After dismantling last World Cup’s runner-ups, Norway, England will take on powerhouse USA, who are looking to reach the Finals once again. The Americans have won two of the last three FIFA Women’s World Cups, and seem to be talented and great enough to win it all again. However, England aren’t just going to lay down their weapons, as they also come into this game in fine form and with a loaded roster. Read on for a preview of England vs. USA semifinals matchup.
The Three Lionesses are marching into the semifinals for the second World Cup in a row. This time, however, they plan to reach the finals. Of course, they will have to pass the stern test of the Americans. England mopped the floor using Norway in the quarterfinals, beating the the Grasshoppers to the tune of a 3-0 score. Jill Scott opened up the scoring spree for England, netting a goal three minutes into the match. Ellen White then followed that up just before the halftime break with a goal of her own. White is definitely one of the hottest players in the tournament than White at this point. White is tied for the lead among all players in this World Cup with five goals. The Americans will have a target on her back, so England should have a plan ready to spread out their attack and make more variance on their offense to avoid becoming too predictable. Lucy Bronz nailed the third and final goal of England against Norway, and hopefully, for the Three Lionesses, that momentum will carry over into the semifinals. England’s defense, on the other hand, has been unforgiving. England have allowed just one goal so far in the tournament. Since their 2-1 win in the opener against Scotland, they have not conceded a goal in any of their next four games.
Betting on USA (-130)
The defending champions are still defending the title taking down host France in the quarterfinals, 2-1. It was a gutsy win for the Stars and Stripes, as they had to pull it off in front of a dominantly pro-France crowd. Megan Rapinoe got her team a huge boost it needed to maintain their composure in enemy territory for an entire contest by scoring the game’s first goal within the five-minute mark. Scoring first has always been a good sign for USA, as they have yet to drop a World Cup game when they find the back of the net first. Team USA is stacked from top to bottom, so looking for a source on offense shouldn’t be much of a problem, especially once they Rapinoe and company get their rhythm. However, USA may have to be a little bit more conservative against England’s sturdy defense. Against France, USA got outshot, 20-10, and only had possession of the ball 40 percent of the game. Rapinoe now has three goals in the tournament, tied with Carli Lloyd. Alex Morgan, meanwhile, has five goals. USA lost to Frnace in a friendly match back in January, 3-1, but the Americans were missing seven of their regular players then. Plus, USA is humming right now, looking capable of tearing apart any team that stands their way.
