An entertaining goalless draw between Watford and Plymouth at Vicarage Road ultimately left both sides frustrated at a spurned opportunity to head the early Sky Bet Championship table.
While the visitors could at least take an unbeaten start to their first second-tier campaign in 14 seasons back with them to Devon, there was scant consolation for Watford who managed to hit the target with just three of their 20 goal attempts.
There was little wrong with the attacking ambition of Valerien Ismael’s side, yet for all their dominance, they were thwarted by both their own profligacy and defiant Plymouth defending.
Having taken the lead in their opening fixture against QPR after just 33 seconds, Watford went in search of an early goal again. With just over seven minutes gone, Matheus Martins clipped over a cross which fell invitingly for Vakoun Bayo to strike on the swivel. His volley missed the post by inches.
Imran Louza went even closer in the 12th minute with a curling left-footed shot, which struck the outside of the Argyle post.
In reply, Morgan Whittaker had a shot deflected wide. A sloppy clearance by Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann then almost let in the visitors before Ryan Porteous timed his tackle brilliantly on Ryan Hardie.
Bachmann’s carelessness did not stop there as he dallied on the ball and was almost embarrassed by a Hardie block, falling on the ball just in time.
For all Watford’s dominance of possession, the visitors always looked menacing on the break with Hardie finding space and testing Bachmann low down as half-time approached.
Plymouth were entertaining travellers during last season’s League One title-winning campaign, a testimony to manager Steven Schumacher’s attacking principles which brought Argyle 11 wins away from Home Park.
That openness went largely unpunished in League One, but they were frequently caught out at Vicarage Road. Both Ryan Andrews and Ken Sema ought to have put Watford ahead with shots just before half-time.
An intricate Plymouth interchange after 53 minutes ended with Hardie slipping in Adam Randell, whose shot was blocked superbly by the onrushing Bachmann.
Watford manager Valerien Ismael’s immediate response was to make a quadruple substitution three minutes later.
The home side’s pressure intensified with Andrews forcing Conor Hazard into a save low down by his post.
As hard as they pressed for the opening goal, it took until the 83rd minute for Watford to fashion a clear chance, but when it fell to Bayo running straight at Plymouth keeper Hazard, the striker wastefully struck his low shot wide.
Odsonne Edouard’s second-half goal earned Crystal Palace a 1-0 win against Sheffield United to worsen the gloom at Bramall Lane.
Edouard struck from close range four minutes after the restart to give the Eagles a deserved three points in the Premier League opener.
It was thoroughly convincing for Roy Hodgson’s men as they had two further goals disallowed, while Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham made a number of saves to keep his side in it.
Indeed, Hodgson’s biggest problem was a tweet from wantaway goalkeeper Vicente Guaita before the game, seemingly questioning why he was not in the team.
United’s return to the top flight after two seasons away ended with a whimpering defeat to compound a negative few weeks which saw the sale of Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge.
Boss Paul Heckingbottom admitted before the match that United are “nowhere near” where they need to be and that showed as they lacked any real goal threat throughout the match.
The signing of Gustavo Hamer from Coventry overnight had boosted spirits and he was paraded on the pitch before kick-off.
The atmosphere helped the Blades make a strong start, with Will Osula going close inside the opening 10 minutes with an effort that was deflected just wide.
But Palace began to take control of the game, with Eberechi Eze running things with his impressive ball-carrying skills.
And he twice saw goalbound efforts blocked, first from Jack Robinson and then from John Egan.
The visitors thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Jordan Ayew headed home after Joachim Andersen’s shot had been fumbled by Foderingham, but it was ruled out for offside.
It was little surprise when they did go in front just after the restart.
Ayew found a good position on the right hand side and sent in a wicked low cross which was begging to be converted and Edouard duly obliged, stabbing in from close range.
It could have been two 10 minutes later as Edouard found space at the far post from Eze’s free-kick but his header was straight at Foderingham.
The former Celtic striker also had a goal ruled out for offside, while Ayew tested Foderingham’s handling with a fierce shot that was palmed away.
Palace kept knocking on the door for a second and Foderingham got down brilliantly to keep out Andersen’s header.
The Blades had nothing in the way of a response, other than plenty of effort, as Palace saw it out with ease.
Leicester continued their winning start to the season with a 1-0 victory away at Huddersfield.
Enzo Maresca’s side made it three wins from three in all competitions thanks to Stephy Mavididi’s first Foxes goal.
The summer recruit from Montpellier has already begun to repay the reported £6.4million outlay as he grabbed what proved to be the winner midway through the second half.
After performing the great escape last season, Neil Warnock’s outfit continued their slow start to the new campaign as they slipped to a third successive defeat.
In their first meeting since a 4-1 Leicester win in the Premier League back in April 2019, it was Huddersfield who started the brighter in this affair.
Youngster Brahima Diarra had two early opportunities to open the scoring, with his prodded strike narrowly wide of the target the closest.
Despite the Terriers’ early dominance, it was the visitors who nearly snatched the advantage in somewhat freakish circumstances.
Defensive miscommunication enabled Kelechi Iheanacho space in the box with his effort deflecting off Matty Pearson and looping onto the roof of the net.
Maresca’s visitors quickly assumed control of the match and again spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead inside the half-hour mark.
A delightful Ricardo Pereira pass split the Town defence to send Dennis Praet through on goal, but the Belgium international was thwarted by Lee Nicholls.
The momentum pendulum again turned in Huddersfield’s favour with Michal Helik – a scorer in the opening weekend defeat at Plymouth – having the chance of the half.
A quick free-kick resulted in a pinpoint Sorba Thomas delivery finding the onrushing defender, but Helik wildly blazed over from point-blank range before the interval.
The Terriers began the second period in similar fashion to the first with Danny Ward heading narrowly over before Diarra stung the palms of keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then looked to add to his double versus Coventry last weekend, but his effort curled wide as Leicester regained control.
However, the Leicester youngster’s blushes did not last long with teammate Mavididi breaking the deadlock with 17 minutes left.
The lively winger shifted the ball to an acute angle and unleashed a venomous strike which wriggled through the legs of Town keeper Nicholls.
The hosts launched a spirited fightback and should have levelled when an unmarked Pearson met a Thomas set-piece, but the defender headed straight at Stolarczyk.
Substitute Marc Albrighton should have doubled the Foxes’ lead in stoppage time, but his low strike was pawed clear by Nicholls.
The visitors ultimately held onto their slender advantage to continue their impressive start to life under new boss Maresca, with recent history suggesting this could be a successful season in their bid for an immediate return to the Premier League. In each of the last three seasons, Huddersfield’s first home league opponent has gone on to lift the Championship title.
Hollie Doyle, Saffie Osborne and Hayley Turner produced a superb team effort to lift the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup for the Ladies at Ascot – where Doyle was crowned leading rider following two victories.
Japanese ace Kazuo Yokoyama had made it the perfect start for the Rest Of The World with a win in the opening Shergar Cup Dash aboard Rogue Lightning, but while the outfit that also comprised Matthew Chadwick and Joao Moreira stayed competitive all afternoon and led going into the last race, it was the Ladies who ultimately won the day.
The all-important victory came through Osborne and Ed Walker’s 7-2 favourite Dark Trooper in the concluding Shergar Cup Sprint, where Doyle was fourth with Washington Heights. That left the Ladies on 78 points in the final standings, from the Rest of the World on 73.
Doyle sat atop the jockeys’ standings on 48 points, with Osborne – who also won two races – tied with Chadwick on 30 points.
She is not only a bright prospect in her field, but Barbadian gymnast Olivia “Storm” Kelly, is also honing her skills as a budding philanthropist, as she reignited efforts to assist, and, by extension, ease the financial burdens of students and teachers in need, for the new school year.
Through a Back-to-School drive, Kelly uses her Social Media platforms to seek donations of stationery items and other office supplies for teachers in particular, who often have to dig deep into their pockets to acquire said items.
The American-born Kelly, who earns her Barbadian stripes through her father, Tori, pointed out that her zeal for helping others is spurred by her own appreciation for life’s experiences.
“Honestly, I’m not even sure when I first started volunteering. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been helping collect or giving toys, school supplies, clothes and more to people in need. I like how volunteering brings people together and keeps us humble and that is basically my motivation, just being grateful for where I am at,” Kelly told Sportsmax.tv.
“Whenever I am collecting supplies, toys, food, clothes, or whatever I’m doing, my gym, my mom’s work, and my friends and family are always so supportive. They always donate and ask if I need anything. People always have no problem donating things, especially if they don’t have time to volunteer.
“It’s a good way for everyone to give back. Everyone doesn’t have the same resources, but most people are willing to give back in one way or another. I’m always looking to do a little more and trying to reach more people,” she added.
While the initiative is focused mostly on the United States, the 17-year-old has in the past extended a helping hand to Barbados and revealed that she is hoping to do more at some point.
“I’m always trying to bring my help into Barbados. It’s not cheap to get supplies over there. I have donated leotards to Flip Gym, went in and offered lessons to the gymnasts there and most recently posted and donated to a charity organization called Build up Bim,” she shared.
“I would definitely like to keep doing this, maybe even finding more time to actually go out and volunteer. I can’t talk about it yet, but I do have something in the works with a teammate of mine to help athletes who lack resources,” Kelly revealed.
The soft-spoken gymnast, who has her eyes set on becoming the first gymnast to represent the Eastern Caribbean Island at the Olympic Games, and, if successful, it would propel her career to higher heights.
Achieving such a dream is by no means impossible and Kelly, also known as "Storm," in gymnastics circles, is well positioned herself to make it happen when she takes the World Gymnastics Championships stage in Antwerp, Belgium, next month.
The event serves an Olympic qualifier and, as such, Kelly, despite her voluntary efforts outside of the gym, is focused on ensuring her performance quality and the details of her routine are on point, while staying physically and mentally healthy.
“Fortunately, volunteering never takes away any time or affect my training in any way. I’m able to work around my training and my family is a huge help in making it happen,” she declared.
“I had to take a few weeks off after PanAm for my back. I have Scoliosis and every so often I get to a point where my back needs some rest. I’m in the gym now adding things slowly and listening to my body and I am fortunate to have great doctors and coaches to help me through.
“Being back in the gym is going really well. I definitely feel like I’m in a better mental and physical space this year, and I feel much more confident going into this Worlds. I have much more experience this year as well, which definitely helps, so I’m very excited to compete in Belgium this year and give the 2024 Olympics a shot,” Kelly ended.
Dion Charles scored twice as Bolton Wanderers continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-0 win at Cheltenham Town.
All of the goals came during a one-sided first half at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium.
Charles’ opener arrived in the 15th minute after a clever ball from Victor Adeboyejo set him up to slot confidently past Luke Southwood.
Southwood dived to catch Randell Williams’ header two minutes later and Kyle Dempsey curled one just wide as Wanderers continued to dominate.
It was 2-0 after half an hour when a free-kick from Aaron Morley was whipped towards the near post and Liam Smith deflected it into his own net.
Charles added his second and Wanderers’ third with a fine curling finish in the 33rd minute, giving Southwood no chance.
Morley forced Southwood into another save 10 minutes into the second half before Cheltenham’s penalty appeals were waved away two minutes later when Rob Street went down in the box.
Lewis Freestone’s header from Liam Sercombe’s corner was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Nathan Baxter in the 79th minute and Street forced another save in the final seconds, but Wanderers comfortably made it three wins from three in all competitions.
Dominic Solanke’s late equaliser denied West Ham an opening-day win as Bournemouth hit back for a 1-1 draw.
Jarrod Bowen had fired the Hammers into the lead early in the second half with a spectacular curler from the edge of the box.
But Bournemouth, playing under new boss Andoni Iraola for the first time, were good value for the point they earned when Solanke rounded Alphonse Areola with eight minutes remaining.
It has been a troubled summer for West Ham following their Europa Conference League success last season with the departure of Declan Rice, Manchester City’s attempt to lure Lucas Paqueta away and a lack of new signings coming through the doors at the London Stadium.
They arrived on the south coast with essentially last season’s team, minus Rice, and not much in the way of optimism.
Yet they almost went ahead early on when Said Benrahma fed Tomas Soucek, whose effort bounced back off the inside of the far post and into the grateful arms of Bournemouth keeper Neto.
The Cherries were relieved again when Michail Antonio’s flick from a corner was cleared from underneath the crossbar by Philip Billing.
But Bournemouth had their chances too as the first half wore on, with Solanke slipping in David Brooks who fired just wide.
Solanke then chased a long ball over the top only to be denied by the long leg of Hammers defender Kurt Zouma, before Areola beat away another Brooks drive.
The second half almost began with a bang for Bournemouth with Brooks letting fly on the volley from 20 yards, forcing Areola into an acrobatic save.
But it was the Hammers who broke the deadlock moments later after Pablo Fornals, trying to fill a Rice-shaped hole in the West Ham midfield, won possession 30 yards out.
Bowen’s last kick of the previous campaign was the late goal which secured the Europa Conference League trophy against Fiorentina 66 days ago.
This time he collected the ball off Soucek 20 yards out, cut onto his left foot and buried a superb, curling effort beyond the dive of Neto.
Bournemouth, playing their new brand of easy-on-the-eye, expansive football, tried to hit back and Areola saved from Solanke before Joe Rothwell’s shot clipped the crossbar.
Their dominance told in the 82nd minute when Antoine Semenyo’s wayward shot fell at the feet of Solanke, who showed tremendous composure to slip round Areola and tap into an empty net.
Franny Amartey’s early goal proved enough to give Ayr a 1-0 win over Inverness in their cinch Championship match at Somerset Park, where frustrated Caley head coach Billy Dodds was sent from the dugout.
The Honest Men, who lost 3-1 at Morton last weekend, went ahead in the eighth minute through Amartey after good build-up play involving Sam Ashford.
Ayr captain Sean McGinty then fired a long-range effort over before Caley threatened when Charlie Gilmour’s shot was saved by Charlie Albinson.
Inverness defender Daniel Devine saw his header from Cameron Harper’s free-kick pushed over the crossbar.
Luis Longstaff shot wide from 20-yards just before the break – with Caley head coach Dodds sent from the dugout by the referee as frustrations boiled over.
The visitors – who lost their league opener at home to Queen’s Park following three defeats in the Viaplay Cup – almost equalised just after the hour when Nathan Shaw’s header from Jake Davidson’s cross struck the far post.
Ayr substitute Aiden McGeady had a late effort bounce just wide and Olly Pendlebury’s long-range effort was tipped over as the hosts closed out a first league win.
Mikel Arteta said the way Eddie Nketiah trained made him impossible to leave out against Nottingham Forest as the striker repaid the faith by opening the scoring on his recall.
The 24-year-old had not scored a competitive goal in over 10 hours before breaking the deadlock as the Gunners began their quest for the Premier League title with a narrow 2-1 win.
After a 30-minute delay to kick-off following an issue at the turnstiles, Nketiah struck just after the midway point of the first-half, his deflected strike coming on the back of a fine piece of skill from Gabriel Martinelli.
Bukayo Saka’s fine curling effort proved enough to secure the points, even though Forest rallied and pulled a late goal back through substitute Taiwo Awoniyi.
“I’m delighted for him because he is a role model,” Arteta said of Nketiah, who was back in the starting XI having missed out on a berth against Manchester City in the Community Shield win last week.
“He was a player who was so disappointed not to play the final in the absence of Gabi (Jesus).
“What he did was he came on the field in the final and changed the game. That’s number one. The second one was the way he was training this week was saying ‘gaffer, if you’re not playing me you are blind’.
“A lot of players come and say ‘oh why am I not playing’ and you have to try to explain, other players come and say ‘these are the reasons why I deserve to play’. This is exactly what Eddie does.
“This is exactly what he did and then he got on the pitch and he performs that way. He’s a clear and very good example to everybody.”
Defeat at Forest in May saw Arsenal’s title charge come to an end last season and, despite starting the new campaign with a win, Arteta conceded he was concerned by the fall in performance levels.
“For sure,” he replied when asked if he was worried by the drop-off.
“It’s going to be very difficult to dominate games for 100 minutes. But we allowed them to get some grip of the game because they didn’t create anything but on that action the game changes.
“Momentum shifts immediately after that goal. That’s not the moment to change it, you cannot change it, now you have to be so good at dealing with that situation, running the clock down and earning the points.
“The team has done that really well but we’re going to have to be more ruthless and more critical of ourselves to be more pushy and kill the game.”
Forest boss Steve Cooper was left ruing the defending for Arsenal’s goals after setting up the visitors to create the sort of chances that led to their late consolation.
“I was disappointed with elements of our game in the first half,” he said.
“Structurally we were good but I didn’t like us on the goals – we should have defended those much better.
“I didn’t love that we didn’t back ourselves in the duels. I showed some clips to the lads at half time – we needed to believe, back ourselves and compete.
“The real chance in the first half was Brennan Johnson’s from open play. The plan was going to plan with our counter-attacks but we needed to compete more. So it is a game of ‘what might have been’.”
England hit back from a goal down to defeat Colombia and book an appetising World Cup semi-final showdown against co-hosts Australia next week.
The Matildas were earlier tested to their limit but they kept their bid for success on home soil alive following a nail-biting penalty shoot-out triumph over France.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look back on the day as the last four line-up was confirmed.
Lionesses roar
The absence of the suspended Lauren James might have come back to bite England, who fell behind after 44 minutes when Leicy Santos looped an effort over Mary Earps at a sold-out Stadium Australia in Sydney.
However, England capitalised on a major slice of fortune to equalise before half-time as Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez inexplicably failed to gather a loose ball and Lauren Hemp pounced to stab home six minutes into added-on time.
Georgia Stanway set up Alessia Russo’s low finish to hand the Lionesses the lead after 63 minutes and, while Colombia pushed forward against the European champions, an equaliser proved elusive.
Matildas squeak through
Both Australia and France had their opportunities over the regulation 90 minutes and additional half-hour but neither side was able to make the breakthrough in a goalless draw at Brisbane’s Lang Park.
The drama went up a few notches in an absorbing shootout, with Australia’s Mackenzie Arnold making four saves, including twice from Kenza Dali after being off her line before saving the retaken spot-kick.
Cortnee Vine then secured a 7-6 triumph – slotting home the winning penalty after France’s Vicki Becho saw her effort hit a post – as Australia moved into the World Cup semis for the first time.
Post of the dayQuote of the day
Hemp admitted on ITV that England’s exertions had taken its toll on the team.
What’s next?
Semi-final: Spain v Sweden, Auckland, Tuesday 10am
Semi-final: Australia v England, Sydney, Wednesday 11am
Fallen Angel appears destined for the highest level judged on an impressive victory in the Molson Coors Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket.
Karl Burke’s daughter of Too Darn Hot looked the part when making a successful racecourse debut at Haydock in May before being touched off by Shuwari in the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown.
Stepping up to Group Three company, Fallen Angel was the 9-4 favourite in the hands of Danny Tudhope and travelled strongly for much of the seven-furlong contest before being asked to go about her business.
Soprano, third in the Albany at Royal Ascot and the Star Stakes, did her best to make a race of it, but Burke’s filly was much too strong, quickening three lengths clear.
Paddy Power make Fallen Angel 25-1 for next year’s 1000 Guineas, while Coral were even more impressed and trimmed her odds to 14-1 from 33-1.
“It was very impressive,” Tudhope told Racing TV. “I probably learned a lot about her the last day at Sandown, I maybe didn’t make as much use of her, but the ground that day was very soft and you’re always a bit wary of how quick you’re going.
“This filly stays this trip well, she wants a mile now and she may even get 10 furlongs in time.
“The further she went today the better – she powered clear up the hill.
“She’s just a classy filly who goes on all types of ground and she’s got a great mind on her. She tries, she’s game, she’s just a very likeable filly.
“I’m sure she’ll have all the right entries. I don’t know where she’ll go next, but the future is very bright.”
Manager Mark Robins believes Coventry are a club with a new lease of life despite the loss of key players in the summer after they impressively picked up their first win of the season against Middlesbrough.
Last season was the Sky Blues’ most successful in a number of years, following Doug King’s takeover of the club.
It ultimately ended with the heartbreak of defeat on penalties against Luton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley, a long-awaited return to the Premier League so near and yet so far.
They have since seen Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer depart for Sporting Lisbon and Sheffield United respectively, but their display against the team they beat in the play-off semi-finals in May suggested a bright future.
Robins said: “It was an important game today for the players and for the supporters as well, not least because we’ve got a load of new players in.
“That feeling of winning at home is really important, the dressing rooms have changed – the owner has spent a load of money on the stadium, on the pitch, in the changing room area.
“It’s absolutely fantastic, it feels so much better, the training ground pitches have been done, so the whole club feels like there’s a breath of fresh air running through it and that’s brilliant.
“The two players that have left have obviously given us a headache but also an opportunity and that’s been backed by Doug as well.
“Thankfully we are in the throes of a recruitment drive and now we’ve lost Gus we’re looking at what we can do next to fill the void but also to give us the squad depth that we crave.”
Coventry were ahead after 11 minutes when Josh Eccles’ shot deflected into the path of Matty Godden, who instinctively finished into the bottom corner.
Middlesbrough were poor in the first half, but enjoyed a good spell after the break, with Isaiah Jones shooting into the side netting before Sammy Silvera somehow blazed Morgan Rogers’ cross over from close range.
It was one of Robins’ new recruits who doubled the Sky Blues’ lead in the 70th minute as USA international Haji Wright smashed in his first goal for the club following Kasey Palmer’s corner.
An excellent afternoon for the hosts was rounded off in stoppage time when Boro defender Darragh Lenihan deflected Godden’s cross into his own net.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, who looks set to lose 29-goal top scorer from last season Chuba Akpom in the near future, said: “It obviously wasn’t a 3-0 game.
“We’ve done a number of good things during the game, they’re obviously a good team, it was a tight game for spells, and they had a little bit extra in the end.
“Obviously, goals change games and we weren’t quite able to take the chances we created.
“We’ve got to be better but at the same point the first one was a deflection that fell to him (Godden), the third goal was a deflection and the corner’s the corner we need to defend better.
“There’s a balance between judging a game and knowing where we’re at and being disappointed and knowing where we need to improve, but at the same point the bigger picture is it’s a long
season.
“We’ve got long enough to put things right.”
Moss Tucker led his rivals a merry dance in the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh.
A Listed winner over the course and distance last season, Ken Condon’s charge was last seen finishing third in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes behind Tim Easterby’s flying grey Art Power.
He faced another strong British challenger in this six-furlong Group Three in the form of Commanche Falls, but was soon in front and could not be reeled in.
With Billy Lee in the saddle, Moss Tucker kicked clear inside the final furlong and had just over two lengths in hand over Go Athletico.
Commanche Falls was under pressure from an early stage and could only finish fourth.
“It’s great to have him, we need him. He has a great record at the Curragh and he was good today,” Condon said of the 8-1 winner.
“He just seemed to enjoy it, the ears were forward and Billy said he never felt like they were going to get him. He just lengthened and extended the whole way to the line.
“He didn’t have the likes of Art Power to contend with, I suppose. There was no obvious pacemaker and maybe it just suited him but you have to have the horse to respond to it and he did.
“The Prix de l’Abbaye has been sort of the plan all year. He ran well there last year and does handle those testing conditions. He might go straight there now, but if the ground is on the right side for him in the Flying Five he’ll go there.”
Sarina Wiegman admits she was unaware of just how big the rivalry is between England and Australia after Alessia Russo’s winner against Colombia sealed a 2-1 win and set up a World Cup semi-final with the co-hosts.
The Lionesses fell behind after 44 minutes of their last-eight contest in Sydney when Leicy Santos looped the ball over England keeper Mary Earps, but saw her effort cancelled out before the break when Lauren Hemp pounced on an error from Colombian keeper Catalina Perez in stoppage time.
Russo completed the comeback with a fine low finish from Georgia Stanway’s delivery, the 2-1 result enough to book England a third trip to a World Cup final four – an encounter that has already drawn comparisons to the Ashes.
Asked if she was aware of the perennial rivalry between the two countries, England’s Dutch boss replied: “I just think it is going to be really big, but I’ve had a couple of questions about that now so it’s probably going to be bigger than I imagined now.
“So I’ll talk to my players and staff and see what that rivalry is then. I think the Australians and English can get along really well, and we’ve had such a warm welcome here, we’ve really enjoyed our time here in Australia, and I actually really like the people here.
“But that doesn’t mean there’s no rivalry, so we’ll see that Wednesday.”
In April, Australia became the only side to have beaten England under Wiegman’s now nearly two-year tenure, when goals from Sam Kerr and Charlotte Grant fired the Matildas to a 2-0 victory at Brentford.
This has so far been a tournament of fine margins for the Lionesses, who outside of their 6-1 victory over China in the group stage have enjoyed dominant spells but never matches, and on Saturday night in Sydney were up against a Colombia side whose supporters turned the 75,000-plus seat Stadium Australia into an away contest for England.
Bethany England, who came on as a substitute for the third time this tournament, believes the raucous Colombia crowd is the perfect dress rehearsal for Wednesday’s semi-final against the co-hosts, who beat France 7-6 on penalties to advance to the final four for the first time.
Though that match took place in Brisbane, thousands of Matildas fans packed the parks outside Stadium Australia before England’s match, some even climbing trees to get a better view of their own quarter-final and the deciding shoot-out.
England said: “I think the atmosphere is going to be amazing. I thought the crowd tonight was incredible. Every time we touched the ball they were booing but I think you just relish it because these are the atmosphere you want from stadiums. 75,000 and the Australian fans are going to bring a nice big bit of noise through. It’s going to be interesting and entertaining for everyone.
“We’ve been in this situation where we’ve had a lot of noise. The Euros last year at Old Trafford, Wembley. It’s nothing these girls aren’t used to now. We are getting in more and more in the women’s game. Selling out, getting big crowds and not being able to think. So it’s just going to be an exciting game and a special one.”
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