2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Alessia Russo fires England into semi-finals with 2-1 win over Colombia

In an exhilarating quarter-final showdown of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a second-half objective from Alessia Russo sealed a 2-1 victory for England in opposition to Colombia, propelling them to the semi-finals for the third consecutive time.

Lauren Hemp additionally contributed to England’s victory, putting the European champions according to hosts Australia for the semi-final bout on August 16 (Wednesday) in Sydney.

Colombia, ranked lowest among the many remaining groups at 25, shocked everybody with a gap objective from Leicy Santos. The objective was celebrated by a large crowd of Colombian followers adorned within the nationwide colors of yellow and blue among the many 75,784 spectators at Stadium Australia.

Despite the absence of their lead scorer, Lauren James, as a consequence of a two-game suspension, the fourth-ranked Lionesses held their floor. They are one of many solely groups left standing among the many top-10 ranked groups, together with Sweden, Spain, and Australia in what has been a match plentiful with intriguing twists and turns.

Russo scored the successful objective on the 63rd minute, capitalising on a by means of ball from teammate Georgia Stanway, bouncing off a Colombian defender. Russo then swiftly delivered the ball, hanging low and arduous into the underside nook of the goalpost.

After trailing for the primary time within the match, English squad showcased their tenacity by sustaining their composure. Colombian goalie Catalina Perez mismanaged Russo’s shot and Lauren Hemp was current to faucet it from six yards simply earlier than the halftime whistle. Despite a spirited try for an equaliser by Lorena Bedoya Durango, their efforts had been in the end in useless.

Attention within the ultimate minutes of the sport shifted to eighteen-year-old Linda Caicedo, one of the thrilling gamers on the World Cup. However, she was unable to transform the final alternative right into a objective throughout additional time. The heroic efforts of the younger Colombian staff, nonetheless, should be applauded as they made their furthest-ever run within the World Cup.

Published On:

Aug 12, 2023