Alessia Russo fired England through to a Women's World Cup semi-final after a 2-1 comeback win over Colombia at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday.
Leicy Santos gave Colombia the lead with a looping first-half effort but England hit straight back when Lauren Hemp jumped on a mistake from keeper Catalina Perez. Russo then collected Georgia Stanway's pass to rifle home the winner on 63 minutes.
Colombia pushed hard for an equaliser but the European champions stood firm, with Mary Earps excellent in goal for the Lionesses. Sarina Wiegman's side will now face co-hosts Australia on Wednesday (2pm UAE time) for a place in the final.
Wiegman said: "It was a very tough challenge but we didn't expect anything else. We showed resilience, in the first half we played very good. In moments we were sloppy on the ball and they were really dangerous on the counter.
"We conceded but we came back. I actually thought their keeper had the ball for our goal. Second half we pushed, we found a way to keep that score and win the final duels. I just hoped we would have finished the game off sooner because we could have.
"We know they are dangerous but again I am so proud of the team, we find a way to score to win the duels. If we had kept the ball a bit better, we could have won it a little earlier."
Hemp, who put in an incredible shift up front for England, said the result spoke volumes about the team's character and insisted they were ready to take on the Matildas.
"We are all feeling really confident, Australia, bring it on. I'm absolutely over the moon, I can't wait," said Hemp.
"The atmosphere here was incredible, it's going to be incredible again. That's when you thrive, I feel like we will thrive once again."
Colombia, who had eliminated world number two side Germany with a 2-1 victory in the group stage, looked to complete another giant-killing here.
Linda Caicedo, the 18-year-old Real Madrid forward, was a constant menace and she was just off target with an early effort.
The Lionesses continued to find themselves tested by the pacy Colombians and they broke the deadlock when Santos looped an effort from the right corner of the penalty area. Earps leapt at full strength, but the ball sailed over her head.
England ensured the celebration was cut short after the Colombian keeper fumbled what looked to be a simple stop and Hemp lunged forward, punishing Perez.
It was Stanway who provided the pass that would see England take the lead for the first time in the contest, threading the ball into the area for Russo, who made it 2-1 as she outsmarted her marker and finished into the bottom left corner.
England’s lead never seemed safe as Colombia fought through eight minutes of stoppage time, including efforts from substitute Ivonne Chacon, Manuela Vanegas and Caicedo, who fired wide of the England goal with her side’s last chance of the game.
The Lionesses, who have never made it to a World Cup final, are now just one more win away from reaching the showpiece.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
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Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
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BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
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