England 1-1 France | Women’s World Cup quarter-final report

• England 1-1 France after extra-time • France win 4-3 on penalties England. World Cup. Penalties. Cruelty. Hope Powell’s side joined the long list to have suffered in Leverkusen, after Faye White missed the final spot-kick of a topsy-turvy shoot-out and France, not England, took their place in the final four. Yet again, the exit comes at the quarter-finals after being denied by an equaliser two minutes from the end of 90, hobbling, hopping and limping their way through extra-time with extraordinarily gutsy determination, taking the lead on spot-kicks before being denied at the last. With England essentially reduced to 10 players during extra-time, their substitutions used up and the injured Kelly Smith barely able to walk, the added 30 minutes was reduced to a training game. France attacked, England defended, desperately, but somehow survived to take the game into a penalty shoot-out. Then the story becomes all-too familiar. Karen Bardsley, herself struggling with a shoulder injury, saved Camile Abily’s opening penalty for France but could not get close to another. Claire Rafferty, a late substitute making her World Cup debut, skewed wide England’s fourth. Faye White, the captain in what will surely be her final World Cup game, hammered the last on to the bar before crumpling to the turf. Powell opted for Faye White’s experience over Sophie Bradley’s pace in the centre of defence, Fara Williams’s passing over Anita Asante’s defensive strength in midfield and Rachel Yankey’s nous over Jess Clarke’s youthful exuberance out wide. France reverted to the side that hammered Canada 4-0, making five changes to the team beaten 4-2 by Germany in their final group game. England’s tournament had been something of a slow burner. A deflating opening draw against Mexico in the withering heat of Wolfsburg was followed up with a lacklustre first half against New Zealand. A goal down at half-time, Faye White admitted the side had “45 minutes to save their World Cup”, and a second-half fightback put their group destiny back in their own hands. A tactically pitch-perfect 2-0 win against Japan followed and the sense was that momentum was gathering. That impression was reinforced after only 16 seconds, when Karen Carney’s curling through-ball put Smith beyond the France backline. The England midfielder skipped past the goalkeeper, Céline Deville, but was forced wide in doing so, and her attempt at goal was blocked by the retreating defender Laura Georges. France, joint leading scorers in the group stages alongside two of the big three – Germany and Brazil – with seven goals in three matches, signalled their threat early on too, Abily sending a dipping shot from distance narrowly over the bar, and 12 minutes in, it took a fine Jill Scott challenge on the edge of the England area to deny Gaëtane Thiney. Bussaglia was assigned a marking brief on Kelly Smith in an attempt to throttle England’s creativity at source, but at times in the opening quarter, Powell’s side were their own worst enemy. Possession was too often conceded in dangerous areas, attacks too often breaking down without France having to earn the ball. Bardsley was forced to pull off an excellent save midway through the half, when the impressive Thiney thumped an effort at goal from long range, and Faye White did well to deflect Marie-Laurie Delie’s effort wide just before the half-hour. From the resultant corner, Louisa Nécib, France’s star of the tournament thus far, picked up the loose ball and sent a shot whistling a whisker wide of the top corner. By the interval, France had had nine shots at goal to England’s solitary early effort, and the break did not derail Les Bleues ‘ momentum. Within three minutes of the restart, it took a fine challenge from Alex Scott to deny Delie, and the France striker seconds later skewed wide the best chance of the game. England finally mustered their second effort at goal 10 minutes into the second half and it came after Powell’s side had put together comfortably their most cohesive move of the game. Williams swept the ball wide to Yankey, her pass to Unitt was swirled into the box by the left-back and Jill Scott steered her header narrowly wide. tThree minutes later, England had a lead they barely deserved. Smith, after a hint of handball, shrugged off Georges and slipped in Jill Scott, who lofted her shot over the stranded Deville. France bristled and were almost back on level terms seven minutes later. Nécib’s effort at goal from 35 yards looked optimistic and it should have been handled with little fuss. Bardsley, though, almost allowed the free-kick to squeeze between her legs. France poured forward in search of an equaliser and the substitute Thomis forced Bardsley into another fine save. Unitt’s clearance ended a nerve-shredding scramble. Powell’s substitutions throughout the tournament have been astute and impacting but she took a gamble 10 minutes from time, bringing Steph Houghton and Rafferty from the bench for their World Cup debuts in place of both full-backs. The pressure was unrelenting, though. Bardsley somehow deflected away Thomis’s close-range effort after 85 minutes, Laure LePailleur’s goalbound header was spectacularly cleared off the line by Ellen White after 86, but after 87, France finally found a way through, Bussaglia curling home from the edge of the area. Women’s World Cup 2011 England women’s football team Women’s football John Ashdown guardian.co.uk

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