England entered the knockout stages of the World Cup still waiting to look like the dominant team it was expected to be. Sure, England have yet to lose a game — a feat during this turbulent tournament — but so far their performances seem a few notches short of the level required to realize their goals: to reach first this final, to lift the World Cup trophy for the first time.
England arrived in Australia last month without three of the country’s best players, all ruled out with serious knee injuries. Another starter got hurt in the group stage and missed a game and a half. Then the Lionesses lost their best offensive player at this World Cup, young midfielder Lauren James, to a suspension after she tripped a Nigerian player in the round of 16.
But on Saturday night, in front of a Sydney crowd that showed another obstacle by favoring the upstart Colombians as the host nation’s preferred next opponents, England once again found a way.
Overcoming an early goal with one of their own just before the half hour mark and one second into the second half, the Lionesses delivered the kind of performance they say was close, defeating Colombia, 2-1, to advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive World Cup.
There, England will face Australia, who just hours ago claimed their spot by winning an extended penalty shootout against France on Brisbane’s shores.
“We fought a lot in this tournament,” said forward Alessia Russo, “and we always found a way.”
Russo scored the winner in the 63rd minute, a right-footed finish after an assist from midfielder Georgia Stanway and a brief lapse by Colombia’s defense that let him in alone. His coach and teammates used the word “clinical” to describe Russo’s shooting and the team’s focus, refusing to panic despite falling behind.
The stands filled late for the start of the match, as many spectators appeared to linger outside, part of the huge crowd at Cathy Freeman Park watching Australia take on France on an outdoor viewing screen. But when they did, the crowd clearly favored the Colombians, who came in, against all odds, as the last team from the Americas still standing.
Supporters erupted when Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos opened the scoring from the right side of the penalty area in the 44th minute, her shot glancing just over the outstretched right glove of England goalkeeper Mary Earps, who conceded only one other goal all tournament.
Surprised by the goal, England was reminded by its captain, Millie Bright, to stick to its game plan, to trust that its chances will come. Lauren Hemp provided the evidence almost immediately, tying the score just seconds before halftime by tapping in a free rebound after Colombia’s goalkeeper tackled the ball just a few steps from her goal line.
England, the reigning European champions and a World Cup semifinalist four years ago in France, enter this tournament as a top contender but an injured one, missing forward Beth Mead, midfielder Fran Kirby and defender Leah Williamson with a serious knee injury in recent months. the World Cup. The depth that delivered last summer’s Euro title offers a measure of comfort for Coach Sarina Wiegman and her team, but the lack of goals that marked the team’s run in the tournament showed no signs of of slowing down once it starts.
Aside from a 6-1 win over China in the group stage, England struggled to score, relying instead on Earps and a veteran defense. England scored a single goal in its two other group stage wins, against Haiti and Denmark, and none in its round-of-16 win over Nigeria, which was settled only in a penalty-kick shootout after 120 scoreless minutes.
Two goals against Colombia won’t answer all those questions for England, but the Lionesses put in a stronger showing than in the previous round. For one day at least, that counts as a positive.
“You want to get better as the tournament goes on, and I think we did that tonight,” forward Chloe Kelly said.
England will face a higher task in the next round against Australia in front of another crowd more than eager to see them beat. James will be out again, with a two-game ban meaning he will miss the semifinals as well. But for Wiegman, it’s not the fans or the stakes that will be England’s biggest challenge.
“No, it’s the enemy,” Wiegman said. “And ourselves.”
