Norway v England

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Norway v England

England Sweep Aside Norway To March Into Semis

by Jeremy Ruane

England confidently swept aside Norway 3-0 to march into the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals on June 27, with 21,111 fans watching "The Lionesses" dominate this quarter-final at Le Havre's Stade Oceane.

It took just 127 seconds for England to lay down a marker in this match, with the move which led to the goal starting inside their own penalty area, courtesy so calm play by Keira Walsh to snuff out a Norwegian raid.

She played the ball back to Karen Bardsley, who launched a raid down the right which featured Steph Houghton and Jill Scott before the overlapping Lucy Bronze surged onto the ball.

She outpaced Ingrid Engen en route to the by-line from where she pulled the ball back towards Ellen White, who executed the perfect air-shot. Thankfully for England, Jill Scott was lurking behind her and steered the sphere home via the far post - 1-0.

Norway were reeling from this early blow, and England looked to make hay while the sun shone. Nikita Parris and Scott were unable to capitalise on a delicious cross to the far post from Toni Duggan in the sixth minute, while Bronze thrashed a long-range effort goalwards two minutes later, drawing Ingrid Hjelmseth's first save of the game in response.

The Norwegian 'keeper had to hustle to clear off the toes of White in the tenth minute, following an under-hit Maren Mjelde pass, after which Norway began to ease into the contest.

What little that was good about Norway's play from an attacking perspective in the first half hinged on the efforts of Vilde Boa Risa and Guro Reiten. They first teamed up in the sixteenth minute, with the latter's cross from the by-line prompting a poor touch by Ingrid Moe Wold - a chance lost.

Fifteen minutes later, Boe Risa invited Ruiten to let fly from the edge of the area, her shot ricocheting off the leg of Demi Stokes onto her outstretched arm. Calls for a penalty were rightly rebuffed, as there was clearly no intention involved. (Not that that's stopped the officials from calling penalties in previous matches at these Finals!)

In between times, England threatened through Parris - who fired wildly past the far post after Houghton and Scott had sparked the move - and White, who rattled the same upright with a fierce drive in the 29th minute after Bronze and Parris had set up the striker.

After Bardsley had invited trouble from Isabell Herlovsen when dealing with a Houghton back-pass - the goalkeeper cleared her lines, but picked up an ankle knock for her efforts, England renewed their efforts to get a second goal before half-time.

Duggan and White combined with Fran Kirby, whose cross to the far post deceived Kristine Minde. Parris was lurking behind her, and saw her downward header turned round the post by Hjelmseth in the 38th minute.

Two minutes later, England made it 2-0, with Houghton and Bronze sparking a move which saw Parris tearing through the inside-right channel before curling an inviting cross into the stride of White, who couldn't miss from four yards.

That put "The Lionesses" on easy street, and they came desperately close to netting a third in the shadows of the half-time whistle, Scott hooking a shot just past the post after Duggan and the overlapping Stokes had teamed up on the left.

Herlovsen fired a curling shot past the far post with

the last shot of the half to remind England that Norway weren't yet out of this clash, and they were first to threaten in the second spell, Engen linking with Minde to cross for Herlovsen, who headed the ball down into the stride of Caroline Graham Hansen, six yards out from goal.

She looked certain to score, but hadn't counted on Houghton hurtling back from behind her and picking her pocket - if ever there was a moment when the destiny of this tie was confirmed, it was this one.

After Hjelmseth thwarted Bronze's twenty yarder from a free-kick, and Bardsley had saved bravely at the feet of Reiten after Boa Risa and Moe Wold had combined on the right, the game was up for Norway when Bronze milked a foul out of the unfortunate Engen in the 57th minute.

They say cheats never prosper, but England's fullback denied that claim on this occasion, as from Beth Mead's pass from the free-kick, Bronze fair belted the ball into the roof of the net from twenty yards to propel "The Lionesses" to a 3-0 lead - there was no way back for Norway from this.

Millie Bright did her level best to encourage them, however, three awful defensive blunders presenting the Norwegians with some great opportunities to score. Substitute Lisa-Marie Utland pounced on the first of them, a 66th minute back-pass, and rounded Bardsley, only for Houghton - a real captain's display - to clear off the line.

Two minutes later, the defender erred again, allowing Engen to slip the ball through to Utland. Bardsley smothered the shot, then turned away an effort from Herlovsen after Bright had been caught out of position by Moe Wold's ball forward.

Norway knew their hopes of mounting a comeback were dashed in the 72nd minute when Moe Wold and Reiten linked up with Engen. She played the ball forward to Utland, who flicked the ball goalwards but just past Bardsley's right-hand post.

After Hjelmseth had punched a Georgia Stanway delivery off the head of White - the pair collided, but both were able to continue after treatment, Walsh was caught in possession inside her area by substitute Amalie Vevle Eikeland ten minutes from time, prompting Bardsley to scramble the threatening ball which resulted to safety.

England should have iced the cake seven minutes from time when Maria Thorisdottir bundled Houghton over in the area when Norway were defending a free-kick. Mexican referee Lucila Venegas didn't hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot, from where Parris would have made it 4-0 but for Hjelmseth's fine save, diving to her right.

That fourth goal proved elusive again as the game entered stoppage time, with Stanway thrashing a shot across the face of goal after Bronze and Rachel Daly had teamed up on the right.

But England's passage into their second successive FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final was assured long before the final whistle in this match, and they now await the winner of the eagerly awaited encounter between France and USA to determine who stands between them and a place in the Final on July 7.

England: Bardsley; Bronze, Houghton, Bright, Stokes; Scott, Kirby (Stanway, 74), Walsh; Parris (Daly, 88), White, Duggan (Mead, 53)

Norway: Hjelmseth; Moe Wold (Hansen, 85), Mjelde, Thorisdottir (booked, 88), Minde; Saevik (Utland, 64), Boe Risa, Engen, Reiten (Eikeland, 73); Graham, Herlovsen

Referee: Lucila Venegas (Mexico)

Knockout Matches