The competition has worked its way through to the latter stages as the semi finals are the primary focus in Canada.
Semi final – Germany 0-2 USA
The tie of the round between two teams that have won the competition four times between them. The first half was goalless with two teams sizing each other up. USA should really have had a lead by half time but Alex Morgan was the guilty party missing a couple of great chances.
The second half livened up with not one but two penalty controversies. The first was awarded to Germany but USA defender Johnston escaped a red card even though it looked a clear pull on Mittag who was through on goal. The neighbours of the host nation were lucky not to be down to ten men. That luck doubled as Germany, yes Germany, missed the penalty. I know, it’s not a phrase you hear often let alone see.
The Germans were left to rue that miss as USA were awarded a penalty of their own which was also questionable. The foul on Morgan was outside the area but the referee gave the spot kick. Their captain Lloyd stepped up to score her third of the tournament and give USA a vital lead. It was a killer blow for Europeans and they conceded a second with less than six minutes left to play which put the nail in the coffin and send the Americans through to their third World Cup final.
Player of the match – Carli Lloyd (USA) Another captain to lead from the front and score the crucial opening goal.
Semi final – Japan 2-1 England
For a game that was played in the early hours of the morning UK time, viewing figures peaked at 2.4 million which just goes to show how the success of the England Women has captured the imagination of a nation.
A tight first half was a tale of two penalties which followed a very similar theme to the other semi final. The first was another tight call as contact was made just outside of the penalty area. England were suddenly a goal down and chasing the game against an experienced ball playing Japanese side. The Lionesses were given a lifeline with yet another questionable decision. Replays showed that captain Houghton was clipped on the ankle but it remained a harsh call but Williams needed no further invitation and stepped up to equalise sending both teams into the break all square.
The upper hand in the second half was with England as they looked the most likely to score. While the Japanese were controlled in possession they did not really create much to threaten. England had the best of the chances, hitting the woodwork on three separate occasions with the best chances falling to Duggan and White.
Just as the game looked destined to go into extra time, England were caught on the break and as the excellent Bassett tried to clear the ball on the stretch it looped up onto the bar and agonisingly landed the wrong side of the line. It gave Japan the lead and more importantly, there was no way back for Lionesses. It was brutal, more so than to lose on penalties.
The defeat in the manner it happened was hard to take, particularly as England were the better team, more than holding their own against the reigning champions. They can certainly hold their heads up high for capturing the attentions of a nation. The summer of 2015 will be remembered for the efforts of the England Women.
Player of the match – Saori Ariyoshi (Japan) The defender stood up well to the England attacks to keep her side in the game.
Third place play off – Germany v England
No team really wants to play in this one after the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup final. The game is a chance for the respective managers to use players that have not really featured as much as others in the tournament. However, due to the match up of this age old rivalry both could decide to play their strongest team in an effort to sign off from the tournament in style. England will certainly think they owe Germany one after their defeat at Wembley last November.
Final – USA v Japan
Four years on and we have a repeat of the 2011 final which finished 2-2 after extra time with Japan winning the trophy 3-1 on penalties. The USA are bidding to become the first team to win the title for a third time while Japan will be aiming to be the first team to defend it.
It is quite a milestone for USA as they proudly boast reaching either the World Cup final or the third placed play off game in every tournament since the first in 1991.
It is a tight call and there is every chance that it will go to penalties again. There is a view however that the Americans are hitting form as the perfect time while Japan were less than convincing in their semi final.
Players
It is tough to pick out many players from the two semi finals that stood out. Even though England lost to Japan, captain Steph Houghton once again hardly put a foot wrong and in the battle of the goalkeepers in the first semi final Hope Solo may find herself in the final but German Angerer certainly did her best to keep her side in the competition. As for USA, it is hard to look past the in form Carli Lloyd who has been influential in recent games.
Top Scorers (featuring players remaining in the competition)
- 6 – Celia Sasic (Germany)
- 5 – Anja Mittag (Germany)
- 3 – Carli Lloyd (USA)
Coverage of the tournament continues on Eurosport and BBC.
