England face hosts Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals, with the Lions coming up against not just the Matildas but an entire nation in Sydney, with a place in Sunday’s final against Spain.
The stage for the latest chapter in England and Australia’s historic rivalry could not be bigger as both teams aim to reach the Women’s World Cup finals for the first time, with the hosts suffering from Matildas fever and gearing up for their biggest sporting event since the 2000 Olympics. .
The Lions rode the wave of home support when they won the Euros last summer, but will now look to spoil the party as Sarina Wijkman’s side appear to make their own history. With Stadium Australia facing a capacity crowd of around 80,000, England have overcome many challenges to reach the semi-finals.
Although both sides play down the traditional rivalry of sports like cricket and netball, the tension will be high as the Lions take on the Matildas.
I wouldn’t say it’s a big match in football,” England midfielder Keira Walsh argued ahead of the match. „They’re a great team and it’s a semi-final. It’s going to be an intense game no matter who you play. So for us it’s one of the last things we think about.
Who will referee England vs Australia?
England’s semi-final against Australia will be refereed by American Tory Benzo, one of the leading officials.
After becoming the first woman to referee in the US top-flight in 20 years when she officiated a match between DC United and Nashville in September 2020, Benzo continues to take charge of Major League Soccer matches in the US.
The World Cup semi-final was Benzo’s fourth. Benzo, who has been a FIFA-ranked referee since 2021, officiated Germany’s 6–0 win over Morocco and Switzerland’s 0–0 draw with New Zealand in the group stages, as well as France’s 4–0 win over Morocco in the final. -16.
Benzo only picked up two yellow cards in his first three games in the tournament.
England and Australia when?
The Women’s World Cup semi-final kicks off at 11am UK time (BST) on Wednesday 16 August and will be played at Australia Stadium in Sydney.
How can I see it?
England vs Australia will be shown live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with coverage starting at 10am.