List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

NFL great Tom Brady watched on as Birmingham grabbed a late win against Leeds after Lukas Jutkiewicz converted from the spot at St Andrew's. The game had been heading for a draw, before Jutkiewicz’s penalty in the first minute of stoppage time. Before the game, Brady made an appearance at The Roost, a pub near St. Andrew's stadium, before Blues’ game against Leeds in the second-tier Championship on Saturday. A few hours earlier, Brady posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Any plans before kick off guys? See you at St. Andrew’s.” He later went to the stadium, where he was pictured meeting mascots and signing jerseys. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has partnered with the club’s holding company, U.S.-based Knighthead Capital Management, and become chairman of a new advisory board. Birmingham said Brady will “apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the club.” That includes working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition and recovery programs. Brady won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. He retired in February, after Tampa’s loss in the playoffs. AP contributed to this report Read More Tom Brady watches on as Birmingham beat Leeds with last-gasp penalty Soccer for sale: What are American sport stars buying British football playing at? Brady proud to join Blues and Housby celebrates – Thursday’s sporting social

Odsonne Edouard’s second-half goal earned Crystal Palace a 1-0 win against Sheffield United to worsen the gloom at Bramall Lane. Edouard struck from close range four minutes after the restart to give the Eagles a deserved three points in the Premier League opener. It was thoroughly convincing for Roy Hodgson’s men as they had two further goals disallowed, while Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham made a number of saves to keep his side in it. Indeed, Hodgson’s biggest problem was a tweet from wantaway goalkeeper Vicente Guaita before the game, seemingly questioning why he was not in the team. United’s return to the top flight after two seasons away ended with a whimpering defeat to compound a negative few weeks which saw the sale of Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge. Boss Paul Heckingbottom admitted before the match that United are “nowhere near” where they need to be and that showed as they lacked any real goal threat throughout the match. The signing of Gustavo Hamer from Coventry overnight had boosted spirits and he was paraded on the pitch before kick-off. The atmosphere helped the Blades make a strong start, with Will Osula going close inside the opening 10 minutes with an effort that was deflected just wide. But Palace began to take control of the game, with Eberechi Eze running things with his impressive ball-carrying skills. And he twice saw goalbound efforts blocked, first from Jack Robinson and then from John Egan. The visitors thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Jordan Ayew headed home after Joachim Andersen’s shot had been fumbled by Foderingham, but it was ruled out for offside. It was little surprise when they did go in front just after the restart. Ayew found a good position on the right hand side and sent in a wicked low cross which was begging to be converted and Edouard duly obliged, stabbing in from close range. It could have been two 10 minutes later as Edouard found space at the far post from Eze’s free-kick but his header was straight at Foderingham. The former Celtic striker also had a goal ruled out for offside, while Ayew tested Foderingham’s handling with a fierce shot that was palmed away. Palace kept knocking on the door for a second and Foderingham got down brilliantly to keep out Andersen’s header. The Blades had nothing in the way of a response, other than plenty of effort, as Palace saw it out with ease. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Dominic Solanke denies West Ham as Bournemouth snatch draw Mikel Arteta says Eddie Nketiah forced his way into Arsenal team in training Today at the World Cup: England through and Australia prevail on penalties

Everton paid the price for a string of missed chances as their goalscoring issues were exploited by Fulham in a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park. A new season brought new hope for recent relegation strugglers Everton but for all the improvements Sean Dyche has made over the summer, it appears he he has not yet solved their problems in front of goal. Substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid struck the only goal of the game to get Marco Silva’s side off to a winning start. Everton, the Premier League’s lowest scorers last season, were again without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Despite generating twice as many shots as the visitors, Dyche’s side were undone by one square pass across their six-yard area when Andreas Pereira beat Nathan Patterson to an Aleksandar Mitrovic’s through-ball for a 73rd-minute tap-in by Decordova-Reid. It burst the bubble of optimism which had been generated by an energetic and relatively creative opening 73 minutes of the season and will have infuriated Dyche as much as it delighted former Toffees boss Silva. Michael Keane’s first-half goal was disallowed as the centre-back turned the ball into an empty net and celebrated almost apologetically before referee Stuart Atwell, having initially not blown, ruled there had been an infringement in the collision between goalkeeper Bernd Leno and James Tarkowski. Both teams started without their recognised first-choice strikers: Calvert-Lewin was omitted due to his lack of minutes in pre-season while Mitrovic was left on the bench after ongoing interest from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. But it was the home team who suffered the most as they generated 19 shots to their opponents’ nine from just 41 per cent possession but failed to capitalise with Calvert-Lewin’s deputy Neal Maupay most culpable. The £15million signing from Brighton last summer has a return of one goal in his 29 previous appearances but the reason for that conversion rate was evident after just 32 seconds when he clipped a shot wide of the far post with only goalkeeper Leno to beat after being put through by James Garner’s cushioned header. It did not get any better for the Frenchman, whose heavy touch from Abdoulaye Doucoure’s square pass denied him another shooting opportunity before Leno blocked his close-range scuff from a Doucoure knockdown and then he fired straight at the German when played in by Amadou Onana. Doucoure, playing just behind the striker, was not without fault either as he should have scored inside five minutes when clean through but shot straight at the goalkeeper when he could also have squared to Maupay. Everton were fortunate the visitors were even more toothless in attack themselves, although Willian, 35, gave 21-year-old right-back Nathan Patterson, who made just 21 appearances in a debut season affected by injury, an uncomfortable 45 minutes before he was replaced by De Cordova-Reid at half-time. But Willian was also lucky to escape with a booking for an over the top challenge on Garner. By contrast, on the other side of the defence Ashley Young, Everton’s second-oldest debutant at the age of 38 years and 34 days, was coping easily with Harry Wilson – 12 years his junior. The 57th-minute of introduction of Mitrovic and Pereira, seconds after debutant Raul Jimenez had struck the post with his last touch before being replaced, threatened a new element of danger for Everton. However, it was the hosts who should have scored when Leno parried Alex Iwobi’s shot to Patterson who lashed his shot against the crossbar. Loan signing Arnaut Danjuma assumed the central striking role from Maupay but, before he had even touched the ball, De Cordova-Reid had scored the goal which secured Fulham’s third successive win at Goodison Park. The return of Calvert-Lewin and a debut for new signing Youssef Chermiti, the £15million Sporting Lisbon striker watching from the directors’ box, cannot come soon enough. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra hit debut goals as Brighton stroll past Luton Rangers get up and running in Premiership with convincing win over Livingston Tom Brady watches on as Birmingham beat Leeds with last-gasp penalty

Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra claimed debut goals as Brighton set aside Moises Caicedo’s ongoing transfer saga to thrash Premier League debutants Luton 4-1. Club record signing Pedro doubled Albion’s lead following Solly March’s first-half opener by converting a 71st-minute penalty after being brought down by Hatters captain Tom Lockyer. Carlton Morris slotted home from the spot at the other end following Lewis Dunk’s handball to set up a tense finale but Adingra capitalised on a dreadful error from Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu before fellow substitute Evan Ferguson sealed the Seagulls’ emphatic victory. Build up to the contest was dominated by news of Albion accepting a British record transfer fee of around £111million from Liverpool for star midfielder Caicedo amid reports he would prefer to join Chelsea. The 21-year-old Ecuador international was absent from the Amex Stadium as his current club launched their first campaign to feature European football in commanding fashion. Luton, back in the top flight for the first time since being relegated from the old First Division in 1992, were second best on the south coast and could have lost by more as Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Ferguson each struck the woodwork. With Caicedo seemingly heading for the exit, Brighton handed debuts to Mahmoud Dahoud, James Milner and Pedro. Brazilian forward Pedro, whose every touch was booed by the travelling fans following his £30million transfer from Luton’s bitter rivals Watford, should have opened the scoring inside five minutes but he skewed wastefully wide of the gaping goal. The clubs were facing each other for the first time since the southern final of the Football League Trophy in 2009, with their only previous top-flight meetings coming during the 1982-83 campaign. Luton did the double over Albion by an aggregate score of 9-2 back then but remained on the back foot, albeit the hosts appeared susceptible to counter attacks. Albion eventually turned their dominance of the ball into a lead nine minutes before the break. Kaoru Mitoma was afforded time and space on the left and his inviting, inswinging cross gave the unmarked March a simple headed finish from six yards out. Albion’s advantage was almost instantly wiped out as Hatters forward Morris thumped a header too close to home goalkeeper Jason Steele from Ryan Giles’ corner before Welbeck hit the base of the right post at the other end. Despite their limited possession, Luton, who were a non-league club as recently as 2014, were far from overawed in the first half and went into the break with reason for encouragement. Gross fired against the outside of the left upright from a wide free-kick early in the second period as Roberto De Zerbi’s men attempted to add to their slender lead. Brighton were in need of a cushion and it arrived 19 minutes from time when Pedro tumbled under Lockyer’s challenge before, as he had done twice in pre-season, firing into the right corner from 12 yards. Albion looked set to ease to victory on the back of last season’s club-record sixth-placed finish which secured a Europa League place. Yet Morris’ successful 81st-minute penalty after a cross from substitute Jacob Brown struck the elbow of Dunk briefly brought back the tension. However, Ivory Coast winger Adingra, who was loaned to Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise last season, thumped home just four minutes later after Mpanzu inexplicably failed to clear. Striker Ferguson then rattled the right post with a fine curling effort. The Republic of Ireland international would not be denied a place on the scoresheet and duly slid home Pervis Estupinan’s low cross deep into added time. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Everton pay price for missed chances as Fulham snatch win at Goodison Park Rangers get up and running in Premiership with convincing win over Livingston Tom Brady watches on as Birmingham beat Leeds with last-gasp penalty

Jurrien Timber made it less than 50 minutes into his Arsenal Premier League debut before being forced to leave the field through injury. With Arsenal leading Nottingham Forest 2-0 after 49 minutes, Timber pulled up sharply off the ball. It was only his second appearance for the Gunners, having playing in the Community Shield win over Manchester City ahead of the start of the season. But concerningly he was unable to finish the match, pulling up and then being forced to leave the field with the injury. It had looked like Timber sustained an issue in the first half following a coming-together with Brennan Johnson, but he was able to re-emerge after the break before having to come off. “The doctors looked at him and they were happy for him to continue, he was as well,” Arteta said when asked if he could have taken Timber off sooner. “Straight away in the first action of the second half he made a movement and it was a bit funny. We took him out straight after and now we have to assess him and see what he has.” The former Ajax defender, who joined the Gunners this summer for £34 million to further bolster their defence, was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu, suggesting that Gabriel Magalhaes may also be suffering from an undisclosed injury. Timber was one of a number of summer signings made by manager Mikel Arteta, adding to Kai Havertz from Chelsea, and club record signing Declan Rice from West Ham for £105 million. Arsenal’s start to the campaign was already impacted before the start of play, when kick-off was delayed for half an hour due to a turnstile issue. Read More Why was Arsenal v Nottingham Forest delayed? Arsenal: Thousands of fans stuck outside Emirates Stadium as turnstile issues delay kick-off

Georgia Stanway stood on her own, isolated in a pocket of space. With her hands in the air, she saw the move before it unfolded. England had been searching for the gaps against Colombia, but going behind only sharpened their focus. After the explosion of Colombia’s goal, England could have lost their heads, but Stanway found hers and then the space. One thumping finish from Alessia Russo later and England were heading towards the semi-finals of the World Cup. Arguably, no one deserves this semi-final more than the Bayern Munich midfielder. Stanway had to be disciplined when Keira Walsh was injured, constrained when Lauren James was given the keys to England’s creative output. With James suspended, Stanway was released. With the bite in midfield to combat Colombia’s physicality, then the cool to pick holes in their defensive shape. Having to play through four games on a yellow card has meanwhile forced Stanway to do it all on a knife-edge, controlling the aggression when one wrong moment would have taken her semi-final away. The Lionesses also had to earn it, in a difficult contest that passed by in waves of England control and frantic Colombia pressure. The atmosphere fed into it: Colombia turned up in their numbers, dominating the 75,000 capacity stadium and its soundtrack; hostile when England had possession, electric when Colombia flew forward, the noise rising further when Linda Caicedo drove them on. England faced the battle they had been expecting. Then Colombia scored and a tournament that has been defined by obstacles was presented with a new one, as England trailed for the first time in the World Cup. But Stanway epitomised how England responded and took to their task. It was a different type of resilience to what England showed at the end, continuing to show, on the ball and off it. She showed her intelligence, baiting Colombia players in and waiting a moment, before releasing it. As a whole, there wasn’t a panic. Lauren Hemp’s equaliser was scrappy, arriving in a mess in the penalty box, but it had been coming. If anything, going behind sharpened England. England’s plan was clear enough: they had their control and build-up, neat passages of play as they found the gaps in Colombia’s shape, threading passes through for Stanway and Ella Toone to turn. England were sharper than against Nigeria, even if the final ball was missing. With James’s two-match ban forcing another rethink for Wiegman, the England manager combined something new with something old. The midfield three returned, with Stanway and Toone deployed as twin eights in front of England’s back five. But Colombia reached the quarter-finals by ensuring those spells do not last for long. Between England’s passing moves, Colombia rattled them and threatened with their quality, thriving off the match being in a scrappy and disrupted state. The South Americans broke England’s passing up and tore whatever momentum they were building down, a series of fouls to pause England’s flow. Then there were the challenges: Ana Guzman barging into Hemp, then leaving an arm on Rachel Daly, Santos pulling Stanway back by the arm. And in those spells England were sloppy, five-yard passes hit straight out of play, allowing themselves to take the safe or easy option, turning down the chance to turn. When Santos’s cross drifted in over the head of Mary Earps, England were faced with the worst. The response was crucial. In the six minutes of added time at the end of the first half, England stuck to how they had set up to play. The way Colombia were positioned allowed England to have those gaps in midfield and there was always a player to find. England had to be patient, to move it quickly enough and have the confidence to do more when they could turn. Hemp everywhere across the frontline, taking pressure off England with bursts downfield, Russo struggling to hold the ball up, but producing the devastating finish when it counted. England dropped deep, perhaps too early, but they did so safe in the knowledge that they had Millie Bright in this form. Bright was faultless as England defended their box, alongside the exceptional Alex Greenwood. It wasn’t the perfect team performance but this tournament has been about finding a way through. England are enjoying it, while Stanway just offers them that bit more. Read More England set up old rivalry on new stage thanks to Alessia Russo magic How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final ahead of semi-final

England captain Harry Kane is hoping to win his first trophy within hours of joining Bayern Munich after completing his £100million move from Tottenham on Saturday. Kane trained with his new team-mates this morning and could make his debut for the Bavarian giants in their German Super Cup game against RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena tonight. Victory over the German Cup winners would mean a first piece of silverware for Kane, who will wear the number nine shirt for Bayern after putting pen to paper on a deal until June 2027. “First run out. Feeling good. Looking forward to the game later,” Kane wrote on Twitter. The striker had earlier taken to social media to announce his departure from Spurs, which chairman Daniel Levy said the club “reluctantly” agreed to as Kane, who had entered into the last 12 months of his contract in north London, had made it clear he was seeking a fresh challenge. Kane said: “It’s not a goodbye because you never know how things pan out in the future, but it’s a thank you and I’ll see you soon.” He told his new club’s website: “I’m very happy to be a part of FC Bayern now. “Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I’ve always said that I want to compete and prove myself at the highest level during my career. This club is defined by its winning mentality – it feels very good to be here. “I feel like it was the right step in my career to really push myself and test myself on the highest level so that’s why I’m here and I look forward to that challenge.” Shortly before the deal was officially confirmed, Kane posted a message on social media in which he thanked the fans and said he had not wanted to start the season with his future unresolved. “From the moment I’ve been playing I’ve been one of your own and I’ve given everything that I possibly could to make you proud and give you as many special moments and memories to hopefully last forever,” Kane said. “This is a message to all you fans around the world, every single Tottenham fan that’s supported me and been with me throughout my journey. “Me and my family will cherish it forever, we’ll never forget all the moments we’ve had together so thank you. “I felt like it was the time to leave. I didn’t want to go into the season with a lot of unresolved future talk. “I think it’s important for the new manager and the players to concentrate on trying to get Tottenham back to around the top of the table and fighting for trophies, so I wish Ange (Postecoglou) and all the boys all the very best of luck. “I’ll be watching from a fan point of view now and really hope the team can be successful.” Postecoglou had revealed on Friday that Kane’s move was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night. It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands. Kane leaves Tottenham as club’s all-time leading scorer with 280 goals but without a trophy. Bayern had seen their previous bids for Kane turned down, but refused to give up their pursuit of the 30-year-old, who remains 47 goals shy of equalling Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 260. Levy told the club’s website: “We sought over a long period of time to engage Harry and his representatives in several forms of contract extension, both short and long term. “Harry was clear, however, that he wanted a fresh challenge and would not be signing a new contract this summer. We have reluctantly, therefore, agreed to his transfer. “We have seen a product of our academy system become one of the best players to ever pull on a Spurs shirt and become one of world football’s elite strikers. It has been a truly remarkable journey.” Kane’s strike partner at Spurs, Son Heung-min, paid tribute to his departing colleague in a post on Instagram. Son, who holds the Premier League record for goal combinations with Kane, wrote: “Leader, brother, legend. “Since day one it has been a joy to play by your side. So many memories, amazing games and incredible goals together. “Harry, thank you for everything you have given to me, to our club, and to our fans. Wish you nothing but the best in your new chapter. Good luck brother.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Departing Fred calls Man Utd spell ‘a true dream’ ahead of Fenerbahce switch Bukayo Saka nets stunner before Arsenal forced to cling on to beat Forest Alessia Russo ‘buzzing’ after firing England into World Cup semi-finals

Arsenal began their quest to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester City as Bukayo Saka’s fine strike earned them a narrow victory over Nottingham Forest. After a half-hour delay to kick-off at the Emirates Stadium, Eddie Nketiah and Saka struck in the first-half but the hosts could not build on their lead and were pegged back by Taiwo Awoniyi as they hung on to win 2-1. An issue with the turnstiles meant kick-off was put back by 30 minutes but it did not threaten to dampen the expectant atmosphere as Arsenal aim to go one better than their runners-up spot last season. Defeat at Forest in May ended that title challenge but a repeat never looked likely here from the moment Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner – making his debut after joining from Arsenal earlier in the week – saw a clearance charged down by Nketiah as the ball flashed wide. The visitors had already spurned a great opening, Brennan Johnson unable to hit the target after being slipped in behind. A moment of magic from Gabriel Martinelli freed Nketiah inside the Forest box and his low shot found a way past Turner courtesy of a deflection off Joe Worrall as Arsenal hit the front just after the midway point of the first half. Saka then took centre-stage, collecting a pass from William Saliba and curling home a fine effort to double the lead before half-time. It was not all smiles for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, though, as summer signing Jurrien Timber limped off with what appeared to be a knee injury with just 50 minutes gone. The Dutch defender had gone down in pain having committed a foul on the stroke of half-time but emerged for the second-half, only to be forced off soon after. The second half looked like being played out largely with Arsenal controlling possession, Declan Rice forcing a low stop out of Turner with a deflected drive before the £105million man had another shot turned behind. But, from the resulting corner from the second of Rice’s efforts, Forest broke at pace and substitute Anthony Elanga burst down the left before squaring for Awoniyi to finish. Arsenal ultimately held on for the win, Gabriel Magalhaes replacing Martinelli to sure up the defence as Forest threw on the likes of Chris Wood in a late attempt to salvage a point. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Fred called his time at Manchester United “a true dream” as the Brazil international prepares to complete his move to Fenerbahce. The 30-year-old midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 and has made 213 appearances for the club. Fred is now heading to Turkey to join Fenerbahce, who have agreed a deal worth an initial 10million euros (£8.6m) rising to a possible 15m euros (£12.9m). “Thanks for everything, Manchester United Football Club,” Fred said on social media. “Today ends one of the most beautiful stages of my career. I lived the dream of wearing the shirt of one of the biggest clubs in the world. “Going through ups and downs, I leave with the conviction that I always gave my best during all training sessions and games. “It was five years of a true dream for me and my family. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity. Forever a Red!” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Georgia Stanway stood on her own, isolated in a pocket of space. With her hands in the air, she saw the move before it unfolded. England had been searching for the gaps against Colombia, but going behind only sharpened their focus. After the explosion of Colombia’s goal, England could have lost their heads, but Stanway found hers and then the space. One thumping finish from Alessia Russo later and England were heading towards the semi-finals of the World Cup. Arguably, no one deserves this semi-final more than the Bayern Munich midfielder. Stanway had to be disciplined when Keira Walsh was injured, constrained when Lauren James was given the keys to England’s creative output. With James suspended, Stanway was released. With the bite in midfield to combat Colombia’s physicality, then the cool to pick holes in their defensive shape. Having to play through four games on a yellow card has meanwhile forced Stanway to do it all on a knife-edge, controlling the aggression when one wrong moment would have taken her semi-final away. The Lionesses also had to earn it, in a difficult contest that passed by in waves of England control and frantic Colombia pressure. The atmosphere fed into it: Colombia turned up in their numbers, dominating the 75,000 capacity stadium and its soundtrack; hostile when England had possession, electric when Colombia flew forward, the noise rising further when Linda Caicedo drove them on. England faced the battle they had been expecting. Then Colombia scored and a tournament that has been defined by obstacles was presented with a new one, as England trailed for the first time in the World Cup. But Stanway epitomised how England responded and took to their task. It was a different type of resilience to what England showed at the end, continuing to show, on the ball and off it. She showed her intelligence, baiting Colombia players in and waiting a moment, before releasing it. As a whole, there wasn’t a panic. Lauren Hemp’s equaliser was scrappy, arriving in a mess in the penalty box, but it had been coming. If anything, going behind sharpened England. England’s plan was clear enough: they had their control and build-up, neat passages of play as they found the gaps in Colombia’s shape, threading passes through for Stanway and Ella Toone to turn. England were sharper than against Nigeria, even if the final ball was missing. With James’ two-match ban forcing another rethink for Wiegman, the England manager combined something new with something old. The midfield three returned, with Stanway and Toone deployed as twin-eights in front of England’s back five. But Colombia reached the quarter-finals by ensuring those spells do not last for long. Between England’s passing moves, Colombia rattled them and threatened with their quality, thriving off the match being in a scrappy and disrupted state. The South Americans broke England’s passing up and tore whatever momentum they were building down, a series of fouls to pause England’s flow. Then there were the challenges: Ana Guzman barging into Hemp, then leaving an arm on Rachel Daly, Santos pulling Stanway back by the arm. And in those spells England were sloppy, five-yard passes hit straight out of play, allowing themselves to take the safe or easy option, turning down the chance to turn. When Santos’ cross drifted over the head of Mary Earps, England were faced with the worst. The response was crucial. In the six minutes of added time at the end of the first half, England stuck to how they had set up to play. The way Colombia were positioned allowed England to have those gaps in midfield and there was always a player to find. England had to be patient, to move it quickly enough and have the confidence to do more when they could turn. Hemp everywhere across the frontline, taking pressure off England with bursts downfield, Russo struggling to hold the ball up, but producing the devastating finish when it counted. England dropped deep, perhaps too early, but they did so safe in the knowledge that they had Millie Bright in this form. Bright was faultless as England defended their box, alongside the exceptional Alex Greenwood. This wasn’t perfect but this tournament has been about finding a way through. England are enjoying it, while Stanway just offers them that bit more. Read More England set up old rivalry on new stage thanks to Alessia Russo magic How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final ahead of semi-final

One of the oldest sporting rivalries will be played on a new stage, after England overcame yet another new problem. A first comeback of this Women’s World Cup will ensure Sarina Wiegman’s side return to Stadium Australia to play the hosts in Wednesday’s semi-final, in what is set to be the grandest occasion of this thrilling tournament so far. England once more avoided succumbing to a surprise exit, as they began to show the sort of quality everyone has long expected in this tenacious 2-1 victory over Colombia. The invigorating South American side deserve huge credit for bringing that out of the European champions, as they became the first side to take the lead against them at this World Cup. And there was so briefly the possibility they could put them out. Something was different with this England, though, that could well be crucial against Australia. Alessia Russo almost summed it up by offering that huge moment: a fine finish to win it. As good as Nigeria were in that last-16 game, there was a sense of England playing the occasion and letting the tension of a first knockout game get to them. Had they gone behind in that match, it was more doubtful whether they could have hauled it back. Not so here. Hugely influential to that was that so many players looked back to their best. Georgia Stanway offered her own best display of the World Cup, growing into it in the way she did at Euro 2022. Lauren Hemp was winning everything and running the game, having brought England back from defeat with her equaliser. Russo then ensured yet another massive goal and a moment that may prove transformative for her own campaign. The finish was brilliant but the touch to set it up perhaps even better. The manner in which she flicked it was sublime. There was an element of ragged desperation about England at times, but that was inevitable when an opposition side are fighting for the moment of their lives. Colombia had nothing to lose in the last few minutes but had exactly the attackers – especially in the livewire Linda Caicedo – to play like that. They just took the wrong decision too often and England’s defence got their timing just right. That brought relief, and this World Cup has taken so much out of them, but there is suddenly a sense they are in good shape going into the biggest test so far. A lot of this match actually produced England’s best football of the tournament. They were assertive but elaborate, willing to play the ball around in fine patterns. There were a few moves when it looked like they could just pass their way right through Colombia. It all looked so highly controlled… until the moment it wasn’t. That was what made this quarter-final so engaging. Colombia had an edge that constantly disrupted England just as momentum was building, as well as a willingness to try things. The great question will be whether Leicy was actually trying to beat Earps with that first goal, but one argument in favour comes from the fact she wasn’t the first Colombian to attempt such an effort from out wide. Caicedo had done it minutes before. The idea had at least been planted. Either way, the ball ended up in the back of the net from Leicy’s wide effort. It was indicative of the unpredictability of this match. It was also unprecedented. England were behind for the first time in this World Cup and the first time in any tournament match since the quarter-final against Spain in Euro 2022. They responded superbly. There was a sharpness about everything England did, with Stanway bringing real danger at the edge of the Colombian box. That defence quickly buckled. From the kind of cross-field ball that constantly brought opportunity for England, Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Perez fumbled and a deflection allowed Hemp to force the ball home. The conviction could be seen in the celebration. England had an impetus. They could have done with a longer stoppage time. It was half-time at the wrong time. But Russo ensured it didn’t matter. She got her touch absolutely right for that 63rd-minute moment of opportunism and took her chance brilliantly. The ball was drilled into the corner with no doubt or hesitation whatsoever. You couldn’t quite say the same about the last 15 minutes. Colombia went at England with everything. Earps made good for any suggestion she was poor for the goal with one brilliant save from a rasping Lorena Bedoya long shot. She then bought England time in that canny way she does, dropping onto caught balls, disrupting the opposition. It was only a mirror of what Colombia had done to England earlier. Wiegman’s team battled through it. They again showed their fight, but something more. That is going to be essential on Wednesday, because that is going to be a rivalry, a battle, but also so much more. Read More England vs Colombia LIVE: Women’s World Cup latest score and updates after Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo goals Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Player ratings from England vs Colombia as Russo scores winning goal Who and when do England play next? Route to the World Cup final

Alessia Russo fired England through to their third World Cup semi-final with a second-half strike to complete a 2-1 comeback over Colombia at a sold-out Stadium Australia. Leicy Santos gave Colombia the lead when she looped an effort over Mary Earps after 44 minutes, but saw her opener cancelled out after Lauren Hemp pounced on an error by Colombian keeper Catalina Perez six minutes into first half stoppage time. Georgia Stanway set up Russo’s low finish to hand the Lionesses the lead after 63 minutes, and while Colombia pushed forward against the European champions an equaliser ultimately proved just out of reach. England will next face tournament co-hosts Australia, who beat France 7-6 on penalties in the early kick-off. Colombia, who had eliminated world number two side Germany with a 2-1 victory in the group stage, looked to complete another giant-killing here. The Lionesses, meanwhile, were without the services of Lauren James, with Ella Toone coming into Sarina Wiegman’s side while the Chelsea forward served the first game of her two-match suspension.