England made history at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on July 4, downing Germany for the first time ever to clinch third place at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals thanks to an extra time penalty from Liverpool midfielder Fara Williams. Silvia Neid's charges began a classic encounter between these age-old rivals with a lightning-fast raid down the left just thirty-five seconds into the contest. Sara Daebritz was at the sharp end of the move, her cross picking out the unmarked Lena Petermann, whose header was expertly turned round the post by Karen Bardsley. The Germans continued to dominate in the early stages, their next chance coming in the eighth minute. Lena Goessling - she was at the heart of so much of what Germany did which was good - delivered a cross to the far post for Bianca Schmidt. The fullback with attacking tendencies headed the ball across towards Celia Sasic, but Bardsley and the retreating Jo Potter looked to intercede. Unfortunately, both got in each other's way, and were more than a little relieved to see captain Steph Houghton hook the ball to safety from beneath the crossbar. Seconds later, Simone Laudehr intercepted a pass and instantly supplied Petermann with the ball. She slipped the ball through for Sasic, who shot straight at Bardsley when the chance to strengthen her claims for the tournament's Golden Boot award loomed large. England hadn't been sighted as an attacking force to this point in the game, but that all changed in the tenth minute, when Alex Greenwood, Karen Carney and Ellen White contrived a move which invited Williams to let fly from twenty-five yards. Her effort flew past the far post, while a twelfth minute corner delivered by the midfielder had England appealing for a penalty after Petermann used her arm to block a Potter piledriver. North Korean referee Ri Hyang Ok - who, frankly, had an absolute shocker, to the extent that hers is a contender for worst officiating display of the tournament, which is a statement in itself - waved play on, so "The Lionesses" pressed again through Carney, who got in behind the defence to fizz in a cross for Houghton, who, from six yards, shot at a rather grateful Nadine Angerer. Having got a toe-hold in the game, the English soon became the more dominant side, without truly threatening Angerer's goal. Indeed, it was the Germans who offered the greater attacking threat, with some impressive technique by Daebritz in the eighteenth minute worthy of special mention. Controlling a cross on her chest, she swivelled as it dropped and executed the perfect twenty yard half-volley in all things but accuracy - the ball flashed narrowly over Bardsley's crossbar. The next threat on goal from either side materialised ten minutes before half-time, with Goessling picking out Sasic in the box with a delightfully weighted pass which invited the striker to control and finish in one movement. The eventual Golden Boot winner was unable to execute in the desired fashion on this occasion. Germany carved out a flurry of opportunities in the shadows of the half-time whistle, the first of which came in the 43rd minute, with Sasic heading a Tabea Kemme cross over the bar. Moments later, Melanie Behringer picked out Daebritz, who evaded a couple of challenges before overdoing it. Potter blocked her shot for a corner, which Behringer delivered to the far post. Sasic unleashed a volley with the last kick of the half, but saw it ricochet to safety as referee Ok blew the half-time whistle. The absorbing nature of the contest continued into the second spell, with the Germans again offering the greater attacking threat. Sasic turned provider in the 52nd minute, picking out Daebritz with a cross from the right which the flank player caught superbly on the volley. Only a stunning save to her right by Bardsley prevented what looked a certain goal. Seconds later, Germany pressed again, the emerald-eyed Goessling the architect of their latest raid. Her cross wasn't cleared, and the ball fell invitingly for Petermann to strike on the volley. Houghton blocked it at point-blank range to keep England on level terms - the captain had a blinder for Mark Sampson's team. As one would expect when England and Germany draw swords, it was a full-on battle royal, with a bit of niggle an essential part of the mix. So the teams certainly didn't need the referee to contribute to the situation with a few weird and far from wonderful calls, which rightly earned her the wrath of the 21,483-strong crowd. They got them, though, with one call around the hour mark particularly incensing German coach Neid, whose usually calm demeanour was replaced by one of extreme animation on this occasion. Later, both coaches were seen sharing a laugh together mid-match following yet another call which didn't accurately reflect what had occurred on the park. Germany continued to be the more impressive attacking outfit, with Laudehr's header, from a Goessling corner, being punched out by Bardsley on the hour, before Kemme slalomed her way through

three challenges eight minutes later, only to send her twenty-yarder a yard wide. By this time, Eniola Aluko had been introduced to the fray, and she was offering England far more in attack via her mobility - Sampson's willingness and ability to change the state of a game, by smart utilisation of the depth of his squad, has been one of the features of England's performances at Canada 2015. It was through Aluko's movement that England earned a corner eighteen minutes from time, which Williams delivered to the far post. Jill Scott's header flew narrowly past the upright. Before the set-piece could be taken, however, referee Ok bewildered everybody by signalling for a German substitution, then changing her mind and signalling for the corner to be taken - it summed up her inconsistent performance perfectly. England continued to press, and in the 75th minute had strong penalty claims denied by referee Ok when Schmidt used her arm to block a Potter shot. Seconds later, Laudehr was fouled by Laura Bassett, but again, the North Korean official opted for the comfort zone of no decision - she was well out of her depth in this match, make no mistake. A minute later, "The Lionesses" roared again, with Scott and Aluko both contriving to overcook the egg with Germany's defence stretched like never before in this match. They finally tested Angerer again in the 86th minute, the 'keeper saving superbly at the feet of the fleet-footed figure of Aluko as England looked to win it in normal time. In the dying moments, the English went close to winning it, with Lucy Bronze buccaneering down the right before picking out substitute Lianne Sanderson with a cross. She laid the ball off to Houghton, whose twenty-yarder flashed narrowly over the bar to signal an additional thirty minutes at least would be required to decide the third best national team at this World Cup. Extra time was five minutes old when Angerer grabbed a header from Houghton, who executed a fine tackle at the other end of the park two minutes later to deny Petermann, after Katie Chapman and Carney had combined to good effect. Houghton again stood tall for England in the 98th minute, this time denying Petermann after Laudehr had got to the byline and picked out her team-mate with a cross. From the resulting Goessling corner, Laudehr herself went desperately close to breaking the deadlock with a header. It remained 0-0, however, and we all know what happens in these situations when England and Germany are the combatants - a penalty shoot-out, which the Germans are seemingly duty-bound to win. There were still twenty minutes to prevent the seemingly inevitable, however, and after Daebritz had evaded both Carney and Williams en route to setting up a shooting chance for lively substitute Melanie Leupolz to send sizzling over the bar from twenty yards, referee Ok made her next dubious contribution to proceedings in the 107th minute. Sanderson and Kemme tangled in the German penalty area, and the referee blew her whistle and pointed to the spot. Anger wasn't the word as Angerer stormed out of her goal in response to the official's latest decision, which was as soft a penalty as you're ever likely to see. A penalty it was, however, and Williams sent Angerer the wrong way in despatching the ball into the net from twelve yards to give England the lead with twelve minutes remaining. Cue a German onslaught - having started the tournament as the world's highest-ranked team, they were now on the verge of finishing as the second-ranked team in Europe, a ranking which coach Neid, whose last game in charge of her country this was, was decidedly keen to avoid. She had thrown on Anja Mittag into the mix late in the second spell, and in the 111th minute she hit an absolute thunderbolt following a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. Bardsley saved it at the second attempt, and kept out a header from substitute Alexandra Popp with time running out. Prior to that effort, Popp had been released by Kemme down the left, and proceeded to deliver a gorgeous cross to the far post which Schmidt headed past the upright. And with time all but up on the clock, Laudehr delivered a fine pass into the stride of Mittag, who was only denied by a super tackle from Greenwood as England's stubborn resistance frustrated their arch rivals. It proved suffice to earn them a 1-0 victory when the final whistle sounded, England's first win over Germany at the 21st attempt securing them the rather dizzying heights of third spot at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, due reward not only for the squad in Canada, but all those in the English women's game who have played a part in its growth and development in recent years. England:     Bardsley (booked, 83); Bronze, Houghton, Bassett (booked, 92), Greenwood; Carney, Potter, Williams (Stoney, 112), Chapman (booked, 77) (Sanderson, 80), Scott; White (Aluko, 61) Germany:     Angerer; Schmidt, Peter, Bartusiak, Kemme; Laudehr, Behringer (Leupolz, 46), Goessling (Popp, 101), Daebritz; Petermann (Mittag, 73), Sasic Referee:     Ri Hyang Ok (DPR Korea)