SYDNEY: In a hard-fought and intense encounter, England rallied from a goal down to defeat Colombia 2-1 on Saturday, earning a spot in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals and setting the stage for an enticing showdown with Australia.
Alessia Russo, the forward for the European champions, netted the winning goal just after the hour mark, in front of a 75,000-strong crowd in Sydney, effectively ending Colombia’s journey in the tournament.
The day also saw co-hosts Australia advance to the semi-finals for the first time in their history, following a thrilling 7-6 penalty shootout victory over France in Brisbane.
The highly-anticipated semi-final clash between England and Australia is set to take place in Sydney on Wednesday.
Colombia, participating in their inaugural quarter-final, took an unexpected lead against the run of play when Leicy Santos struck a remarkable dipping shot from the edge of the box in the 44th minute.
However, England responded just before halftime, with Lauren Hemp capitalizing on a goalkeeping error by Catalina Perez, and Alessia Russo sealing the quarter-final victory with a composed finish.
“I am buzzing, we are keeping the dream alive,” exclaimed Russo. “We have had to dig deep from the first game, they have so many talented players who can cause you trouble in a second.”
Upcoming Clash Between England and Australia
Anticipating the upcoming clash with Australia in front of a potentially hostile crowd, Russo added, “It’s exciting, what more do you want? I think Colombia had a great fanbase here tonight so we had a taste of it.”
Despite being ranked 25th in the world compared to England’s fourth ranking, Colombia put up a spirited fight and enjoyed strong support from their fans, who dominated the atmosphere at Stadium Australia.
England, led by Sarina Wiegman, were without key attacker Lauren James, who was serving a two-game suspension for a foul during their previous match. Nonetheless, they displayed dominance early on, exploiting pockets of space in front of Colombia’s defense.
Colombia’s aggressive play led to several rough challenges, and both sides engaged in a physical battle. Santos’ expertly executed goal gave Colombia a surprise lead, but England equalized before halftime through Hemp.
Russo’s decisive strike in the 63rd minute secured England’s victory and propelled them closer to a potential World Cup triumph. Coach Wiegman lauded her team’s resilience, stating, “I’m so proud of the team. We found a way to score and win the final duels.”
