England reach maiden World Cup final after Australia Victory

England beat tournament co-hosts Australia to reach the Women’s World Cup final for the first time ever.

75,784 fans made up the capacity crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney. A city swept up in the buzz of the World Cup, just like the rest of the country. Whilst certainly the underdogs, there was an air of optimism amongst the home fans, buoyed by the news that captain and star striker Sam Kerr was fit to start, having not featured in the group stage before coming off the bench in her side’s two previous knockout matches.

European champions England were unchanged for the first time at this World Cup, Lauren James still suspended after her red card in the last sixteen, hoping, maybe even expecting, to go one step further than they had at the last two World Cups.

Whilst the hosts were delighted to have their talisman back, England not so much. Keira Walsh slid in with a crunching tackle inside two minutes, and not long after Alex Greenwood went into the book for a late challenge also on the Chelsea forward. A clear plan from England to break play up early on, stopping any early momentum Australia could have gained from their home crowd.

Kerr had an early opportunity when she latched on to a long ball to force Earps into a save, but was offside, so the first real threat to either goalkeeper came after ten minutes.

Alex Greenwood stood on the left just over the half way line played a ball over the top to Georgia Stanway. She made a good connection on the volley looking for the bottom left corner, but goalkeeper MacKenzie Arnold of West Ham got her right leg out to prod it wide.

England continued to attack in this manner, often going wide or looking for a diagonal ball in what was an end to end game. A great chance fell after 17 minutes, Toone playing in Russo on the right hand side of the box, but she could only fire into the side netting.

After 35 minutes, England were very much in control, having completed three times as many passes as their opponents, and recovered the ball, on average, 3.5 times as quickly. And a minute later, they’d take a deserved lead.

From a throw in high up on the left wing, Rachel Daly’s found Lauren Hemp who just about kept the ball in at the byline. She played it to Russo who turned and cut it back for Toone who hit a thunderous strike with her laces from the left of the box, 10 yards out, into the top right corner. England had exploited Australia’s mid-block brilliantly, Hemp and Russo’s neat play in pockets meaning the ball could come to Toone who had made a late run into the box, as her or Stanway did many times throughout the match.

But after going behind, Australia would have to push up as they looked for a leveller, which would allow an England side whose build up play had been patient more space to exploit.

Australia were better at the start of the second half, having more of the ball, but it was still England who hade the best of the chances,

The ball sitting up nicely for her, Hemp held off Gorry to hit a volley from 25 yards out. Arnold got across to the left to tip it wide, and Millie Bright’s downward header from the resulting corner was just off target.

Australia’s equaliser came on the counter in the 63rd minute, Sam Kerr picking up the ball on the halfway line and driving forward. She runs at Chelsea teammate Millie Bright before unleashing a venomous shot across goal from 25 yards into the top left corner. Stadium Australia. All of Australia erupted.

The game level once more, it was still end-to-end, Jess Carter having to make a last ditch tackle as Australia went forward again. Moments later, Kerr’s glancing header from a corner was caught by Mary Earps.

England soon went up the other end, Bronze making a brilliant run down the right, chesting down Bright’s long ball forward. Coming inside, she shot from a tight angle, only to be denied by Arnold, who was fortunate a minute later when Alessia Russo headed agonisingly wide.

In the 71st minute Lauren Hemp restored England’s lead. She chased after Bright’s long ball down the inside left channel, got between two defenders and drilled her shot low across goal. Having worked her socks off all game in her new striker role, floating into wide spaces, she got her reward and the Lionesses were ahead once more.

With ten minutes to play, the Matildas were pushing for another equaliser, piling the pressure on England, the home crowd hoping to get their team over the line with a roar even impressive to Lionesses.

Either side of substitute Cortnee Vine’s shot, saved well by Earps and scrambled away by England, came two huge chances for Sam Kerr. She first headed over from five yards out in a perfect position, before what looked certain to be the equaliser with five minutes to play.

The ball put into the danger from the corner and punched away by Earps on the line, it landed perfectly for Kerr on the edge of the six yard box. This was surely the moment? No. She could only slice it wide to the right.

And then, the killer blow. Hemp picked the ball up in her own half, drove forward and drew in four defenders before playing it through the gap to Russo who smashed it low into the far corner from the right.

The goal deflated the majority of the crowd, who’d gone from being a whisker away from an equaliser, believing they could still win the game, to accepting of their fate, with two goals required in four minutes, plus six of additional time.

It’s been a landmark tournament for Australia as co-hosts. Somewhere not seen as a ‘”football country” has been taken by storm, with this match the most watched event in Australian TV history. Sam Kerr was already a star in Australia and beyond, but the whole squad have rocketed further into national consciousness, above the Men’s team for many, as reflected by the following on the teams’ social media accounts. At the time of writing the Socceroos have 315k followers on Instagram, compared to 605k for the Matildas.

The Matildas, who will contest the Third Place Playoff with Sweden on Saturday, must build on this brilliant platform.

For England, it’s the culmination of an incredible couple of years under Sarina Wiegman. In 38 games, they’ve only lost once, coincidentally to Australia. They’ve become European Champions on home soil, prompting huge growth across the English women’s game at club level. And now, even without key players such as captain Leah Williamson, Beth Mead who won the golden boot and player of the tournament at the Euros, and Fran Kirby who started every game last summer, they’re a game away from being World Champions, to end a tournament she's described as a 'fairytale'.

In their way, a Spain side who have had big issues off the field. A possession-based side, England will likely have to settled for having less of the ball than they would usually enjoy, one of many things for Sarina Wiegman to consider as she looks to go one better than she did with her native Netherlands four years ago.

Ella Toone’s goal will have given her even more of a selection headache. Toone lost her place to Lauren James in the second group game, but came back into the starting XI after James’ suspension. With James having served her two match ban for violent conduct, will she come straight back into the side? Or will Toone, who has now become the first England player to score in the quarter finals, semi finals and final of a major tournament keep her place?