List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

Sweden will feed off the hurt of numerous near-misses when they face Spain in the semi-finals of the Women's World...

England advanced to the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 comeback victory over Colombia, and will play tournament co-hosts Australia in Sydney on Wednesday night. Here, the PA news agency breaks down some of the key questions ahead of The Lionesses’ meeting with the Matildas. How did they get here? England secured victories over Haiti, Denmark and China to reach the knockouts, scoring multiple times in a group stage contest just once with a 6-1 triumph over China. The Lionesses next faced Nigeria in the last-16, who held them to 120 goalless minutes before England booked their quarter-final place with a 4-2 win on penalties. England conceded for just the second time this tournament late in the first half of the quarter-final clash with Colombia at Sydney’s sold-out Stadium Australia, but they were level by the break thanks to Lauren Hemp’s alert stoppage-time effort and Alessia Russo completed the comeback after the break. What is England’s history in World Cup semi-finals? The Lionesses’ first appearance in the final four, eight years ago in Canada, ended in heartbreak. England were up against defending champions Japan, who took the lead through captain Aya Miyama’s 32nd-minute opener but saw it cancelled out by Fara Williams after just seven minutes. The 1-1 draw looked destined for extra time until Laura Bassett directed a clearance into her own net in the first minute of second-half stoppage time and broke down in tears while Japan celebrated their last-gasp luck. England ultimately beat Germany 1-0 through Williams’ extra-time penalty in the third-place playoff – still their best-ever finish in a global showpiece. Four years later, the Lionesses beat Norway 3-0 in the last eight in France to set up a semi-final with the United States, who beat England 2-1 en route to defending their 2015 title. The Lionesses finished fourth overall after losing 2-1 to Sweden in the play-off. How good are Australia? The Matildas are 10th in FIFA’s global rankings, six places below England, but can boast they are the only team to have beaten the Lionesses since boss Sarina Wiegman took the helm in September 2021. That victory came in April, when Sam Kerr and Charlotte Grant both scored at Brentford to snap Wiegman’s 30-game unbeaten streak as England manager with a 2-0 victory. Captain Kerr was unavailable for her side’s first two World Cup matches with a calf injury, yet the talismanic Chelsea striker’s absence might have actually benefitted the Matildas in the long run as others were asked to step up, with Hayley Raso and Mary Fowler among those who emphatically answered the call for the co-hosts. Kerr returned as a late second-half substitute in her side’s 2-0 victory over Denmark in the last 16, five days before the Matildas sealed their first-ever trip to a semi-final by beating France in the longest penalty shootout in Women’s World Cup history. Long gone are the days Australians feared their side could be knocked out at the group stage. Momentum – and an increasingly enraptured nation – are firmly on their side. What is the biggest challenge facing England? England will have to cope without star forward Lauren James as she serves the final game of a two-match suspension for stepping on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie. She was replaced by Ella Toone against Colombia, who after the match said: “She’s been amazing for us, but I’ve got to believe in myself and I’ve got to have that confidence going onto the pitch. I don’t let anything get me down, I don’t put that pressure on myself and I know my team-mates don’t either.” How will England cope with the crowd? Stadium Australia boasts more than 75,000 seats, most of which will be occupied by the home support. That does not faze England captain Millie Bright, who said: “For me, no matter who the fans are, you’re actually quite proud of it as well, we want that in a World Cup, we want it to be people turning on the TV and saying ‘god, look at the crowd, it’s incredible’. “As a player you feel that and you use it to your advantage as well, it’s not a disadvantage that there might be a lot of Australia fans there. “ Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche hopes Everton are close to solving their goalscoring problems On this day in 2016: Mo Farah retains Olympic 10,000m title in Rio Anthony Joshua confident fight with Deontay Wilder will happen ‘soon’

French superstar Kylian Mbappe was reinstated in Paris Saint-Germain's first team on Sunday after being sidelined for several weeks amid...

Captain Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche and Jaden Hendrikse are desperate for game time after title-holders South Africa arrived in Britain on Sunday to continue their...

Chelsea are close to a British record transfer for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo after Liverpool already had a £111m bid accepted.

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Women's World Cup semi-finalists Spain might be defined by technique and a mesmerising passing game, but the player who gives them that precious...

It took Sarina Wiegman a moment to fully realise the enormity of what England now face in Australia. If a World Cup semi-final wasn’t big enough, the Lionesses will now play the hosts in Sydney for a place in the final. Amid the excitement of a fresh new chapter in this historic sporting rivalry, Wiegman admitted that coming up against Australia at this stage of the tournament is “going to be bigger than I imagined”. But the Dutch coach was also focused on what had just come before, rather than what awaits England next. A semi-final against Australia is the dream fixture that will take this enthralling World Cup to another level, but England could not afford to take anything for granted given the way their quarter-final against Colombia unfolded. The manner of England’s victory, though, will only add to their growing confidence when they play the hosts on Wednesday. Wiegman knew the significance of what her players had to overcome; for the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses trailed. When England came from behind, they had to survive a late spell of Colombia pressure, withstanding the hostile atmosphere that faced them in Sydney. If it was a trial run for what England will be met with against Australia, then the Lionesses showed that the way in which they deal with adversity has become their defining characteristic at this World Cup. "I think the team again showed some resilience and a lot of togetherness,” Wiegman said after the 2-1 win. As England passed another test, their comeback win was built on the collective belief that they could come through it. That spirit has grown throughout the tournament, as England and Wiegman have had to change and adapt their plans to react to each new problem. That England are now only two games away from winning the World Cup will only strengthen that resolve. Wiegman spoke about resilience, but her players have bought into it as well. After the fraught penalty shootout win over Nigeria, there was the pressure of conceding first against Colombia, and the sort of freak opening goal that could have otherwise been the latest sign of a tournament that has never quite gone to plan. “You accept that sometimes things happen that you can’t control, but in your mind you stay controlled,” Wiegman said. The manager was speaking about how her side reacted to going behind, but she also could have easily been talking about England’s whole tournament. “One of the strengths of the team is that we do stay calm,” Wiegman continued. “How do you stick together, how do you execute your plan? We conceded, but you didn’t see any panic.” England reacted by sticking to their approach. As Colombia dropped deeper, Wiegman’s team sped the game up, playing sharp passing football when they could. The goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo were the rewards for their perseverance in continuing to play their way, showing patience in the build-up and finding the passes through the Colombia shape by using Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone. Once ahead, England had to hang on, but it’s a side of their play that now suits them. England owed much of their victory to their late defensive stand, with Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood continuing their excellent performances at the World Cup. It was another illustration of how England have found ways to get through difficult moments. Wiegman’s back three became a back five, and with Bright in the centre dealing with crosses, and Greenwood and Jess Carter so alert to the danger, winning their individual duels, England managed to see the game out. Bright is a defender who almost appears most comfortable when her back is against the wall. The England captain did not play any competitive football before the World Cup but has returned from four months out to be the player that the Lionesses can rely upon when defending the edge of their box. With England’s ideal setup so compromised by injuries, and now the suspension of Lauren James taking away their player of the tournament and creative heart, a resolute defence could win England the World Cup. England now believe in that resilience, and it has become their identity. Of the four teams through to the semi-finals, in England, Australia, Spain and Sweden, the European champions were the only team that needed to come from behind to win. Wiegman naturally disagreed when it was suggested that it could give her side an edge going into the final four, but could not deny that it now plays into England’s strength ahead of the semi-finals. “We’ve had lots of challenges and we’ve got through them,” Wiegman said. “The adversity shows the resilience of the team. We do our best to change situations into our advantage.” England, though, now face a team who will be buying in their own self-fulfilling narrative. Australia have now come through their own nerve-shredding contest in defeating France on penalties, in what was the longest ever shootout at a World Cup finals. With the hosts now gripped by World Cup fever and the TV figures shattering records, in what was the most watched sporting event in Australia since Cathy Freeman’s gold-medal winning run at the 2000 Olympics, the Lionesses now need to overcome a nation who feel that this home World Cup is theirs to win. England will be the away team in Wednesday’s semi-final, but they also defeated Colombia side who may as well have been at home at Stadium Australia. The Lionesses faced a wall of noise as the Colombia fans turned up in their numbers, whistling when England had possession, jeering when they stood over a free-kick. It will be doubled against Australia, as a home crowd of 80,000 stands against the Lionesses. “We look forward to it,” Wiegman replied. After all, it’s another challenge for England to embrace. Read More Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final ahead of semi-final England set up old rivalry on new stage thanks to Alessia Russo magic Georgia Stanway brings fire and ice to show why this England are different Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news as England set up Australia semi-final How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Who and when do England play next? Route to the World Cup final

England head coach Sarina Wiegman is in a unique position at the Women’s World Cup

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Will Smith, James Outman and Amed Rosario homered and Tony Gonsolin worked six solid innings after allowing a home run on his first pitch as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1