Australia 1-3 England
Good morning, and welcome along to our live coverage of today’s Women’s World Cup semi-final between Australia and England.
A huge showdown lies ahead at Stadium Australia, with the winners advancing to face Spain in Sunday’s final at the same Sydney venue. Spain overcame Sweden in the other last four clash yesterday.
Kick-off is 11am, the game is live on RTÉ 2 but we’ll have all you need to know right here.
Time for team news…
Sam Kerr is in the Australia XI for the the first time this tournament, having recovered from a calf injury sustained before their opening 1-0 win over Ireland. Alanna Kennedy is ruled out through illness, with Claire Polkinghorne starting at centre-back. Emily van Egmond makes way for Chelsea star Kerr.
📋 Your Semi-Final Starting XI ✅
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) August 16, 2023
We make two changes to our team that will take on England 👊#Matildas #FIFAWWC #TilitsDone pic.twitter.com/NEqsaHFX2j
And Sarina Wiegman has named an unchanged England side. Lauren James remains suspended after her red card against Nigeria in the round of 16.
Your #Lionesses are unchanged! 💪 pic.twitter.com/aogb6fNj3p
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 16, 2023
Both sides are looking to reach their first World Cup final. England are the reigning European champions and have been semi-finalists at the last two World Cups, while this is the first time Australia have made it past the quarter-finals.
The Lionesses are ranked fourth in Fifa’s World Rankings, while the Matildas are 10th. Tony Gustavsson’s side came out on top the last time they met though — the Aussies were 2-0 winners in an April international friendly in London.
Running the rule over paths to the final, both Australia and England topped their respective groups. The co-hosts reigned supreme in Group B after wins over Ireland (1-0) and Canada (4-0), with a shock defeat to Nigeria (3-2) in between. The Lionesses beat Haiti (1-0), Denmark (1-0), and China (6-1) to dominate Group D.
They edged out Nigeria and Colombia in the knockout stages, the former on penalties after a stalemate and the latter a 2-1 comeback. The Matildas, meanwhile, overcame Denmark 2-0 and trumped a dramatic penalty shootout against France last time out.
Who will advance to the final? The Ireland internationals in the RTÉ studio are split. Megan Campbell backs Australia, Áine O’Gorman goes for England. Who do you think it will be?
Poll Results:
The pre-match formalities are almost done, with kick-out at a sold-out Stadium Australia imminent. Over 75,000 fans are present, the atmosphere electric.
Chelsea team-mates Sam Kerr and Millie Bright meet in the middle for the coin toss, American referee Tori Penso takes charge of this one.
KICK-OFF: England get us underway in Sydney.
2 mins – Both sides are settling in, looking to string some positive possession together. Sam Kerr is getting stuck in, showing no signs of her recent calf setback early on but you’d wonder if she’s fit to go the distance. Her battle with Chelsea team-mate Bright should be one for the ages.
4 mins – Bright is looking nervy early on, a loose pass from defence almost pounced on by Kerr and another shaky clearance thereafter. England are enjoying the lions’ share of possession, that said, and that should be a big theme of this game.
7 mins – Early scare for England. Kerr gets the first shot of the game off, Mary Earps with the save but turns out the Australia captain was just offside. Ella Toone was robbed at the other end, a superb ball played through to Kerr. It looked like she was well off, but just marginally in the end.
9 mins - Another big save. Mackenzie Arnold stops Georgia Stanway after she gets on the end of a teasing ball into the box. Looked all too easy for England, but Stanway really should have done better.
10 mins - Yellow card for Alex Greenwood for a poor tackle on Sam Kerr inside Australia’s half. An early booking for the English centre-back will be a worry. Shortly afterwards, she clears a long ball in. Lively start, England previously threatening from a corner but the scoreline remains 0-0.
12 mins - Good defending from Ellie Carpenter as she deals with a decent delivery, with Rachel Daly hot on her heels. The Aston Villa star then sends one in towards Lucy Bronze, Claire Polkinghorne left frustrated by a push on the back as she clears her lines.
England string another promising attack together, with Lauren Hemp playing a central role but she goes all the way back as she’s shepherded by Claire Hunt. A really open start.
17 mins - Alessia Russo gets a shot off from a high angle, but she smashes the side-netting. On the restart, Bronze gives Caitlin Foord a slight push, but the Australia free-kick in turns to one right back out after Mary Fowler’s high boot on Jess Carter.
20 mins - England are enjoying more and more possession here, the Australians gobbling up Russo in their latest attack after brilliant work from Lauren Hemp. Katrina Gorry is stopped by a poor Ella Toone tackle as they look to build on some promising counter attacks.
25 mins - Mary Earps collects a tame Hayley Raso header, the new Real Madrid recruit climbing high to get on the end of a delivery from a free-kick. That one was conceded by Jess Carter for a high boot on Kerr. Mackenzie Arnold is equal at the other end, plucking a long ball in from the air.
30 mins – Australia enjoy a good spell of possession and win a corner from it. Daly with a big tackle to stop Raso, the roles reversed from a few minutes beforehand. Their first corner of the game goes deep, Polkinghorne having a go off it and her effort deflected out for another. Nothing ultimately comes off it.
32 mins – Australia pounce on a misplaced England pass and break from deep. They eventually play it out wide to Carpenter on the right but there’s too much on her cross and it all breaks down.
GOAL! ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRALIA (TOONE 36)
What a finish from Ella Toone, and England hit the front in Sydney. The Manchester United attacker curls in, leaving Mackenzie Arnold with no chance. It all came from a throw in towards the endline, which Hemp did so well to keep in and it’s fed out to Toone by Russo.
She has struggled to make her impact felt on this tournament so far, but she has well and truly arrived!
40 mins - Australia respond well, looking to hit back immediately but Earps has no problem gathering Gorry’s long-range effort. A little later, Fowler tries a cross-field ball to Raso but it runs over the endline. They’re putting some nice moves together but must be patient.
43 mins – Hemp is pinged for offside after her diving header on the end of a glorious Daly delivery. She’s just off, needlessly pushing an Australian defender over in the process, but Arnold denied her anyway.
England deal with some Aussie pressure, Bronze heading a Cooney-Cross long ball in out for a header and Earps putting a stop to any half-chances off a header.
HALF TIME: AUSTRALIA 0-1 ENGLAND
Ella Toone’s 36th-minute goal separates the sides at Stadium Australia. A lively start, but the game has settled to how we expected: England dominating possession and Australia looking to attack with chaos, and get in behind, on the counter. The Lionesses have contained them and kept Sam Kerr relatively quiet, and that will be key if they are to prevail.
Here’s a look at Toone’s superb strike:
🇦🇺 0-1 🏴
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 16, 2023
England lead after a cracking strike from Ella Toone into the top corner of the net
📱 Updates: https://t.co/Zp9dFpbLu8
📺 Live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer#FIFAWWC #WWC2023 pic.twitter.com/1Af3ksie85
SECOND HALF: Australia get us underway again.
47 mins - Raso pounces on a loose Russo cross-field pass and Australia unsettle England. They play the ball around nicely, going forward and then back, before Carpenter plays a teasing ball in towards Kerr. Carter just does enough.
49 mins – Good start to the second half from Australia. Mary Fowler swings a good ball in towards the back-peddling Foord at the back post, but she can’t get enough purchases on the header as Earps claims. All came down the right, Carpenter with the surging run before finding Fowler.
52 mins - A few calls for frees as both sides struggle to keep possession. Earlier, Bright put in a big tackle on the edge of the box as Australia chase an equaliser.
55 mins - The Matildas threaten again down the right, but Raso can’t find the overlapping Carpenter and the ball bounces out towards the endline. They try the direct route to Kerr, but England close it off.
57 mins - Hemp lets fly with a snapshot, and Arnold makes no changes as she parries away for a corner. Bright heads Greenwood’s delivery wide.
60 mins - Frustration for the Aussies as Kerr looks to link up with Foord down the left but the Arsenal star is caught flat-footed. Shortly afterwards, Steph Catley’s cross down that side goes wayward.
62 mins - Kerr comes out to play a couple of crosses in from the left but to no avail. Excellent defending from Greenwood as one goes deep and eventually finds Carpenter. All Kerr needs is one moment…
GOAL! AUSTRALIA 1-1 ENGLAND (KERR 63)
WOAH. What a finish. Exceptional from Kerr. Inevitable.
All she needs is one moment. Polkinghorne robbed the ball, Gorry played it through and Australia’s superstar did the rest. She surged forward and let fly from distance, the England players standing off, possibly thinking she would play the onrushing Foord in on the left. But no. Inevitable.
66 mins - Kerr has the bit between her teeth, all the momentum swinging Australia’s way. Carter gets a nice tackle in to keep her out, while she sends another header at Earps. The volume is through the roof at Stadium Australia, the co-hosts well and truly on the front foot now!
GOAL! ENGLAND 2-1 AUSTRALIA (HEMP 71)
Lauren Hemp puts England back in front! Australia are at sixes and sevens at the back, Hemp pounces on Carpenter like she has done all game and slots home. The Manchester City star has been excellent.
Arnold’s goal had been under siege just before that: Russo headed just wide, while Bronze’s cross beat the Aussie keeper and went just across the goalface.
75 mins - The electric Courtnee Vine is in for Raso, can she make a difference after her winning penalty against France last time out?
77 mins - England are keeping the foot on the gas here, not just largely sitting back like they did early in the second half when they were 1-0 up. Russo and Hemp are causing Australia problems, their defence rattled by their latest concession. Stanway has a go from distance but the Bayern Munich star blazes over.
And there’s that injection of pace from Vine down the right, as the Matildas look to pull another back.
80 mins - Arnold claims a Daly cross, as Emily van Egmond comes in for Polkinghorne. Tony Gustavsson opts to go all-out attack, leaving no regrets in Sydney.
82 mins – Huge chance for Kerr but she heads over. She’ll be disappointed with that one after Fowler’s excellent delivery.
Close again! Huge save from Earps to deny Vine, and Carter reacts to clear with Van Egmond lurking.
85 mins – Again, Kerr should have done better but she lifts the ball just over the bar. A corner fell to her but she’s leaning back and can’t steer her strike on target from the volley.
GOAL! ENGLAND 3-1 AUSTRALIA (RUSSO 85)
Big chances at the other end, but Russo gives England some breathing space. They counter, with Hemp holding the ball up and then breaking free and playing her team-mate through with a superbly-weighted through ball. Russo does well to stay onside and the new Arsenal recruit slots home to make it 3-1.
89 mins - Some changes to catch you up on. Chloe Kelly has replaced England’s latest goalscorer, Russo, while Niamh Charles has come in for their first. Toone. And Alex Chidac replaces Australia centurion Gorry.
Six minutes added.
90+3 mins - England will look to run the clock down as Australia throw the kitchen sink at it. Keira Walsh with an important intervention on Chidac inside the penalty area, while Stanway stops Foord. Hemp, meanwhile, keeps Catley off the ball as they see this one out.
Chloe Kelly sees yellow for bringing the ball back onto the pitch at the other end. “Gamesmanship of the highest order,” as RTÉ put it.
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 3-1 AUSTRALIA
That’s that. England will play Spain in Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final. Ella Toone Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo scored the goals as the Lionesses advance to their first-ever World Cup decider. Sam Kerr fired a sensational equaliser to level matters at 1-1 in the 63rd minute, but the European Champions’ experience shone through as they showed a real clinical edge to pull clear.
What a run for co-hosts Australia but they’re left heartbroken and frustrated in Sydney. They’ll play Sweden in the third/fourth place play-off on Saturday, but it’s all about Sunday: England v Spain in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
Thanks for reading our live coverage, we’ll have a report on The 42 in the next few minutes along with analysis, reaction and all the build-up to the weekend.
Have a good one!
