England’s players have this week been trying to come to terms with the huge amount of interest their World Cup adventure has created while preparing for even more if they make it into the final by beating the reigning champions Japan in tonight’s semi-final in Edmonton.
Mark Sampson’s players have already made history by progressing to the last four for the first time, their achievement sparking such a huge groundswell of support back home that the players have been taken aback as well as greatly encouraged ahead of their game at the Commonwealth Stadium.
The Notts County central defender Laura Bassett said: “We’ve had so many messages of support, it really seems to be kicking off back home. It’s been lovely to hear, but it’s new territory for us.
“We’re used to seeing Premier League players in the newspapers, so when we were given a collage of front and back-page stories about us it was a bit of a shock. We were: ‘look at our faces, look at our hair, we look a right state!’
“It’s been an experience that’s taken us out of our bubble for a little while,” she added. “We’ve been together for five or six weeks now, working and living with the same people day in, day out – it’s like being in the Big Brother house.
“It’s a great feeling to know that everyone at home is behind us, and we want to keep that support going by carrying on our journey over here. The last two games [wins against Norway and Canada] have been massive in the history of English women’s football, now we want to create more history.”
To become the first England women’s team to reach a World Cup final – and only the second of either gender following Sir Alf Ramsey’s men of 1966 – England must overcome a Japan side who are alone in having won all their games in the current tournament and are acknowledged as the most technically gifted side in the women’s game.
En route to winning the 2011 World Cup in Germany, the Japanese lost only one group game. That was against England, whose team are now taking confidence from that performance and result as they look ahead to facing the same opponents tonight.
Former Birmingham City, Arsenal and Chelsea defender Bassett, 31, said: “I played in that 2011 game and so did a number of the other girls in the squad here. We still remember the game, the feeling after it of beating a brilliant Japanese team, and then we played them again in a friendly that we drew 1-1 but were unlucky not to win.
“So we’ve got positive experiences against them, but of course this is on a much bigger stage and we’ll have to raise our performance levels. We’ve shown in the last two games, though, that we can come up with the goods when we need to.
“That will be the aim again against Japan. They’re the world champions for a reason, they’re a great side, but we want to be in that final on Sunday and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to get there.”
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How Lionesses roared - road to the semi
France 1-0 England, 9 June
Group game: Eugénie le Sommer scored from 20 yards out as England fell to defeat in their opening game in Moncton.
England 2-1 Mexico, 13 June
Group game: Fran Kirby (below) and Karen Carney struck to set England on their way. Fabiola Ibarra found the net for Mexico in the 90th minute but England held on, rising to second in Group F, level on points with France.
England 2-1 Colombia, 17 June
Group game: goals from Carney and Fara Williams enabled England to finish second in Group F.
Norway 1-2 England, 23 June
Last 16: Norway led through Solveig Gulbrandsen’s header, but Steph Houghton levelled and Lucy Bronze’s stunning strike sealed victory.
England 2-1 Canada, 28 June Quarter-final: a dream start in Vancouver saw England score twice in three minutes through Jodie Taylor and Bronze. Christine Sinclair pulled one back in vain as England reached the World Cup semi-finals for first time.
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