SYDNEY — Whatever happens now, there is a consolation prize. England’s semi-final against Australia would have to backfire spectacularly for them to exit this World Cup in disgrace.
Most would have taken a place in the last four when summer began – except that was complicated a little once the draw opened up.
For all the hurdles, the injuries, the suspension to Lauren James, the fact remains that they have been handed one of the more favourable draws at this World Cup: Haiti, Denmark and China in the groups, Nigeria in the last 16, Colombia in the last eight.
“If we hadn’t have gotten to the semi-final, I would have said that we would have underperformed,” said Lucy Bronze after a 2-1 victory in the quarter-finals.
“A lot of people said that England were the team that were going to flop a little bit. Our performances haven’t been our best, granted, but the results have been there and we’ve got [to] the semi final, which is what this England team is known for doing”
In that sense, they have already made history. It is the first time England have ever reached three consecutive World Cup semi-finals, losing to Japan and the USA in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
The mindset shifted with last summer’s European Championship, when England eased past Sweden with a 4-0 win at Bramall Lane before beating Germany in the final at Wembley.
“We got past that hurdle last year in the Euros and finally made it to the final and got past that dreaded ‘always getting beaten in the semi-finals’.
“So we’ve got that in the locker. Many players in the squad were part of that so we know how difficult it is to get this far and also how to get to the final and how to win games”.
Alongside Barcelona teammate Keira Walsh, Bronze could become the first female player in history to win the Champions League and World Cup in the same year.
She is one of just three of the 2015 cohort alongside Alex Greenwood and Jordan Nobbs who beat Canada on their home soil at that World Cup, an experience they will draw on in what is expected to be a hostile atmosphere backing co-hosts Australia on Wednesday.
“[There are] Positive and negatives for being that home nation and for being the team against,” the full-back said.
“I remember playing Canada in 2015 in that World Cup and there was a lot of pressure put on that team and it gave them a lot of fight. It was the same thing for us in the Euros last year. The 12th man, as they say, it really helped us.
“It was a key part to us winning and I think that’s been a key part for Australia when they’re backs have been against the wall this tournament… I think the difference with this team [is] we have won trophies, we have won tournaments, so we do know what to do.
“We knew coming into the tournament that it wasn’t going to be easy. There was a lot of outside noise about whether England was going to be able to cope well with everything throw at us so far and the semi-final is what is expected of us as the England team.”
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