Football

England vs Norway LIVE: Stream, score, goal updates from Women’s World Cup quarter-final



England take on Norway in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup tonight.

The Lionesses have enjoyed a perfect run so far in France with wins over Scotland, Argentina and Japan seeing them comfortably top Group D. An ill-tempered clash with Cameroon followed in the last-16 with tonight’s opponents Norway now between them and the last four. The Scandinavians emerged from a tense game with Australia victorious on penalty kicks on Saturday evening to earn their place here and they certainly promise to the biggest test yet of Phil Neville‘s side’s title-winning credentials.

We’ll have all the latest throughout the evening for you right here: 


GOAL!


Norway 0 – 1 England – Scott

 

3 mins: GOAL! What a start for England!

 

Lucy Bronze outpaces Norway’s left-back Wold and runs the ball to the byline before cutting it into the box. Ellen White tries to meet it but misses the ball only for Jill Scott to latch onto the end of the end and turn it into the goal off the far post!

KICK OFF


Norway 0 – 0 England

 

England start the match and send the ball forward down the right wing. Parris puts the ball into the box but it’s cleared out. England have the ball and send it to Stokes on the left, she puts the ball into the box and it’s deflected behind for a goal kick.


Under ten minutes until kick off. Victory tonight sets up a semi-final clash with either France of the USA.

 

Both teams look a little nervous as they come out onto the pitch, who’s it going to be England or Norway?

 

Kick off is next…


Izzy Christiansen previews England’s quarter-final versus Norway:

 

 

 


The last time England faced Norway in the World Cup was in 2015. They came face-to-face in the last 16 with England coming away with a 2-1 win. 

 

Both English goalscorers that day start in tonight’s line-up. Captain Steph Houghton and superstar Lucy Bronze. 

 

Can they repeat those feats tonight?

 


A World Cup semi-final isn’t the only thing on the line tonight. Olympic qualification hopes for Tokyo 2020 also rest on the result. 

There are seven European teams left in the World Cup with only the top three nations qualifying for the Olympics.

That means a semi-final place is crucial.

If the USA defeat France tomorrow whoever wins tonight’s match will guarantee their place in Tokyo.  

If France win then a minimum of third place would be required to make it to the Olympics.

In a pre-tournament agreement, England as the highest ranked team, represent Great Britain’s qualification chances despite Scotland also being in the World Cup. 


Norway have named an unchanged side who beat Australia in a penalty shootout in the last 16.

Chelsea’s defensive duo Maren Mjelde and Maria Thorisdottir will be a hindrance to England whilst Caroline Graham Hansen has the ability to cause major trouble for the Lionesses back line.

The 24-year-old has won the Bundesliga three times and reached the Champions League final twice. She is also set to join Barcelona next season making her the first Norwegian to join Spanish giants.

 


The Lionesses have arrived in Le Havre! 


England have, at times, looked very shaky in defence during this World Cup and it was evident against Cameroon last Sunday.

 

Leading goalscorer Ellen White knows this but she believes England have the ability to improve:

“That’s football, if you look at any team going through this tournament, there are mistakes.

“We did well the other night, we won and we’re looking forward to Norway and we’re up for the challenge and we’re ready for it.

“We have been performing as each game goes on we are getting better. To be world class you have to keep rising your levels and we are doing that.”

 


Team news

 

Phil Neville makes just one change to the side that defeated Cameroon on Sunday. Demi Stokes comes into the side at left-back replacing Alex Greenwood.

 

Steph Houghton and Millie Bright are both fit to start and they retain their starting places in the centre of defence with Lucy Bronze completing the back four.

 

Fran Kirby, Keira Walsh and Jill Scott make up the mid-field with Toni Duggan, Ellen White and Nikita Parris leading the line. 

 

 


Team news

 

Norway

 

England


For England doubts over the first choice centre-back pairing of Steph Houghton (ankle) and Millie Bright (illness) aren’t troubling head coach Phil Neville.

 

Neville said he was “relaxed” about the defenders’ potential replacements, Leah Williamson and Abbie McManus, who have both already played at the World Cup.

“You guys have had an obsession with my rotation for the last 18 months… but it’s for moments like this,

“We can bring in two people who know the system and they have utter belief and confidence in each other. It’s a seamless transition.” he said.

 

 


The 1995 champions have featured in all eight editions of the Women’s World Cup and in the build-up to the quarter-final coach Martin Sjogren said:

“We’re not scared of England.

“We have a lot of respect for the opponent, but we also have a strong team.”

Emilie Bosshard Haavi is the only absentee for the Norwegians after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus in her knee.

 

 

 


Tonight, the Lionesses are aiming to be the first England team to reach a third successive major tournament semi-final after reaching the last four in both the 2015 World Cup and the 2017 European Championship. 

In their way are Norway.

Ranked 12th in the world, nine places below England, Norway won two out of three of their Group A matches before seeing off Australia on penalties in the round of 16.

However they are without striker Ada Hegerberg, voted the best player in the world, who has chosen not to represent her country after raising concerns over the sport’s governance in her home country.

 

 

 


England goalkeeper Carly Telford is excited! She made her World Cup debut against Argentina in the group stages after waiting over a decade. Could she start in goal for England tonight? 

 

You never know… 


You excited?

 

Team news will be with us within the hour as the atmosphere ramps up in Le Havre.


Fifa is investigating Cameroon’s behaviour during their 3-0 defeat to England on Sunday as a priority, with the intention of concluding the matter as swiftly as possible.

World football’s governing body confirmed on Monday that it was “looking into” the scenes in Valenciennes, including Cameroon’s angry protests at two correct VAR decisions that went against them.

Cameroon twice delayed the restart of play and appeared close to walking off the pitch in protest at the Stade de Hainault. Alain Djeumfa, their head coach, later described the officiating as a “miscarriage of justice”.

Fifa is expected to investigate those comments, as well as Augustine Ejangue allegedly spitting on Toni Duggan’s arm and Alexandra Takounda’s late, dangerous challenge on Steph Houghton.

Authorities are understood to be compiling reports from the match officials involved and seeking observations on all aspects of Cameroon’s conduct, with misconduct charges a real possibility.

 


The news from the England camp in the run up isn’t the best.

First-choice centre-back pairing, Steph Houghton and Millie Bright, are both doubtful for tonight’s quarter-final after a virus hit the camp.

Captain Houghton’s fitness was always in question after she was hurt in a challenge by Cameroon’s Alexandra Takounda during the final stages of Sunday’s ill-tempered last-16 win.

But her defensive partner Bright is suffering from an illness, which head coach Phil Neville said has also affected other members of England’s travelling party.

“Both major doubts,” Neville revealed. “Steph because of the tackle. We’re hoping she takes part in the training today, that’s the key for Steph.

“Millie has a virus that’s going through the camp. She’s more of a doubt. It’s a simple virus. Sickness, I suppose. She’s picked it up in the last couple of days. She’s in her room, recovering at this moment in time.”

 


Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent‘s live coverage of England vs Norway in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals.

 

 

 

 

We’ll have all the latest throughout the evening for you right here.

 

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load.

Izzy Christiansen’s prediction

There’s no doubting that Norway will be England‘s toughest test of the tournament so far. The Cameroon match and the saga that came with it was great preparation, but Norway pose a different type of threat altogether. They’ve got a history and traditional style to their play. They’re exceptionally strong and robust and are spearheaded by two truly world class strikers in Caroline Graham Hansen and ​Isabell Herlovsen.

The fitness of captain Steph Houghton and centre-back Millie Bright will be key in stifling that threat. It’s a World Cup quarter-final and, at this stage, you can’t expect mistakes to go unpunished. In the group stage, England were sometimes afforded that luxury when we allowed our opponents to get on top of us. This time around, they cannot make any errors as the pressure of the occasion mounts.

On paper, it’s a true 50-50. But it’s played out there on the grass and England have got what it takes to put Norway under pressure and make them crack. England 2-1 Norway.



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