England beat Australia to reach first Women’s World Cup final

The first time England played in the Women’s World Cup final, they upset co-hosts Australia on a memorable night in Sydney.

With their 3-1 triumph, the Lionesses became the first England football team since 1966 to advance to a senior final on a global scale, hushing a sold-out crowd at Stadium Australia.

England, who were crowned European champions for the first time last year on home soil, displayed their superiority and know-how to defeat an Australian side motivated by a country that has been inspired by the Matildas’ triumph, capping off a fantastic two years under manager Sarina Wiegman.

Ella Toone’s spectacular first-time shot into the top corner gave England the advantage early on.

A 25-yard bomb over goalkeeper Mary Earps’ head to tie the game at 1-1 came from star striker Sam Kerr, who was starting her first match of the tournament as Australia poured everything at the Lionesses in the second half.

This week, when ‘Matildas Mania’ swept the nation, the build-up to this semifinal dominated every facet of Australian life.

Five hours before kickoff, there were lines of spectators at Sydney fan parks, balloons bearing the players’ faces covered the front and back pages of newspapers, stores ran out of souvenirs, and railway stations were festooned with yellow and green balloons.

The co-hosts’ aspirations to make history received all the attention, but England quietly carried on with their plans and arrived in Sydney prepared to play in their third straight Women’s World Cup semifinal.

They disturbed Australia’s rhythm and made every effort to annoy the audience from the first minute on, taking their time over throw-ins and dismantling potentially devastating counterattacks, demonstrating their experience with major events.

It mostly succeeded, but when Australia used Kerr to fight their way back into the game, England had to find another solution, which they did.

However, England found a way back into the match, as they so frequently do, when Lauren Hemp capitalized on a defensive blunder to give them the lead again. Later, Alessia Russo secured the victory to set up a final against Spain on Sunday.

This week, when ‘Matildas Mania’ swept the nation, the build-up to this semifinal dominated every facet of Australian life.

Five hours before kickoff, there were lines of spectators at Sydney fan parks, balloons bearing the players’ faces covered the front and back pages of newspapers, stores ran out of souvenirs, and railway stations were festooned with yellow and green balloons.

The co-hosts’ aspirations to make history received all the attention, but England quietly carried on with their plans and arrived in Sydney prepared to play in their third straight Women’s World Cup semifinal.

They disturbed Australia’s rhythm and made every effort to annoy the audience from the first minute on, taking their time over throw-ins and dismantling potentially devastating counterattacks, demonstrating their experience with major events.

It mostly succeeded, but when Australia used Kerr to fight their way back into the game, England had to find another solution, which they did.

When facing overwhelming odds, England’s defense, which has been outstanding throughout the competition, rose up to make blocks, tackles, and deflect ferocious balls into the box.

In response to Australia’s equalizer, Wiegman reflected, “My thought was, We’re not going to give this away now’.” “You can never be certain. However, it was later in the game, so we won.

When they combined late in the game, Hemp and Russo’s burgeoning front-line partnership—with Manchester City winger Hemp providing an exquisite no-look pass to put up Russo—decided the match.

Wiegman continued, “That was just an incredible pass.” “The finish was excellent as well. Both myself and the players are extremely pleased with the performance.

At first, England’s celebrations at full-time were restrained. Even though they made history, this is a winning club, so they still have work to do.

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