The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Lionesses to face Matildas in semi-final clash – Women’s Football Weekly

Episode Date: August 12, 2023

Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Marva Kreel and Jo Khan take a breath after England’s tough quarter final fight against Colombia, and look ahead to a massive semi-final against Australia

This is The Guardian. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Hello, I'm Faye Carruthers and welcome to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Breathe slowly. We have our semi-finalists. England come from behind to knock out Colombia. It was scrappy, but it was a resilient, professional performance from the Lionesses.

And they'll face co-hosts Australia, who needed a sudden death penalty shootout to progress to the last four of the World Cup for the first time in their history, which means it's au revoir France. Spain needed extra time to beat the Netherlands. They'll face Sweden, who beat one of the most exciting teams in the tournament, 2011 World Champions Japan. So that means there'll be a new nation etched on the trophy.

Who will it be? We'll discuss all that. Take your questions. And that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Women's Football Weekly is supported by Google Pixel, the only phone engineered by Google and proud partner of the England teams. Search Google Store to find out more. Oh, panel, you must be exhausted. I feel exhausted.

Susie Rack, are you exhausted? I'm barely alive. Barely alive. But here. Barely alive means alive. And I need to tell you, by the way, I know you've seen it already on social media, but after the last pod where I

embarrassed myself by not understanding any of the Salvador Dali related puns which we now don't need because France are out I took myself off to the British Museum to try and get cultural I maybe jinxed Japan though because I loved their exhibition and that's where I spent most of my time and now they're out. Oh, so all your references are gone. Totally gone. How sad. You were going to have such a great final.

I know I was. To be fair, I didn't write any of them down. So I've forgotten them already. Utterly useless. Marva, please bring some culture to the pod. I'll do my best. I got back from holiday at 3am today. So I think even just being able to talk in sentences might be a stretch for me.

But I'll try with some highbrow cultural references throughout the pod. You're in good company. Don't worry about it. Oh, my goodness me. Jo Khan, after this pod, we're not speaking, by the way. I mean, what drama you've had to go through today. Yeah, that's probably fair enough. It has been a huge day in Australia. I can probably offer some cultural observations from here, but that's about it, I think. one I mean Susie Rack you were at Stadium Australia it very much felt as if it was you know a mostly Colombian based support in the stadium the Lionesses did it eventually coming

from behind showing their resilience what did you make of the game? I mean support was incredible but we sort of knew that was going to be the case because the Colombian fans have just been incredible throughout the entire tournament I mean i saw an interview somewhere where one was saying that they had taken out a 48 month loan to be able to fly out here and things like that so it was always going to be good um and it was absolutely electric like spine tingling when the anthem was sang and stuff um and like so so vocal throughout and like dancing dressed up like just fun and what was kind of cool was they were all intermingling before the game outside because there were like giant screens all around the stadium flowing out the bars and stuff and everyone was watching the australia

game so it was like proper like electric atmosphere which meant actually at kickoff the stadium looks less than half full because everyone was still trying to get in after the penalties um but yeah i mean the game it wasn't the prettiest still but it was a significant improvement on nigeria i thought um just everything clicked a little bit more i think they had a little bit more time on the ball um nigeria was so well organized in their press and just really sort of stuck to their game plan, man marking pretty much every player. That was really difficult. And Colombia didn't quite have that same presence and pressure on the ball and on the England players.

So they were able to like control possession a little bit more. You know, there were still holes in it. But I thought particularly Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo were absolutely fantastic. Like really energetic, like really sort of driving play from the front, which we've not really seen in quite the same way. I still think there's problems in midfield, but yeah, defensively and attack wise. I mean, just great that we got some goals from open play for a change. But yeah, just delighted that it was 90 minutes and I'm not still at the stadium. Well yeah I mean I have to say the way Jo's game went up in Brisbane I was thinking exactly the same thing to be fair but let's go through in chronological order because you know me I'm a

little bit anal I like to do that let's start with Lacey Santos's goal Marva 44 minutes it came as a bit of a sucker punch to the Lionesses, it felt. Did she mean it? No, but she'll claim it and she should because I think any of us would claim it if it was us. It was an incredible strike because when I first saw it, I was like, oh, deflection, unlucky. And then I watched it back and I was like, that wasn't deflection. It was sort of the way that she hit it. It kind of just swerves really early on and just sort of, I think just wrong-footed Mary Earps and just confused her really but um maybe some questioning over over her positioning and just sort of how early she jumped I think but it was also a kind of freak shot that of course no one was expecting but

yeah I think she's been incredible all tournament to be honest um Sansos and I thought Colombia just I was scared in the first in the first half I was scared I thought they really came at us even in sort of moments where we had. I was scared. I thought they really came at us, even in moments where we had a bit of sustained possession. I thought them on the counter-attack and then also just Ramirez at the front. She's just surprised me. She has possibly been my player of the tournament.

I think just what she does in that position, I haven't really seen any centre-forwards in any other team do what she does. I think she honestly't really seen any centre forwards in any other team do what she does I think she honestly improves pretty much any club team that she could go into and I bet there will be a lot of clubs after her but yeah unlucky for Colombia but a beautiful first goal and it was just obviously great for us but I do feel for them because I think they've won the hearts of a lot of us. Yeah well that equaliser came at exactly the right time though didn't it there was I think it was seven minutes of added time in that first half Susie and Lauren Hemp stood up and scored the equaliser in the sixth minute of added time but to be fair

it didn't look like it should have gone in you know you have to look at Catalina Perez there how she spilled that shot initially she's going to be so angry with herself yeah I mean it's not great is it it was pretty poor and it's so gutting for them to concede so so deep into at the time at the end of the half as well like I think it was the sixth and final minute of added time and a real sucker punch you know they've worked so so hard to get themselves into the lead and you know really had the crowd behind them and potentially going into a second half ahead yeah you can't like underestimate the power of getting a goal at the end of the half to equalize in a game like that I mean it just sways momentum doesn't it and just swings the belief towards the team that have come back into it like so so significantly

but yeah really gufting moment for Perez who's had a pretty good tournament I think you know obviously we've said that goalkeepers generally have had really good games in this competition obviously we'll talk about one in the in the game after this one but um Mary being slightly positionally a little bit wrong for their goal and then goalkeepers spilling it for for lauren hemp's equalizer didn't maybe show the best sides but at the same time it like rest the game i thought um erps was absolutely outstanding and perez obviously went off and you saw 20 year old come on in her place uh and do a pretty decent job considering you know making your world cup debut

at 20 and goal coming on in place of your 28 year old experienced keeper who has excelled through the tournament so yeah big game to mess up in but those things happen and actually alessia russo and england showed the resilience in in the second half didn't they because? Because I felt Colombia were causing them some problems. And then Alessia Russo, 63 minutes, was absolutely fantastic with that goal, Marva. Yeah, incredible finish. Maybe Defender could have done a bit better,

but I thought Alessia Russo's movement to kind of anticipate that the ball was going to drop there and then the finish there as well. I thought she had a great game, as we sort of said before as well. I thought her and him really sort of pushed it from the front which we hadn't seen they just worked really hard and then the finish to to finish it off really so it was yeah I was screaming very loudly when that went in because it just kind of felt like we started to sustain a bit of pressure but we still weren't really getting any kind of

clear-cut chances I think the only chances we were really getting are kind of from set pieces or corners or sort of crosses in which Daly had a few um Russo had one I think as well which kind of just ended up in the goalkeeper's hands but to kind of get such a clear one-on-one chance and put it away like that was was beautiful and hopefully we see a few more through balls through because I think that's where we're we are at our best when we can pull those moments off. But we've just really been struggling in this tournament to do so. I thought you could really see the relief as well in her celebration. Like just, it was just etched all over her face.

I mean, obviously, you know, coming into the tournament, leading the line in place of Edlin White retired, you know, only having one goal so far in what was a pretty comprehensive and relatively easy win in the group stage like she needed that moment she needed that for confidence massively and it also repays the faith in Serena in sticking with her when you've got the likes of Daly and Beth England who are like scoring for fun at club level and breathing down her neck I think that's a real pressure lifter.

Yeah, and actually, Rachel Daly had a couple of good efforts in the first half herself, didn't she? So, you know, she was itching to get on the score sheet for sure. And actually, you mentioned, Marva, the corners and free kicks and Bo's message to say, England's movement on corner kicks and free kicks reminds me of line dancing in US country music bars. Lots of choreography, but it's really hard to see the point.

Maybe a bit harsh, maybe a bit harsh. But yeah, I think it's just been a bit of a theme all throughout the tournament. It's like, especially in the sort of the first game of daily and you've got players who can get on the end of crosses, but then it's just sort of, it feels like not really a tactic. It's almost like a half tactic of just kind of putting crosses in and they haven't really pulled through other than in that china game so yeah it's i think it's more a case of what we have done better is that we switched it up a bit so

we're not just relying on those crosses we're not just relying on those set pieces um we've slightly improved in sort of creating a few chances now as well whereas in that first haiti game it was literally just all we could do was just chuck in wayward crosses so we'll see maybe the line dancing will pull off in in the semi-final oh yeah that'd be quite fun uh just finally on this one Susie I feel as if we have to give a lot of love to the defenders because they put their bodies on the line and I thought Alex Greenwood in particular was fantastic in this match yeah I mean before the quarterfinals she had the most touches of any player in the tournament so far like has just been immense and when you consider that you know she didn't play much of the Euros last year was sort of bumped out of the team by Leah Williamson almost

on the eve of the tournament as they shifted her back from experimenting with her in midfield weirdly it's hard to see how Leah walks back into that defence. I mean, obviously, it's a long, long, long way off. But the way Alex is playing, but also the way she's playing alongside Brighton Carter in a back three is really, really solid and really complements each other. I mean, I'd argue that Jess Carter is the best 1v1 defender on the tee. Millie has been absolutely immense and really good at driving out from the middle as well. And Alex has just been phenomenal with her sort of vision from playing out from the back. So it's really well balanced.

It's obviously right-footed players and Alex Greenwood as the the left foot centre back just like it just all complements each other really well and it's hard to see them being able to go back to a back four because of how strong it is and then because of the full back options being Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly as the best options of the bunch at the moment are so attacking that you you sort of have to do that so it's hard to see them going back now I think yeah um I'm gonna give a little bit of love to Georgia Stanway as well for that ball uh through to Russo as well for that goal because it was an

absolute beaut of a ball um I've not brought Joe in purely because I'm assuming Joe that you were jumping up and down screaming like a banshee slash getting some post-match reaction and writing articles uh after the australia game which we'll go in depth with shortly but did you manage to catch any of the match and if you did what do you make of your semi-final opponents yeah unfortunately i was still a bit busy when it was happening but it was on one of the screens in the media center in Brisbane so we could see a little bit of it I think the thing that stood out for me and after listening to to you guys talk about that game is that I am a little bit scared now the way that they were pushing forward and I think when we found out that Lauren James was going to be suspended maybe there was a little

bit of oh okay but maybe a little bit of pressure off that point I mean she'd been so phenomenal uh in her previous games but then after seeing the result today and how they handled Columbia who have been uh so great throughout the tournament yeah maybe a little bit worried now you have actually reminded me that the last time we did the pod we didn't know did we that Lauren James had been handed a two-match ban from FIFA so upgraded from a one-match ban Susie I think many of us were maybe surprised by that and thought it was going to be a three-match ban and we are very much looking ahead because England have to beat Australia in order to get to the final but if they

did manage to do that Lauren James would be available for the final the question mark is would Serena Vigman change things up and and start her again I would 100% if that option came to it because if you're looking at players that didn't play the best on the pitch I think Ella Toon was the weak spot in that team she really struggled I don't think she's a number 10 she's more a box to box and she's not quite got the physical presence to be able to go up against a team like Columbia in the middle like that but then she hasn't necessarily got the same sort of technical skill of someone like Lauren James or Fran Kirby who naturally slot into that number 10 role and are capable of unlocking even the most resilient of defences. So she was the weak spot for me. I think she's really struggled in every game she's played.

So she's a logical player to target to a certain extent. So yeah, I mean, if England manage to get through to the final, then the option to have a Laurence Dame back is obviously huge because she's just an incredible talent. And it would be a really good story to write up as well but yeah like i was so so shocked that it wasn't a free match ban i think it probably should have been i don't know what or how the fa managed to rank and out of a more serious suspension but it felt it felt a little bit harsh particularly or a little bit unfair particularly

in the context of the um of the nigerian player that was given a free match ban for a dangerous challenge but a challenge nonetheless not a premeditated step on someone's back which uh Lauren James is very much was so yeah it's um it's a surprise a good one and you know if they make the final fingers crossed it's a big if though because before they kicked off this quarterfinal against columbia they already knew that if they got through it was going to be australia in the last four the co-hosts i mean i can't even begin to round up this game i'm going to let joe do it it finished australia nil fr France nil after extra time. And Australia won it 7-6 on penalties. But it was 20 penalties later that we finally got to that result.

Jo's already shaking her head. I mean, it was a truly extraordinary shootout. As if the USA-Sweden shootout wasn't exciting enough. This was crazy. It's the first time in Australia's history that they're through to the semi-finals of the World Cup though but I mean it's not even half of it is it, 20 penalties etc, you were there Jo it was a nerve shredding game

to watch, I don't quite know how you're even here with us right now, try and talk us through it if you possibly can Well I'm hanging on by a thread but as Susie said earlier alive, barely alive but still alive where do I even start it was there was so much in that game and once the penalty shootout started it was almost instantly

forgot everything else that had happened in the 120 minutes before which was still an epic I mean the story at the end of that for me is Mackenzie Arnold, an incredible performance in goal, in regulation time, in extra time and in the shootout, which won them the game. But then some other interesting things, I think some of our younger, newer players really shone today. Interestingly, one of our veterans, Alana Kennedy at centre-back, I thought that she had a bit of a shaky game but next to her is Claire Hunt who has I think maybe nine caps now for the national team and is 24-25 and she's stepped up this whole tournament but I thought today she held her ground really well particularly towards the end of extra time as things got really chaotic just going from

end to end balls ricocheting through the box and yeah and I mean Mary Fowler is probably the other one as well I think she actually made a couple of couple of errors earlier on in the game which led to some scary chances for Eugenie Le Sommet she had a good chance that uh came to naught in the end but I think Mary Fowler's one to watch when she gets the ball she just sort of it's almost like she dances a little bit with it and you kind of wonder what she's going to do and then she just pulls off these incredible passes she was foiled a few times in front of goal but then put away a belter of a penalty to get one back at the end. So, I mean, what have I missed? So much that happened, so much drama on top of all of that.

It was such a dramatic quarterfinal. I have to say, I found it absolutely astounding, Jo, that Mackenzie Arnold stepped up, not just to take a penalty, but to take the fifth penalty as well. I mean, it was just madness to me. Yeah, I thought the same thing. We weren't sure what she was doing at first. We thought that she was waiting for a review or something. And then we realized, no, she's standing there because she's going to take

that herself. And I had the exact same thought afterwards. She went back and stood on the line. It's like, well, how are you going to compose yourself now? And, you know, she'd already made, I'm not sure if she'd made two maybe just one save by that point how are you going to pull that out again and you're right I think that there probably was a mental aspect there which may have you know affected those next couple of kicks but I mean she was able to pull it together after that and it was enough in the end yeah I mean it was the shootout itself I feel like we're just ignoring 120 minutes worth of football, but it was all about ultimately the shootout.

And ultimately, it didn't matter that Mackenzie Arnold didn't save those next two penalties or, you know, in fact, score hers. But it was mental to watch from a neutrals point of view, Marva. Yeah, it was such drama. I thought we weren't going to get a better penalty shootout after the Sweden-USA game, but I think this delivered. I just loved, like, there were so many different narratives, like even just France bringing on their, you know,

their second goalkeeper, which I love to see in tournaments because it sometimes works out, it sometimes doesn't. And then you had Perissé who came on to take one and then that always never goes well. And then, yeah, Arnold to step up and then miss and then what was it like three match points essentially that was incredible to watch that you just thought is anyone actually going to take this are they does anyone want to get through to the semi-final here um but yeah I literally had my my head in my hands multiple times it's been so fun and then

just the added things like VAR and like coming off the line there was also a retaken penalty that was then missed again it's like if you were to write all the different things that could happen in a penalty shootout they happened but I guess it was and for the game itself was um yeah didn't live up to that same drama but I thought after the first half which was a bit slow um towards the end of the first half, I thought it started to get quite exciting. And in the second half as well, it did start to really open up and either team could have won it. I thought both teams had really good chances that they'll, well, France will regret more. But it was so exciting to see and what a way to end it as well.

Well, actually, Alana Kennedy got away with one a little bit, didn't she? Because she scored a shocking, I mean, it would have been a cracking goal if it was for Australia, but it was an own goal. But, you know, there was a foul against Wendy Rennard. That was in extra time. You know, thank goodness for that. And then, as you say, that goalkeeper change.

Durand brought on by Herve Rennard for the shootout. Massive call. Susie, you were obviously getting ready for the England game in Sydney. You kind of mentioned it at the top,

but what was the atmosphere like? Because I think you could tell that quite a few people had stayed outside for the screens outside Stadium Australia to watch the shootout. So they were late to their seats. Yeah, I sacked off actually preparing for the England game.

I've watched England enough times and went and watched it in the pub right by the stadium that was absolutely rammed and we couldn't get close enough to a screen and we were looking through a sea of heads towards this tiny little screening distance that may as well have been in Brisbane itself. It was that far away from us, so I couldn't really see what was going on, but the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing and everywhere was rammed. There were a number of bars, every single one spilling onto the street they'd

put up screens outside inside every single screen switched onto it there were big screens up in the sort of olympic park around the stadium and yeah it was just absolutely manic um and everyone together was watching it you know colombians england fans australians who have sort of come to watch the game as neutrals or just come soak up the atmosphere a bit and yeah it meant everyone was late into the ground um except for me i left at 90 minutes to go and actually do some preparation it's weird because you know we saw the lioness to be so so embraced by the country last year when they won the euros but it just feels a different level here like from the start as well, it just feels next level

and has permeated, for me, so much more deeply into society than it did during the Euros. It's a weird feeling comparing it and it's just a complete world away from France. But yeah, the atmosphere was mad, absolutely brilliant. Yeah, how much is the nation embracing world cup fever joe i mean it's it's quite incredible they're the first hosts to reach the semi-finals since the usa in 2003 could be the first since the americans in 99 as well to triumph on home soil yeah i think it's

exceeded expectations even here it's really interesting to hear that that comparison with the euros actually um one thing that's happened in the last few days in australia is that there's been kind of this rejigging or reshuffling of what is otherwise a very sort of established sporting landscape or broadcasting landscape i suppose you know the news got pushed back on the channel that has the World Cup broadcast rights. And then they also play AFL games, Australian Rules football. And they, you know, they moved one of their kickoff times further back to try and get regular time Matilda's game in. And then they also came to an agreement with FIFA to play the Matilda's game on the big screens in the stadium, the MCG in Melbourne, before one of the blockbuster footy games that was happening tonight. They didn't then show the extra time on the penalties

because the other footy game had started, but they did continue to show it on the other TV screens throughout the stadium, which is just incomprehensible. Like I still cannot understand how a men's Australian rules footy game had women's football on TVs at the same time. Like it's just, it doesn't make sense to me. And it's just incredible. I mean, on one hand, I think, you know, the AFL has had to accept, okay, we need to embrace this moment because the rest of the country is and we need to get on board. But on the other hand, it's just the power of this moment and of this Australian team and this tournament.

And that is what I absolutely loveildas are managing to do, which is absolutely incredible. Just one quick word, Marva, on France, will they be kicking themselves or did the right team win? I mean, I think, you know, if you win, then you're the right team in that sense when it's penalties, especially. But yeah, I think they will be kicking themselves because especially in that first half, I think in the first kind of 30 minutes 35 minutes they were the team on top and they just didn't capitalize on their chances and they got very lucky with that that Fowler well it was great defending to be fair but that that Fowler chance towards the end of the first half and you thought maybe that would just kind of wake them up a bit given that they were the better team

in the majority of the first half but they didn't and if anything I think Australia had better chances in the second half as well so yeah it's I kind of expected more from them to be honest they had that chance from Lacroix as well who literally just somehow shinned it over the bar and I couldn't believe that that didn't go in so in in that sense they will be kicking themselves but at the end of the day they didn't do enough so I think the right result happened. And we had already lost Italy manager Milena Bertolini's crisp suits, RIP to Herve Renard's

crisp white shirts. It's all down to you, Serena, and your bomber jacket from now on. That's it for part one. In part two, we'll round up yesterday's two quarterfinals. Do you have business insurance?

If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft or a lawsuit? No business or profession is risk-free. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. which Japan were knocked out of the World Cup courtesy of a 2-1 defeat by very impressive Sweden. Arsenal's summer signing Amanda Illestad scoring her fourth goal of the tournament in the 32nd minute before Manchester City midfielder Philippa Engeldahl doubled their lead from the penalty spot early in the second half. I mean, it felt as if the Swedes were in cruise control, but Japan did make a game of it towards the end. All of a sudden coming to life at the end of that second half,

awarded a controversial spot kick when Riko Weki hit the bar. Justice may be done. We'll discuss that in a second before West Ham's Honoka Hayashi pulled a goal back in the 87th minute. We were all set for that grandstand finish, Susie, weren't we? But it was just a bit of a case of too little too late for the Japanese in the end. Yeah, and I was quite sad about it because I've really enjoyed watching them

throughout the tournament, really thrilled. The football they're playing is so nice, but I always had this thing in the back of my mind that when they come up against a team that is really defensively solid, good from set pieces, well-organised well organized quite physical that they might come on suck a bit obviously they got the sort of thrilling win over Spain in the group stage but against a European team that plays a very similar style of football to them very possession based

very technical and tactical and I just was sort of waiting to see what they would do against you know sort of one of the big European sides that plays a little bit differently and just was sort of waiting to see what they would do against, you know, sort of one of the big European sides that plays a little bit differently. And that was sort of their undoing, which is pretty sad. I thought Sweden were much, much improved on their performance against the US, like really maybe spurred on by the fact that they sort of scraped through that so narrowly. But look, a really, really strong side. And potential winners of this tournament, I would say, which is interesting because after the Olympic final, I thought that was sort of the peak for the Sweden team.

I thought that was the height that they were going to reach, their best chance at a major tournament trophy or medal, as the case is in the Olympics. And I really think they messed that up and i thought that was it for them so to then see them do as well as they have in this tournament with you know quite a few changes to their team from that one at the olympics is really impressive and also great to see so many gunners doing so well i was going to say that they're littered with WSL talent, aren't they? And it's back-to-back semifinals now for Peter Gerhardsen's side,

but they've always kind of been always the bridesmaid, never the bride a little bit, it feels, Sweden. But this felt like more of a statement performance, Marva. Even after sneaking past the USA literally by a millimetre, this felt like they meant business. Yeah, definitely. I think we've all kind of been saying we haven't been that impressed with them, even that win over Italy was still just a bit like Italy being bad rather than them being that good. But no, this was a real step up. And I think that's where you make

even more of a statement when you make a statement at this moment of the competition, because you saw with Japan, you know, they'd won every single game, they looked incredible. But if you don't go and then, you know, pull out a great performance at this stage it's all over so it's really important to start growing into it around this time and it's similar to what we've kind of been saying about England as well and that haven't been the most impressive but they've got it done and I think when you get it done that's what matters in tournament football and Sweden are sort of giving me those vibes at the moment so I think also quite a few of their players just really stepped up before Aslani was great Fort Rolfo was great Angelo was great and they're looking now like they've kind of figured it out whereas I don't

know if you can exactly say the same about England a lot of the the problems we were facing we still haven't necessarily ironed all of those out whereas in that performance against Japan I think Sweden kind of did that in a lot of ways maybe it was a bit bit choppy at the end and obviously the the crossbar saved them and somehow miss richard's back didn't hit the ball and have that going i don't know how that happened but i'll tell you how it happened she has a force field around her goal that's how it happened i had to have had to have but yeah so maybe a little bit of luck at the end but overall

a really comprehensive performance from them and yeah Spain versus Sweden will be a very very interesting one I feel like all four teams left

could win it that's just what's exciting so we'll see it is exciting isn't it I mean I was devastated to see

Japan go out because they've been my favourite team to watch but we kind of speculated that maybe set pieces could be their weakness, Joe, and it proved the case.

Absolute chaos for Illestad's goal. They couldn't clear their lines. They also just couldn't deal with Sweden's physicality. There was such a height difference. And it felt as if the game plan for Sweden was so perfected and Japan didn't really know how to beat it. Yeah, I think the way that Sweden really showed up made Japan look small in in more ways than one they were so much more physical and it was it it did look like it was a completely different Japan team playing from what

we'd seen before I was really hoping that it was Japan that was going to make that statement in the quarterfinals on top of what they had already done. You know, I feel like a lot of people had kind of been rooting for them and just, as everyone has said, really enjoying watching them play. And it was just unrecognizable. There was some excellent goalkeeping, I thought, still. Yeah, I thought Yamashita did a really great job to keep it at 2-1 obviously it doesn't matter at the end of the day and yeah I'm disappointed that we're not going to see them go further but also excited for what comes next time because I think it's a pretty young team and the way that they got everybody so excited this time around they're

going to have a lot more to offer yeah it feels like they're going to come strong at the Olympics especially after having such a disappointing home Olympicslympics suzy yeah 100 and i feel like it was a lot of talk about how they were potentially sacrificing the 2019 world cup to bloods a load of youngsters as sort of getting them ready for the home olympics that didn't quite come off but we're seeing it just a couple years later sort of look like as a team they're really coming together I think I said on the pod last time that they look like a club side the movement the mind reading passes like it just it just all seems very very instinctive and natural in a way that a few other teams show so yeah like a few more years under their belt and i think they're going to be a force to

be reckoned with the olympics might even be a little bit too soon but next world cup a lot of these players are going to be in their prime it's a question of whether they can get the test against you know some of the top nations within that time that really puts them physically to the test and whether some of those players potentially look you know quite a lot of the team plays in Japan still move abroad to try and sort of get that experience against these kind of teams week in week out. Yeah and actually you know we did see them against Spain they were so impressive you can't believe really that they beat Spain 4-0 in the groups. It's quite incredible. And Spain are into the semifinals themselves

because, last but not least, incredible late drama in Wellington. Teenager Salma Pereo coming off the bench to score a 111th-minute winner as Spain reached the semifinals for the first time in their history. It was a 2-1 extra-time win over the Netherlands in the end. And it's fair to say Stephanie van der Graat had a pretty eventful final game as a professional footballer. She gave away the penalty in the first place in the first half with a crazy handball,

which Mariona Caldente slammed home via the post. Then she went from villain to hero, springing the offside trap to bring her side level as we ticked into injury time. But it was the 19 year old who had the last laugh in extra time it was an incredible finish Susie and actually on the balance of play Spain were just good value for their place in the final four yeah frustratingly like I'm not going to sugarcoat it I really want to see this Spain team get knocked out I don't

want it to be successful not for the players I want the players to be successful but like I just think when you've got a manager who you know you know quite clearly there's problems with you know players have refused to play for the national team that should be at this tournament that would make Spain win it when you look at it they are desperate for a really good centre-back Mappy Leon is probably the best in the world and she's not there and it just makes me angry that they're being successful despite all of that going on and it speaks to the talent of the players rather than the manager doing a good job of what he's really telling the final whistle like they're all celebrating and he is completely ignored um so yeah I mean great goal but I'm just

really irritated are you as irritated Marva because I'm just really irritated. Are you as irritated, Marva? Because I'm just going to pose the question. Jorge Vilder said after the match, they played an extraordinary level, all of the players. It was a match with a lot of emotional decisions and the goal from Salma was sheer joy. Look, we've not been shy to criticise Spain, have we? Susie Rack has just done so herself a second ago.

Do we need to give Jorge Vilda and his coaching staff some credit for what they've managed to do at the tournament so far? Don't roll your eyes to the sky. Answer the question. I would like not to. I think, in my mind, this Spain team has just been a team without a manager, in my mind, as I've been watching it. But they did.

I'll speak to the team as a whole, which may or may not include the coaching staff. I'll play it that way. I thought they really stepped up in this game again as well. After, you know, that terrible Japan game, you just kind of thought that their heads would go down and they'd be out of this tournament. But I thought they were much the better team for most of the game. And they are exciting to watch in some ways,

which I share the same annoyance as Susie of annoyingly. They are nice to watch. And, you know, Paralelo hurt that finish and the kind of exciting young talent they've got on show. And that mix as well of kind of the legends like homoso um and then the young talents coming up and just some of the best players in the world and it it is a shame that we we're not seeing more of them as in more of the best players in the world because there are some some more for spain that could be playing but you can't deny

the talent that they have but whether that'll be enough to take them through all the way i'm not too sure but um if they do then I'll be happy for the players let's just say that. Wilder took off Bonmati that was a big error and probably helped contribute to the equalizer so like I think we can criticize him as a coach too bad decision. Oh god I'd love him to come on this pod one day and just uh give us his thought maybe not I don't think we'll invite him let's not invite him. I feel like I feel like he might not God, I'd love him to come on this pod one day and just give us his thought. Maybe not. I don't think we'll invite him. Let's not invite him.

I feel like he might not come on if you did invite him. I don't think so. I don't think we'll see. Let's just say, bearing in mind what our postal system is like, that the invitation, Jorge, is in the post. You'll never get it. Lyneth Bierenstein, not going to want to watch back the highlights, Jo, though, is she

because even though the netherlands were outplayed throughout they they had some real guilt-edged chances to steal it and it felt as if they really missed danielle vanderdonk yeah they did and she looked so sad in the stands it was really heartbreaking um and i think you know they they just looked increasingly desperate towards the end long balls over the top to Bernstein and she's so fast and so skillful but it just it wasn't enough I did think at one point I mean it took a while for Spain to score and I thought at one point maybe we were looking at another Sweden Netherlands or maybe Netherlands were just going to end up winning 1-0 from a penalty or something like that.

But I mean, I think, yeah, I think Spain deserved to win that one. Yeah. As an aside, classic Johnny Liu. I mean, I talked at the beginning of the pod about culture. I said I wasn't going to bring it. The three of you also said unlikely to bring it today. Johnny Liu's not even here, but listen to this. His description of Van der Graat's goal in his match report.

And truly this was a central defender's finish, a shot of all consonants and no vowels, a thud so agriculturally primal it really belonged in a museum next to some cracked pots and a prehistoric medieval plough. That is peak Johnny Liu, peak peak so we're up for some absolutely mouth-watering semi-finals on tuesday 9 a.m uk time kickoff spain against sweden on wednesday at 11 a.m when we finish

talking to joe khan until the end of the tournament. It is England against Australia. I'm going to make you all set your stools out. How are these ones playing out? I'm going to start with Marva. I think Sweden are going to go through. And I think, obviously, I've just got to back England, don't I? So England, Sweden in the final is my prediction. Jo is looking to the sky now.

I think we've all had an eye roll this part, haven't we? Go on, Jo. predictions joe is looking to the sky now i think we've all had an eye roll this part haven't we go on joe i think sweden that yeah they just look so dangerous now uh and australia sweden australia in the final sorry susie rack well obviously i want sweden to win i mean that's a given and i think they will um but australia england oh man i'm gonna say to say Australia because I have to tactically tactically vote my Joe may not know that my predictions are historically appalling on this podcast so yeah

I'm trying to catch myself out This is what she did in the last one and she did say Colombia to win and it worked so reverse psychology fingers crossed right listen prepare yourselves for two cracking semi-finals next week Marva always a pleasure

thank you Jo Khan go get yourself some sleep I will the bed's just there nearly there World Cup fever

Susie Rack yeah can't go to bed yet as well I've got to write two articles first the amount of times I've sent you messages

going why are you still awake by the way isn't it 4am there kind of given up on you getting any sleep this tournament. I will see you soon, though. We'll be back on Wednesday to round up the semi-finals and look ahead to Sunday's final. Can you believe we're there already? Women's Football Weekly is produced by Ned Carter-Miles and Lucy Oliver. Music composition was by Laura Iredale and our executive producer is Danielle Stephens. Women's Football Weekly is supported by Google Pixel.

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