Follow LIVE coverage as England take on USA in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals.
The Lionesses are into the last four in France after topping their group before victories over Cameroon and then Norway in the knockout stages. The performance last time out, when goals from Jill Scott, Ellen White and Lucy Bronze secured an impressive win, was Phil Neville‘s side best so far and has them full of confidence ahead of tonight’s game in Lyon. 2015 winners and tournament favourites USA are yet to hit top gear so far but arrive here having already seen off hosts France last time out and in Megan Rapinoe boast the star of the tournament.
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Victory for England? Another third place finish?
Here’s how we predict the first World Cup semi-final will go:
Race for the Golden Boot.
Three players in tonight’s match are all in contention for the Golden Boot trophy. England’s Ellen White has been instrumental in the progress of the Lionesses scoring five goals along the way.
Also on five are USA duo Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan. Rapinoe has scored two goals in each of the USA’s knockout games whilst Morgan put five past Thailand in the group stages.
Sam Kerr also tops the table with five goals but her Australian side was knocked out in the round of 16.
“It’s a shootout maybe between Ellen and Alex Morgan for the top scorer,” Phil Neville said. “There are going to be brilliant players on this football pitch.”
The Lionesses want to develop a ‘serial winners mentality’ says Phil Neville.
The England head coach believes a defeat in the World Cup semi-final would be seen as a failure for the Lionesses campaign in France.
Rapinoe: USA ready to face confident England
When she’s not annoying Donald Trump by saying she will not go to the White House if the win the World Cup, Megan Rapinoe is scoring on the pitch.
Her two goals saw USA safely past France in the quarter-final, but she says England present a very different challenge.
Neville’s been planning for the USA
Phil Neville says he has been planning for the crucial meeting with the United States since he became the England head coach.
“We’ve planned for it, we’ve played against them and we know how we’re going to play,” he said.
“When it was France or USA in the semi-final every one of my players said: ‘Let’s hope it’s USA.’
“When I got the job, the first three games I looked at were the USA. I was sitting in my house in Valencia and watched three games in one afternoon because I thought: ‘How can we win the World Cup?’
“You have to beat the best, and the USA are the best. They’ve proven it.
“But we’re ready for them. Sometimes, before these games, you can have fear and trepidation – but I can smell nothing but freedom, happiness and excitement.”
Journey to the final
Both sides come into the final without losing a match in this World Cup, but that will all change tonight!
England
Group stage: 2-1 vs Scotland, 1-0 vs Argentina, 2-0 vs Japan round of 16: 3-0 vs Cameroon, quarter-final: 3-0 vs Norway
USA
Group stage: 13-1 vs Thailand, 3-0 vs Chile, 2-0 vs Sweden round of 16: 2-1 vs Spain, quarter-final: 2-1 vs France
Lionesses told to “leave nothing out there”
Manchester United coach and former England player Casey Stoney has given her words of encouragement ahead of tonight’s huge game.
In an Instagram post, Stoney wrote: “Be fearless, be brave, and be that girl that started playing the game because she loved it!!
“Wishing the lionesses all the luck in the world tonight. No regrets, leave nothing out there!! Everyone is right behind you and you have the support of (the) nation.”
US are winning in the fan zones
American fans outnumbered the English by a large margin at the fan park in Lyon – with many oozing confidence it would be their side triumphant.
The Santa Clara University Women’s Soccer team travelled from the Bay Area of California to France to follow the tournament.
Player Courney Ogren, 21, predicted a 3-0 win for the United States with two goals for Alex Morgan and one for Carli Lloyd.
“We have just grown up watching the team and seen them progress, even throughout this World Cup getting better and better every game,” she said.
Teammate Sofia Jones, 20, added: “I think that France was their first really big challenge and I think they stepped up, they handled the insane atmosphere and they came out with a win.” (PA)
Millie Bright: England ready to bring ‘ultimate energy’
England are ready to handle the United States’ “deadly” attack and bring their own “ultimate energy to the game, says Millie Bright.
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan lead the scoring charts with five goals each.
“I think they’ve got many strengths,” she said. “Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Alex Morgan – their front three are deadly. But we’re prepared for that, we’re ready for that. Our players have played against those players before and similar players, so it’s nothing that we haven’t dealt with before.
“I think it’s definitely going to be our biggest test in the tournament so far, but it’s one we’re definitely ready for.
“I just think we’re going to bring the ultimate energy. We’re going to be 100 per cent going out there, win the physical battle and make sure we’re clinical.”
Christensen: England are no longer underdogs
The Independent’s World Cup columnist Izzy Christensen says the way England are playing means they are no longer considered underdogs in these titanic games.
US not arrogant, says US coach
Jill Ellis is not entertaining the criticism that her side is arrogant: ‘It’s important our team has confidence. I don’t think in any way that this is an arrogant team’
England on cusp of history
England’s third place finish in 2015 was the best they have ever done in the World Cup, a win tonight would take them to a final for the very first time.
They can also become the first England team, men and women’s, to reach a final since 1966.
‘Nobody fears America’
Nikita Parris: “Why shouldn’t we think we can’t be badder than them when we went to the She Believes and we won it? And we went toe to toe with them? You know?”
Neville questions hotel ‘etiquette’
The England coach was left bemused recently by US officials paying a visit to the hotel that England are staying in ahead of tonight’s match in Lyon.
Two US staff members are understood to have scouted the Fourviere Hotel on Sunday morning as they consider staying there if the reach the final next Sunday, which is also held in Lyon.
‘The nation is rooting for you’
The Kirby Estate, proudly naming themselves the “most patriotic” state in the UK put on their usual display of English flags.
“We haven’t gone full scale like we did last year but I’d still say there was about 150 flags flying for our Lionesses,” said resident Chris Dowse.
“The women’s game hasn’t got as widespread coverage as the men’s – if people can see we’re doing it for the women as well hopefully it encourages a young girl to go out and kick a football around.”
The Lionesses have also received support from figures in politics, from the Prime Minister to a potential Prime Minister.
*Warning – the following Tweets reek of whiffy banter*
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of England vs USA in the Women’s World Cup semi-final.
The Lionesses are into the last four in France after topping their group before victories over Cameroon and then Norway in the knockout stages.
The performance last time out, when goals from Jill Scott, Ellen White and Lucy Bronze secured an impressive win, was Phil Neville’s side best so far and has them full of confidence ahead of tonight’s game in Lyon.
2015 winners and tournament favourites USA are yet to hit top gear so far but arrive here having already seen off hosts France last time out and in Megan Rapinoe boast the star of the tournament.
We’ll have all the latest throughout the evening right here.
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Prediction
This is what it has all been building towards ever since Phil Neville took over 18 months ago. He wanted to compete with the very best and now he gets his chance.
The holders haven’t completely hit their straps so far in this tournament but showed flashes of their vast potential in seeing off France in the quarter-final. They aren’t the prettiest side to watch – bar the thrashing of Thailand – with the world champions ruthlessly preferring substance over style on their march through this tournament.
Megan Rapinoe is the player that makes it all tick. Her showdown with the peerless Lucy Bronze will be worth the admission fee alone. How the Lionesses deal with the dual threats of Rapinoe, from the left, and Tobin Heath, from the right, will go a long way to deciding this one. Alex Morgan is the focal point with Steph Houghton, the standout central defender in France, set for a busy evening too.
England’s style under Neville has always been to keep the ball and draw out the sting of their opponents. That ball retention will be put to the most possible pressure tonight. Any chances they do get in the final third they simply must take.
England deserve their place here but this is their sternest test by far and perhaps and not by a lot a test too far. England 1-3 USA.
