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Lionesses and Matildas face off in historic semifinal

Lionesses and Matildas face off in historic semifinal

Lionesses and Matildas face off in historic semifinal

Lionesses and Matildas face off in historic semifinal

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  • England and Australia will face off in the semi-final.
  • Both teams are looking to make history by reaching the final.
  • The match is expected to be close and competitive.
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When they face off on Wednesday in Sydney, England and Australia will both be looking to make history by being the first teams to ever reach the Women’s World Cup final.

Australia manager Tony Gustavsson believes the co-hosts “are on a mission – they are not done yet” after his team advanced to the round of four with a thrilling penalty shootout triumph over France.

Prior to this competition, the Matildas have never moved past the quarterfinals, while England, the defending European champions, will take part in their third straight World Cup semifinal.

“You can never take anything for granted,” said Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman, whose side came from behind to defeat Colombia 2-1 in their quarter-final.

“It’s very special to go so far in the tournament but when you’re there you really want to win and get to the final.”

Spain will be the opponent in the final on Sunday at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.

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After the USA’s success on home soil in 1999, Australia would be the first host nation to reach the World Cup final. England is attempting to join Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands as the sixth countries to do so.

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Who is the favorite to win?

England, which is currently rated fourth in the world, will face a team that is currently ranked tenth and playing in unexplored territory.

The Australian team will be supported by a passionate crowd at the 81,000-seat Stadium Australia, but the Lionesses have not played at their most proficient level thus far in the tournament.

“If you look at rankings they’re favorites, if you look at where their players play, they have starting players in top clubs in top leagues all over the world,” said Gustavsson.

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“We have bench players in those teams. We have players playing in mid-table teams in Sweden.

“So if you look at all that and you look at resources, financially, obviously they are massive favorites going into this game.”

However, Wiegman was quick to dismiss any suggestion of favoritism, saying: “I don’t think they are the underdog, they’re playing at home. The stadium will be really full.

“It’s two teams that are very strong and that have grown into the tournament. I think it’s going to be very tight and very, very competitive.”

Gustavsson acknowledged that the Sydney audience may significantly affect the outcome.

“The one thing that we have that they don’t have is the support and belief from the fans,” he added. “That in itself is going to be massive.”

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Lauren James, the Lionesses’ leading scorer in the competition, will still be out due to suspension, and Sam Kerr, the captain of Australia and the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, is yet to make a World Cup start due to injury.

The teams will face off for the first time at a Women’s World Cup. Australia prevailed in their most recent meeting, a friendly in April that halted England’s 30-match winning streak and handed the Lionesses their lone loss under Wiegman.

In a friendly encounter in 2018, the teams tied 1-1, whereas England defeated Australia twice in exhibition games in 2015—3-0 in March and 1-0 in October.

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‘Matildas Mania’ in Australia

Undoubtedly, the World Cup has captured the Australian public’s attention in a significant manner. In Sydney, getting tickets for the semifinal is extremely difficult, and the desire to watch the game collectively has led to the emergence of numerous screening locations across the city and the entire country.

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The Sydney Football Stadium, which has hosted six World Cup matches, is allowing fans to gather and watch the match on large screens. Additionally, venues like Western Sydney Stadium in Parramatta, along with various sports grounds, plazas, pubs, and hotels, are also offering screenings of the match.

During the quarter-final match against France, an estimated 11,000 fans enjoyed the game at the Fifa fan festival in Sydney, and thousands more gathered at various fan parks throughout Australia.

 

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