With goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, and Alessia Russo on Wednesday, England defeated Australia 3-1 to advance to the Women’s World Cup final for the first time.
The Matildas were the only team to defeat Sarina Wiegman’s team in the previous two years and 37 games, presenting the Lionesses with a formidable challenge at Sydney’s Stadium Australia in front of a boisterous and partisan home crowd.
However, they put on a polished, composed, and clinical performance against their old enemies to advance to the World Cup finals for a third time in a row and will now face Spain on Sunday.
Toone scored first in the 36th minute, but Sam Kerr’s brilliant solo goal midway through the second half cancelled it out. Later, Hemp took advantage of a defensive blunder, and Russo sealed the victory late to guarantee England’s place in the final.
Lauren James served the second game of a two-game suspension, although Wiegman kept the same starting lineup for the match. For the first time throughout the competition, Australia star Kerr was deemed fit to play, but Alanna Kennedy, the centre defender, was unable to do so due to illness.
The Chelsea striker had the opening opportunity of the game. She showed no indications of her calf injury as she raced through England’s thick defensive line, only to be stopped by Mary Earps, even though the flag for offside was raised somewhat tardily.
Moments later, Georgia Stanway was superbly sent free by Alex Greenwood’s pass behind the Australian defence, but her volley effort was too close to keeper Mackenzie Arnold, and England should have grabbed the lead.
A highly defensive Australia was finding it difficult to stop England’s darting runs in behind as Wiegman’s team alternated between long stretches of possession and quick, direct attacks in the opening exchanges. Russo’s flowing play ended with her hitting the side netting for the Lionesses.
The first goal Australia had given up in five hours came just as the Matildas were beginning to enjoy a rare period of their own possession. Russo wriggled her way towards the byline and did well to pull the ball back where Toone was on hand to bury a rising effort into the top corner.
Every irregular Australian attack was greeted with a cheer, and every ill-timed English challenge was whistled, but then the 75,784-person stadium fell silent.
After the restart, Australia displayed more vigour and enthusiasm, but the Lionesses continued to feel in control, and Hemp’s hopeful long-range attempt sent Arnold scurrying over her line. Captain Millie Bright got a free header from the ensuing corner that may have ended the match.
She received punishment for her wastefulness. The Chelsea teammate Bright backed off and off as Kerr, who had been unable to have an impression on the game up to this point, received the ball on the halfway line and drove at him. From 25 yards out, Kerr fired a fierce shot that flew over Earps and nearly into the back of the net.
Many significant athletic events have taken place in this historic stadium throughout the years, including Cathy Freeman’s gold medal performance in the 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics and Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, but few will have elicited the cheers that Kerr’s magnificent solo goal did.
After that setback, though, England came back with a cross from Lucy Bronze that almost caught Arnold off guard before Russo fired a header just wide of the far post. Once again applying pressure, they were successful when right-back Ellie Carpenter fumbled a long ball forward.
Hemp pounced from six yards and nudged the ball past a hapless Arnold as she hesitated. The game’s first two goals were breathtaking finishes, but this one was very scrappy—almost fittingly so, considering the effort and tenacity that went along with England’s more refined play on the way to the final.
But in the end, the Lionesses had to endure some very terrifying moments. Prior to forcing a superb save from Earps, substitute Cortnee Vine headed over the crossbar from close range. Moments later, Kerr blasted by from a corner completely unnoticed.
England continued to threaten on the break and ended the match in the 86th minute rather than holding out through a final siege. She threaded the needle to set up Russo, who rocketed into the bottom corner with a very identical finish to her victory against Colombia in the previous round after Hemp’s fantastic, slaloming run opened up the field.
The Lionesses’ victory prevents Australia from sweeping a series of sporting contests that have lasted all summer and sets up the first-ever Women’s World Cup final. Australian cricket teams for men and women both won back the Ashes, and earlier this month, they triumphed in the Netball World Cup final as well. This is England’s sweet retaliation.