VANCOUVER: England scored twice in three first-half minutes then held on to beat hosts Canada 2-1 on Saturday and book a spot in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals against defending champions Japan, 1-0 winners over Australia.

The hosts had been hoping to secure the semi-final spot against the defending champions on Canada Day, July 1, in Edmonton but instead it was England who moved into the last four of a World Cup for the first time.

Early goals from Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze dampened the cheers of the capacity 54,027 crowd in BC Place Stadium and kept England on track after losing their opening game of the tournament against France.

England follow on from their first win in a World Cup knockout game against Norway in the last 16.

“They’re history makers again, only the third ever English team to get to a semi-final, we join that ‘66 and ‘90 club,” said coach Mark Sampson referring to the England men’s team.

Christine Sinclair scored in the 42nd minute for Canada, which had given up just one goal in the entire World Cup before giving up two more just three minutes apart.

After Taylor scored the opener on a horrible turnover by Lauren Sesselmann in the 11th minute, Bronze added an impressive long header to build a lead that England never relinquished.

“We hadn’t written the script to be 2-0 down that early,” said Canada coach John Herdman. “I’m proud of my girls, they give you everything, it just wasn’t good enough tonight and the dream is over.”

Earlier Japan outplayed a gritty Australia but needed an 87th minute goal from substitute Mana Iwabuchi to advance in their quarter-final game in Edmonton.

There had been little to choose between the two teams in the heat at the Commonwealth Stadium, although Japan carved out the better chances.

The Matildas closed down Japan’s midfield superbly and the game looked headed for extra-time when the decisive moment came, with a little less than four minutes left.

From a corner, Aussie keeper Lydia Williams saved at the feet of Azusa Iwashimizu, but the defender recovered and slipped the ball to 22-year-old Iwabuchi, who fired into an unguarded goal from point-blank range.

Japan coach Norio Sasaki said he had not been worried about losing, even though his team left it late.

“I felt that even if we didn’t score in 90 minutes, we would get one in extra-time and that is what we talked about at half-time. The game-plan was executed well,” said Sasaki.

For Australia, the World Cup campaign ended in agony as their players collapsed to the ground at the final whistle, exhausted and clearly distraught at the outcome.

“Obviously disappointed at the result, but when you look at the big scheme of things, we lost 1-0,” coach Alen Stajcic said. “It was 1-0 in the 88th minute off a scrappy corner. It’s not as if we were humiliated.”

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2015

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