England’s World Cup path becoming clearer by the day
The Lionesses’ route to a potential World Cup final will become a lot clearer today with the final two group games taking place in Australia.
South Korea take on Germany and Morocco play Colombia with places in the last 16 at stake.
England knew, after they demolished China 6-1 on Tuesday, that they’d take on Nigeria in their first knockout game at this World Cup.
England on the march
But now Sarina Wiegman’s side know that a win against the African nation will set them up for a quarter-final in Sydney on 12 August against either Jamaica and the winners of Group H – likely South American nation Colombia.
In a shock for the World Cup thus far, a 0-0 draw between Jamaica and Brazil yesterday knocked the South American champions out of the World Cup.
They would have been stiff opposition for the Lionesses, though England beat them in the Women’s Finalissima at Wembley on penalties earlier this year.
“There’s a lot of feelings of course,” Brazil manager Pia Sundhage said yesterday after their elimination. “In the locker room there’s many sad players and coaches.
“At the end of the day I’m responsible for the result. Of course I’m not alone, but the way we have worked and have prepared is something I need to look back on and see if we could have done things differently.
“We put in a lot of work but at the end of the day it’s Jamaica [who progress to the last 16]. It’s not a big distance between failure and success.”
It is the latest in a series of shocks at this World Cup which include the loss of co-hosts New Zealand in the group stages and failure of Canada to progress to the last 16.
Potential semi-final
Beyond that, England are likely to line up in a potential semi-final against hosts Australia, Denmark or France, plus former winners Germany or Morocco depending on their Group H outcome in a match scheduled for Stadium Australia on 16 August.
They’d then be pitted against the best of the other side of the draw in the final on 20 August in Sydney, should they get there.
Potential opponents include the reigning champions the United States and 2019 finalists the Netherlands.
There’s a long way to go for the Lionesses but their potential path to World Cup glory is starting to become clearer.
Up next, though, is Nigeria on Monday morning