoming different obstacle?

It is the 5th large tourney successful a enactment that the Lionesses person reached the semi-finals, proving they are consistently competing for the biggest prizes.

As Earps said anterior to triumph implicit Colombia, "the champion is yet to come" from England. It would beryllium highly adjuvant if England's champion arrives successful clip for their latest semi-final.