The players of England They are not afraid to confront Australia, co-host of the World Cup, in their semi-final on Wednesday, saying they welcome the hostile environment that will greet them at Stadium Australia. The ‘lionesses’ weathered the bad weather as they beat Colombia in the quarter-finals at the same venue on Saturday, with most of the 75,784 crowd rooting for the South Americans and booing every touch of the ball from England.
Despite this, goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo helped the European champions come back to win 2-1 and secure a place in the quarter-finals against Australia, which came via a penalty shootout win against France.
England forward Beth England, who came on as a substitute, said the team showed they could thrive in an intimidating environment. “Every time we touch the ball, we were booed. But I think you enjoy it because this is really the atmosphere you want in stadiums,” says the 29-year-old international. “We’ve been in this situation before, it’s nothing we’re not used to. We’re seeing it more and more in women’s football.”
Australia broke national records for attendance at women’s soccer matches throughout the tournament, helping the team reach the semi-finals for the first time.
However, Hemp, who now has two goals in the tournament, was full of confidence and eager to return to the field shortly after the final whistle on Saturday night. “The atmosphere was unbelievable… Let Australia come. I’m absolutely excited. I’m over the moon and I can’t wait,” the 23-year-old forward told ITV. “I didn’t even hear the person next to me,” he added about the noise of the fans.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
