England spoils co-hosts Australia’s party, advances to first women’s World Cup final

SYDNEY, Australia — They will tell you here that Australia and England don’t have the kind of rivalry in women’s soccer that the nations do in other sporting contests, especially those played by men.

But for all the platitudes offered by both sides in recent days, and all the efforts to avoid creating a tabloid headline, they could only hide from the truth for so long ahead of their World Cup semifinal.

It may not be a rivalry, but it sure is a big deal. Especially for the side that used to be a colony of the other side and still officially counts a king on the other side of the world as its head of state.

So, yes, Australia wanted to beat England — and rather badly. And England, where 10 of the Matildas’ 23 World Cup players have their club homes, knew it well.

But just in case anyone needed a reminder, the sea of green-and-gold jerseys at Stadium Australia on Wednesday provided it with a belting-out of their national anthem.

» READ MORE: Spain beats Sweden, 2-1, with last-minute goal and advances to its first women’s World Cup final

And another reminder right afterward. And again when superstar Sam Kerr broke the team’s team pregame huddle, right before making her long-awaited first start of this World Cup.

The biggest reminder came when Kerr scored with an epic long-range blast of a goal in the 63rd, tying the score, 1-1, after Ella Toone’s opener in the 36th minute.

But the ultimate reminder never came. Eight minutes after Kerr’s strike, Lauren Hemp scored, before Alessia Russo added another in the 86th minute to deliver the final tally in a 3-1 victory, sending the Lionesses to their first World Cup final a year after winning the European Championship.

Australia ran hard at England in the first half, but the Lionesses took the lead thanks to Toone’s smashing shot from a pocket of space that the Matildas’ defense left open. Now one could spot the England fans in the sellout crowd of 75,784, their red-and-white St. George’s cross flags standing out amid the neighbors.

The Matildas flew out of the gates again to start the second half and this time got rewarded for it. Kerr, the home face of this World Cup and one of the leading lights at English club Chelsea, erupted into a sprint out of midfield that sent two English defenders running backward. And they kept running backward, allowing Kerr the space to rip a shot past Mary Earps from 24 yards.

For a moment, this country that has fallen madly in love with the Matildas over the last few weeks had hope. Australia is among the world’s most sports-mad nations, but not necessarily for soccer. This team has changed that, perhaps for good.

The massive crowds that have flocked to every game here feature every thread of the country’s increasingly diverse tapestry. So does their team, with descendants of a range of immigrants, as well as indigenous groups that were here long before.

» READ MORE: Women’s World Cup TV schedule, live streaming, kickoff times on Fox and Telemundo

But not only did England refuse to flinch, it went and ripped Australia’s heart out. In the 71st minute, Hemp forced Matildas outside back Ellie Carpenter into a defensive error in her own 18-yard box, then pounced on the loose ball and slammed it past Mackenzie Arnold.

Fifteen minutes later, Russo plunged the dagger in with a break down the right side and a clinical finish.

It was more proof of the Lionesses’ immense mental fortitude on the world’s biggest stage. They showed it in coming from behind to beat Colombia in the round of 16, and they showed it here.

It’s a trait that England didn’t always have, as its 2019 World Cup semifinal loss to the United States showed. But the Euros triumph last year kicked aside that roadblock, and it’s been left behind ever since.

“I think it’s incredible, this team’s mentality,” said centerback Jess Carter, who delivered three blocks, two clearances, two interceptions and six recoveries. “Every single player on this team [and] staff member is here and wants to win. And I think that everyone’s willing to adjust and adapt to whatever is thrown at them in order to get those results.”

» READ MORE: England shows its championship mettle with a comeback win over Colombia

They fed off the crowd, too.

“We love it,” said veteran forward Rachel Daly, formerly of the NWSL’s Houston Dash and now of Aston Villa. “As much as it’s against us, it’s a true testament to the growth of women’s football. You don’t see these kind of fans every week, and they were absolutely brilliant, great support for the Australians. … When they boo us, it’s great — that’s what football is all about.”

England advanced to face Spain on Sunday (6 a.m. ET, Fox29, Telemundo 62, Peacock) in what will be the first all-European women’s World Cup final since 2003, when Germany topped Sweden in the United States. Australia will play Sweden in the third-place game Saturday in Brisbane (4 a.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62, Peacock).

The title game also will be a rematch of a semifinal at last year’s Euros that England won 2-1 with a ferocious late comeback. And for England’s Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze, it will be a meeting with many of their Barcelona teammates who’ve won two UEFA Champions League titles in the last three years.

“Even before the tournament started, we had a joke saying, ‘Oh, we’ll see you in the final,’” Bronze said. “And obviously, it’s coming true.”

So will one team’s worth of lifelong dreams.

Your subscription powers our newsroom and journalism like this. Support our work by visiting inquirer.com/tannenwald and receive unlimited access to Inquirer.com, The Inquirer App, and e-Edition at a special price: $1 for three months.