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England have found themselves on the receiving end of a spying controversy after a training session ahead of their World Cup semi-final against Australia was photographed from a helicopter. The Australian Daily Telegraph sent up the aircraft to capture images from the Lionesses’ behind-closed-doors session at their training base as they finalised plans for Wednesday’s last-four clash with the co-hosts in Sydney. Published under the headline “Eleven Poms against a nation: Welcome to the jungle, Lionesses”, the pictures show boss Sarina Wiegman and her staff putting the players through their paces ahead of the eagerly-anticipated contest. The newspaper wrote: “If England’s Lionesses thought they would happily fly into the World Cup semi-final under the radar they were in for a rude shock. “We’ve sent the chopper up to see how the old enemy are preparing…Welcome to the jungle, Lionesses, we’ve got fun and games.” It added: “It might not be in the spirit of football, but after last month’s men’s Ashes cricket series we will let the moral arbiters England pass judgment on what is and isn’t acceptable in the world of sport.” The Football Association has declined to comment on the incident. The European champions are assured of a hostile welcome at a sold-out Stadium Australia as they attempt to end the Matildas’ dream of World Cup glory on home soil. Their exploits have galvanised a nation which revels in its sporting rivalry with England and is still in celebratory mood having already retained the Ashes and won the Netball World Cup at the expense the old enemy this summer. Wiegman and her players have brushed aside that element of the fixture, although back at home, memories of Alex Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the second Test at Lord’s, which prompted booing and chants of ‘Same old Aussies, always cheating’ throughout the remainder of the series, are still fresh in the collective mind. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

As England are preparing to play Australia in the World Cup semi-finals so too, crucially, is Georgia Stanway. After playing through five matches at the tournament on a yellow card and with the threat of a one-match suspension hanging over her head, the combative Lionesses midfielder successfully walked the tightrope to reach the point where bookings are wiped. A younger Stanway perhaps wouldn’t have been so careful, and would have fallen foul of her instincts to challenge for balls that were not there to be won. There was, admittedly, one nervous moment, during the heat of battle against Colombia in the quarter-finals, when Stanway thought she had pushed her aggression too far after a mistimed tackle. Overall, though, the midfielder has shown restraint and control to reach the semi-finals in the clear. “I’m very, very grateful about that,” Stanway laughs, and England are as well. To do so, Stanway had to become “disciplined Georgia”, a change in mental approach that has been worked on with the help of an influential mentor, whose identity comes as a surprise to those who are gathered at England’s Terrigal training base. Stanway is candid as she credits much of her development as a player and as a person to Luke Chadwick, the former Manchester United winger, who she has been speaking to on the night before each match at the World Cup. Stanway reveals the advice and guidance she has received has proved crucial at a World Cup that has been full of challenges, with her pre-match chats with Chadwick providing her with a space and open platform to visualise and focus on what has been required. “We’ve spoken before each game and that just allows me to process the information that we’ve got from England, and process the information that I’ve done throughout the season,” Stanway says. “It’s about staying level and being consistent in the way that I am as a person and the way that I am on the field.” Stanway’s career could have taken a different direction without Chadwick’s support, however. Chadwick made 25 Premier League appearances for Manchester United after making his debut as an 18-year-old in 1999. But he struggled with his mental health in the early part of his career, after being routinely mocked on primetime BBC TV show They Think It’s All Over. As a young man, Chadwick bottled up his emotions but has since been empowered by opening up and highlighting the importance of talking. Following the end of his playing days, Chadwick has been determined that up-and-coming players do not suffer in silence like he did. “He went through his battles as a player and I was facing, not similar battles, but I was facing my individual battles at Manchester City,” Stanway reveals. “I’m not afraid to say it, I went through a time at City where it was a little bit up and down in terms of my mentality, my position, everything was changing and he [Chadwick] was my go-to in terms of getting clarity on my position, clarity on what I wanted to achieve in that season.” Chadwick’s role became even more important when Stanway made a big career move last summer and took the decision to leave City. Just days after starring in England’s Euros win – where she started in every game, scoring a crucial equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals – Stanway packed her bags and joined German giants Bayern Munich. Stanway didn’t know anyone in Munich, and didn’t speak a word of German, but was determined to get out of her comfort zone. The decision has clearly paid off, and not just for her. Stanway arrived at Bayern as a European champion and made the central-midfield position her own, on her way to helping the club reclaim the Bundesliga title. In turn, it has benefited the Lionesses. Four years ago, Stanway was the youngest player in England’s World Cup squad – at 20, she was an 89th-minute substitute in England’s 2-1 defeat to the USA in the semi-finals – but she has since grown and matured into a leadership role and the Lionesses have needed her more than ever. “I’m in an environment where I’m not young anymore,” Stanway says. “I’ve been to major tournaments. I’ve been successful at a club in terms of domestic trophies, so you’ve got to mature and you’ve got to be more of a leader. I think Bayern has massively helped that. Then I come to England and get the freedom and have the players around me that I’ve built connections with over a long period of time.” The World Cup has been a test of that and Stanway has been required to step up due to the loss of key players such as Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby before the tournament. In Australia, Stanway has then had to fill in for midfield partner Keira Walsh when she was injured against Denmark. The suspension of Lauren James then meant Stanway had to assume more creative responsibility in the quarter-final against Colombia, where she set up Alessia Russo’s winner. Throughout the World Cup, it did not need to be pointed out to her that England could not afford another absence, which put pressure on Stanway from the moment she picked up an early yellow card in the opening game against Haiti. Stanway walked a fine line as England faced tough, physical and competitive games against both Nigeria in the last-16 and Colombia in the quarter-finals. It was a key topic during Stanway’s pre-match chats with her mentor Chadwick, where the midfielder told herself that she needed to be “disciplined Georgia”. It helped Stanway visualise what was needed, and bring a “sensible” approach to a playing style that relies on tenacity. “Over the last four games I think I’ve just picked and chosen when I do need to go for it and when I don’t,” she says. With her yellow card wiped, Stanway is set to be released against Australia, a fixture that appears purpose built for the full-blooded approach that Stanway would usually bring to every game. Stanway, though, is determined to take a long-term lesson from her spell of self-control, with the Lionesses set to require cool heads when they face the Matildas and a home crowd of more than 75,000 at Stadium Australia. One thing for certain though is that a call with Chadwick will remain key to her preparations. “I’ve found what works for me,” Stanway smiles. “So I’m not going to change that.” Read More How to watch England vs Australia: TV channel and kick-off time for Women’s World Cup semi-final Australia is having a moment — will Sam Kerr finally get hers against England? The Lionesses will need to beat an entire nation in the grip of World Cup fever Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Millie Bright confident England can cope with hostile atmosphere in Sydney Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings?

Ryan Day provided a concerning update about the Ohio State quarterback race between Devin Brown and Kyle McCord on Monday morning.Although Ryan Day wanted to name the next Ohio State starting quarterback sometime this week, it seems as though the battle between Devin Brown and Kyle McCord will c...

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to revive longtime umpire Angel Hernandez's lawsuit

Kepa Arrizabalaga hopes to make his loan move to Real Madrid permanent. The Spain international joined the LaLiga side on a season-long loan from Chelsea on Monday after number one Thibaut Courtois was ruled out for the majority of the season with an ACL injury. Kepa, 28, hopes to make an impression at the Bernabeu and extend his stay. “Will I stay after the loan? Hopefully,” Kepa said at his Real Madrid unveiling on Tuesday as reported by Marca. “Today is the first day of my loan. We have time, we’ll see. Hopefully with my performance I can make that happen.” Kepa joined the Blues in a £71.6million switch from Athletic Bilbao in August 2018 and has made 168 appearances for the club. Carlo Ancelotti’s side began their LaLiga campaign with a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Sunday, with Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin between the sticks. “This is one of the most important and special days of my sporting career and of my life,” Kepa told the club website. “I’m very proud to be at Real Madrid. I’ll never be short of hard work, commitment and effort with this jersey both in training and in matches. “I hope that we can further add to Madrid’s trophy cabinet and enrich the club’s legend. Hala Madrid!” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

From the looks of it, it seems as though Florida State will be staying in the ACC ... for now.With a critical deadline on Tuesday, Florida State appears to be sticking around in the ACC for the time being.Brett McMurphy of The Action Network reported on Monday afternoon that "Florida St...

As Sam Kerr declared herself “ready to go”, it was a warning for England that her World Cup has only just begun. With the Matildas enjoying their moment as Australia is gripped by World Cup fever ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final against the Lionesses, it will not have gone unnoticed in the England camp that Kerr has yet to have hers. Without a goal and without a start in the World Cup, the Australia captain has been building towards the stage where she can make her most important contribution. Indeed, if there was ever a team who knows that you don’t keep the striker quiet for long, it would be Australia’s next opponents. When it comes to the big occasions, Kerr often proves to be inevitable. Kerr’s goals have strengthened Chelsea’s domestic dominance since she signed for the club in 2019 but it is the timing of them that has led to her fearsome reputation. Before last season’s FA Cup final, she confidently pointed out that every time she had played at Wembley, she had won a trophy. When she scored the winner against Manchester United, she extended her remarkable record in domestic cup finals to 10 goals in seven appearances, including the last six in a row. But at the World Cup, Kerr’s tournament has not gone to plan. As Australia have hit great heights, reaching their first-ever World Cup semi-final in front of record-breaking attendances and viewing figures, Kerr has often been on the periphery. This was supposed to be her tournament – the striker’s face is everywhere and on everything, billboards, banks, TV adverts – but after being ruled out of the group stages due to a calf injury, Kerr was prevented from making her first appearance until the closing stages of Australia’s last-16 win against Denmark. Kerr’s return to the pitch remained one of the loudest moments of the World Cup so far, taking the noise and atmosphere inside Stadium Australia to another level, but with the Matildas “smashing it” in her absence she remained on the bench against France in the quarter-finals. Australia’s play sharpened when Kerr arrived, but she did not get a clear chance and the opportunity to be the hero in the shootout fell to others in the Matildas team. Although Kerr scored her penalty, so did six of her teammates. Cortnee Vine converted the winning kick, while goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was electric with three saves. Not that Kerr would mind, though, as Australia’s win in the quarter-finals set up the most important match in their football history against England. But the bigger the game, the bigger the moment, and the unavoidable concern for the Lionesses is Kerr finally gets hers against them. Everyone in the England team will be aware of Kerr’s powers, none more so than those who will mark her. Should Kerr start she will be directly opposed by Chelsea teammates Millie Bright and Jess Carter, who will start alongside Alex Greenwood in a defence that has only conceded once from open play all tournament. Bright will no doubt relish the opportunity to face her clubmate and close friend in battle, in what would also be the ultimate test of the England captain and a chance to show how far she has come since England’s last World Cup semi-final in 2019. Sent off then against the USA, Bright has been one of the best centre-backs in the world since, as key to Chelsea’s success under Emma Hayes as Kerr’s goals. Bright has impressively returned to form after being rushed back from injury to make the World Cup and has been pivotal to England’s defensive resilience in the knockout wins against Nigeria and Colombia. Kerr, though, is crafty, the ultimate poacher who can sniff out a chance from nowhere and who does not need to be in a game to change one. Outside of Bright, Carter, and Chelsea’s Niamh Charles, there won’t be a player in the England squad who hasn’t at some stage experienced the crushing blow of Kerr striking against them. Mary Earps, in particular, will know that feeling only too well; Kerr has scored nine goals against the England and Manchester United goalkeeper – in FA Cup finals, WSL title deciders, and in Australia’s 2-0 win over the Lionesses in April. That was England’s first defeat under Sarina Wiegman – the only time they have been beaten in the Dutch manager’s 37 matches at the helm. Tony Gustavsson’s side arrived with a plan and shut down England’s Keira Walsh, counter-attacking to perfection through Kerr. There isn’t too much that can be read into that, though, as England have been forced to become something different under Wiegman. A result of the challenges the Lionesses have faced since being at the World Cup is that Wiegman adapted her plans to a 3-5-2 system, which takes some of the pressure off Walsh in England’s build-up play. “We’ve changed a lot since then,” Walsh confirmed on Monday. Yet, Australia themselves have also become a different team since the start of the World Cup. Kerr’s injury led to other players stepping up in her absence; Caitlin Foord’s confidence has seen the winger become Australia’s biggest threat on the left, Hayley Raso has been their deadly finisher, while Mary Fowler’s ability to drop and create from deep has added a degree of unpredictability. The decision that Gustavsson faces is whether to break up the partnership between Fowler and Emily van Egmond at the head of the Matildas’ counter-attacking 4-4-2, with the impressive midfield duo of Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross providing balance and tying it all together. “They are aggressive, direct,” Walsh said. “They don’t look like they feel pressure.” But Australia’s quarter-final was also a fraught, nervy affair. Had the Matildas swept past France, then perhaps Kerr would have been unable to find a way back into the line-up, but Australia lacked a spark until their talisman was brought on. Fitness is potentially still an issue – after 11 minutes against Denmark and 66 against France, Kerr is confident she can last a full 90, but the possibility of lengthy stoppage time and even extra time means Australia’s captain may need to play a lot more. “With everything that’s been going on, the best thing was the plan we followed,” Kerr said this week. “When I hurt my calf, the plan was always to try to be ready for a semi-final, the final. We’ve had a plan this whole tournament and we just had to stick to it.” England won’t need to be told that at their home World Cup, Kerr and Australia’s plan will include a goal as well. Read More England and Australia’s old rivalry on a new stage for World Cup semi-final The Lionesses will need to beat an entire nation in the grip of World Cup fever How Georgia Stanway found World Cup ‘discipline’ for England thanks to surprise mentor Old rivalry has new stage as World Cup arrives at its biggest moment ‘This will change everything’: How World Cup fever took over Australia The key questions ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final against Australia

England face Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals as Sam Kerr’s fitness remains a key talking point ahead of the clash at Stadium Australia. Kerr is the face of the World Cup but is yet to make a start at the tournament after being ruled out of Australia’s first three games with a calf injury. The striker returned off the bench in the last-16 win against Denmark, before playing 66 minutes as the Matildas defeated France in a dramatic penalty shootout. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest England vs Australia news and build-up Kerr has declared herself “ready to go” but Australia manager Tony Gustavsson said a decision will only be made on the night before the match. England manager Sarina Wiegman said there are more threats than just Sam Kerr, as the Lionesses look to reach their first ever Women’s World Cup final. The winner will play Spain in Sunday’s showpiece in Sydney, after La Roja defeated Sweden 2-1 in the other semi-final. Here’s everything you need to know as England face Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals. When is England vs Australia? The Women’s World Cup semi-final will kick off at 11am UK time (BST) on Wednesday 16 August, and will be played at the Stadium Australia, Sydney. How can I watch it? England vs Australia will be shown live on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer, with coverage getting underway from 10am. What is the England team news? Lauren James remains unavailable, with the forward serving the second match of her two-game ban, although she will now be free to play either the final or the third-place place playoff, depending on England’s result against Australia. The Lionesses have a fully fit squad elsewhere. Sarina Wiegman kept her 3-5-2 formation against Colombia and is unlikely to make any changes given how well certain areas of the team are performing. The back three of Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood has excelled in front of goalkeeper Mary Earps, with Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly set to continue as wing-backs. Keira Walsh will start at the base of the midfield, with Georgia Stanway alongside her. The one area of the team Wiegman may decide to change is in Ella Toone’s position given the midfielder’s form, with her Manchester United teammate Katie Zelem an option. Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp both scored against Colombia and are set to lead the line, with Chloe Kelly and Beth England the other attacking options from the bench. What is the Australia team news? Sam Kerr played 66 minutes in the penalty shootout victory over Australia and is close to being fully fit, with Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson facing another big decision as to whether or not to start his captain and star striker. Gustavsson may decide to stick by his starting attack, with a front two of Emily van Egmond and Mary Fowler leading the line and Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso providing threat from the wings. Predicted line-ups England: Earps; Carter, Bright, Greenwood; Bronze, Walsh, Stanway, Daly; Toone; Hemp, Russo Australia: Arnold; Carpenter, Hunt, Kennedy, Catley; Raso, Gorry, Cooney-Cross, Catley; Fowler, Van Egmond How did both teams reach the semi-finals? England (Winners Group D) 1-0 vs Haiti 1-0 vs Denmark 6-1 vs China 0-0 vs Nigeria (Won 4-2 on penalties) 2-1 vs Colombia Australia (Winners Group B) 1-0 vs Ireland 2-3 vs Nigeria 4-0 vs Canada 2-0 vs Denmark 0-0 vs France (Won 7-6 on penalties) If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch England vs Australia then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Read More England and Australia’s old rivalry has new stage as World Cup arrives at its biggest moment Australia is having a moment — will Sam Kerr finally get hers against England? The Lionesses will need to beat an entire nation in the grip of World Cup fever FA ‘disappointed’ after Australia fans secure tickets in allocated England section Millie Bright confident England can cope with hostile atmosphere in Sydney Olga Carmona fires Spain into first Women’s World Cup final amid late drama

Referee Simon Hooper and both video assistant referees from Wolves’ 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Monday night have been stood down from the next set of Premier League fixtures, the PA news agency understands. Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil revealed he had received an apology from elite referees’ manager Jon Moss after his side were denied a “blatant” stoppage-time penalty when United’s debutant goalkeeper Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic deep into stoppage time. Hooper did not react to the incident, and VAR Michael Salisbury deemed there was no foul – with an incredulous O’Neil instead booked for his reaction to the decision. PA understands head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) Howard Webb, who has demanded a higher level of accountability as well as an open and transparent approach, had also been in touch with Wolves after the match to apologise. Hooper, VAR Salisbury and assistant VAR Richard West have all not been selected for the second round of Premier League fixtures. Appointments for those games had not yet been made public ahead of Monday’s night’s match at Old Trafford. All three officials were absent from the ‘Matchweek 2’ list published by the Premier League on Tuesday morning. Speaking after Monday’s defeat, during which Wolves created plenty of chances, O’Neil said he thought Onana was trying to “take Kalajdzic’s head off”. The new Wolves head coach added: “Fair play to Jon (Moss) in coming out (to talk to me). “He said it was clear and obvious and he can’t believe the on-field referee didn’t give it and he can’t believe VAR didn’t intervene. “It’s probably made me feel worse to be honest because once you know you’re right you feel worse about leaving with nothing.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The FA has said it is “disappointed” after reports suggested that World Cup semi-final tickets allocated specifically for England fans were bought by Australia supporters. A unique supporter code was reportedly leaked on social media ahead of the Lionesses’ crunch match with the Matildas on Wednesday – with a number of Australian fans claiming to have purchased tickets. The additional 1,970 tickets were released at the weekend, and around 8,000 England fans are expected to be in attendance at the Accor Stadium in Sydney. The Lionesses booked their place in the semi-finals following a 2-1 win against Colombia on Saturday. Commenting on the ticket code leak, an FA spokesman said: “We worked with Fifa to secure an additional allocation of tickets for England’s World Cup semi-final against Australia. We are working with Fifa to review this ticketing process FA spokesman “The details of how to purchase these tickets were communicated directly to our fans on our England Football channel, and we are disappointed to see reports that a limited number of these tickets have been accessed by other fans. “We are working with Fifa to review this ticketing process going forward.” Fifa has been contacted for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Spain will face either European champions England or co-hosts Australia in Sunday’s World Cup final after a dramatic 2-1 victory in their last-four showdown with Sweden. Jorge Vilda’s side, who had never won a knockout game at the tournament before their arrival in Australia and New Zealand, could be just 90 minutes away from lifting the biggest prize of all. Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at a team which have perhaps already-exceeded even their own expectations. Coach Vilda learned his football at the feet of his father Angel, who worked as a physical trainer for – among others – Luis Aragones at Atletico Madrid, Johan Cruyff at Barcelona and Jupp Heynckes at Real Madrid. A physical education graduate, the 42-year-old was appointed boss in 2015 having worked with Spain’s under-age teams, but had to significantly remodel his squad after a rebellion in 2022 which saw 15 players make themselves unavailable – Aitana Bonmati, Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey have since returned to the fold – in protest at the conditions under which they were having to operate. Key players Twice Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is undoubtedly the star of the Spain squad on paper, but having fought her way back from the anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered on the eve of last summer’s Euros, the 29-year-old Barcelona midfielder has been used sparingly in the tournament and played only the opening 57 minutes of the semi-final, one of three starts to date. In her absence, Bonmati, Alba Redondo and Jennifer Hermoso have each scored three times, but Barca team-mate and former international sprinter Salma Paralluelo, 19, has proved the woman for the big occasion with vital strikes from the bench in both the last eight and the semi-finals. Pedigree Spain are playing at their third World Cup finals tournament, but had never before progressed beyond the last 16. They reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2022, where they led eventual winners England with six minutes of normal time remaining before going down 2-1 in extra-time. Ranked sixth in the world by FIFA, they are an emerging force in the international game and are bidding to add the senior World Cup to those they currently hold at under-17s and under-20s levels. Style of play Vilda favours a 4-3-3 formation and a possession-based game which he believes is aligned to the philosophy instilled by Cruyff during his time in charge at Barcelona. The system relies on high-tempo passing and movement and a relentless press in attack to create the space in which their highly-technical game-changers can thrive. Familiarity is a weapon too – seven of the starting XI against Sweden play their club football with Champions League winners Barca. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live We can do beautiful things – Micky van de Ven excited by Tottenham prospects Millie Bright confident England can cope with hostile atmosphere in Sydney Ben Stokes tipped to make U-turn and feature for England at World Cup

After Sarina Wiegman finished her press conference following the victory over Colombia on Saturday, she was so struck by the number of questions about England’s historic sporting rivalry with Australia that she immediately started asking staff members about the extent of it. The Dutch coach quickly realised she had underestimated how much this meant. Those at the England camp duly filled her in, although, as one staff member laughed, “it’s not like we showed her old clips of the Ashes”. They maybe didn’t need to. A trip to the shop beside England’s otherwise tranquil Terrigal base would have shown how intense it’s all getting, as the front page of The Western Australian - the newspaper that covers Sam Kerr’s home city of Perth- read, “And you thought the Ashes was big!” It is everywhere in the build-up to the game, where the widespread sentiment articulated by the Sydney Morning Herald is, “Now for the Poms”. All of this really shows just how much this Women’s World Cup has captured Australia, with Wednesday’s semi-final set to break all kinds of audience records. And yet, as much as even supporters who previously dismissed “soccer” are now looking forward to this match and trying to get tickets, this still feels like the game this tournament has been waiting for; a deserved crescendo, an event with real cut-through. That applies to England as much as Australia. In terms of pure narrative drama, it has so far almost been the ideal World Cup. The tournament has offered shocks, unpredictability, memorable moments, storylines and - eventually - a high-class semi-final line-up; the real elite separated from those extending themselves. One of those games will involve a rivalry that is among the oldest and most intense in sport, an alluring element that transcends whatever the event is. That event is meanwhile taking place around midday on Wednesday in the United Kingdom, which is almost perfect for passing viewers during the school holidays. Even if England and Australia have not met enough for there to be a true football rivalry - although there is already talk from within the camps that is changing - the point is about something much bigger than any sport now being transposed onto a new sport. This is going to be huge, to go with the stakes. England are a mere match away from the greatest stage in football. So, however, are Australia. The words “Til it’s done”, featuring an abbreviation of Matildas in vintage national style, are now everywhere on social media. Such has been the nationwide surge of enthusiasm that this game could be put on at any time and the country would still stop. “We can see there are a lot of people excited about this game,” Australia manager Tony Gustavsson said, before beckoning to the packed press conference. “Just look at this room here!” All of this is of course noise the players themselves have sought to turn down, and need to shut out. There have been the usual lines about how it’s “just another game”. Even Wiegman went from asking questions to insisting "we don't feel the rivalry that much". The noise is sort of the point, though. It can’t be said that all of this is irrelevant because it will charge the atmosphere around Stadium Australia, bringing this beyond the electricity of a home semi-final. This is where there’s a dynamic that only further fires this game, that adds to the tension. There may not be too much difference between the sides, but it doesn’t feel like they are quite going in on level terms. Australia are at home. Their campaigns have been too different. With England, it has almost flipped. After five successive games conditioned by the suspense of an embarrassing early exit, they are now the team that might undo something bigger - that might “spoil the party”. England have similarly achieved the minimum target of getting to the semi-finals. That might have been a battle, but it could now release them to go for the maximum. There was a sense of a team coming together in some of their best spells of football against Colombia. Georgia Stanway was knitting everything together, taking more responsibility. Australia have come together in a completely different way. Whereas England have ground their way through, gradually solving problem after problem, Gustavsson’s side have been on the rollercoaster that fits the way this World Cup has emotionally seized the country. If the manner of that penalty shoot-out win involved a lot of nerves and doubt, it also served to fortify belief. “I remember coming into the changing rooms after the France game and Sam came in and said ‘I think this is the time now when we can really believe we can go all the way’,” Mackenzie Arnold said of her celebrated teammate on the eve of the England game. It is that sense of resolve that Wiegman’s side have repeatedly enjoyed, and developed with. Those two different paths to the semi-final also bring multiple perspectives on this semi-final. One view of England is that they have fought their way through problem after problem, to the point they can now get through anything. Another view is that letting games become such battles is an indication you might run into real trouble when you face a truly elite side. But are Australia playing like that? The quarter-final against France threw up other concerns. That is the nature of a tournament, mind. They are usually about game-management and forcing your way through. Wiegman has developed that quality in England, especially through a cast-iron defence so well marshalled by Millie Bright. Should Kerr start, as many of the murmurs around the Australia camp are increasingly indicating, she may find the central area she most enjoys is completely covered. On the other side, it will be the first time England’s backline faces a forward who uses space and the ball in the unique way Kerr does. That is of course if she is even fit enough. "Australia is not just Sam Kerr," Wiegman said. "Yes we have a plan but she could start or be on the bench." Those questions persist, but so does this World Cup’s wait for its great star's first big moment. Alessia Russo has finally had hers. England’s forwards might have found something like form at the right time. It’s certainly the right game. Nobody would make the mistake of saying it’s the “real final” but it may well end up the World Cup’s biggest fixture. It’s an old rivalry on a new stage, with new stakes. Neither of these sides have been to a World Cup final before. There can surely be no better game to get there. It's a game the tournament has waited for. It's the moment the teams have waited for. Read More How to watch England vs Australia: TV channel and kick-off time for Women’s World Cup semi-final Australia is having a moment — will Sam Kerr finally get hers against England? The Lionesses will need to beat an entire nation in the grip of World Cup fever Olga Carmona fires Spain into first Women’s World Cup final amid late drama Women’s World Cup LIVE: England vs Australia build-up as Spain reach final How Georgia Stanway found World Cup ‘discipline’ thanks to surprise mentor