England vs. Colombia kick-off time Women’s FIFA World Cup, live score, result
Even though England will be without Lauren James for the next two games, starting with the quarterfinal against Colombia, goalkeeper Mary Earps believes the "best is yet to come" for England at this year's Women's World Cup.
FIFA suspended the 21-year-old forward till the final if the European champions get it that far for stamping on Nigeria's Michelle Alozie in the round of 16.
Before then, Chelsea's James had been crucial, scoring twice and assisting on three others in a 6-1 rout of China and scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Denmark.
We have a team of 23, and we know how we want to fill that position," coach Sarina Wiegman said the day before the match against Colombia in Sydney.
We acknowledge the punishment of missing two games and accept it at face value. We're going to have to take it from here and cross our fingers. James has issued a public apology, and Earps has said, "Now she confronts the penalties, and as a team we stick together, stand behind her, and she will support the team totally when she serves that (suspension).
We would prefer that everyone be available at all times, but reality sets in. We've really come together as a team, and everyone's attention is squarely on tomorrow's game. England had to play extra time with a man less when James was sent off, and they eventually had to defeat Nigeria, who were rated 40th, 4-2 on penalties.
They will face a determined Colombian team that is full of confidence after reaching the quarterfinals for the first time and shocking Germany along the way.
But Earps claimed England is in a "really good spot" and "we've got more gears." "I think you've seen glimpses of what we're capable of," she continued. In my opinion, things are just getting started.
- Move the pieces -
Nelson Abadia, coach of the Colombian team, is positive that his team's resilience will help them advance to the semifinals.
The 25th-ranked Abadia advanced to the final eight by defeating Jamaica 1-0. "We know all the history that England brings to football; it's important," said Abadia.
But to me, it's still 11 vs. 11, and our confidence is the same as it is before every game.
"There are several variables in any match -- technical, tactical, and physical," he continued. "But for me, what's most important is the strength in the team's character, and that is going to be vital for what we need to do." Abadia, like Wiegman, faces a selection conundrum: whether to stick with offensive defender Ana Guzman, who started in place of the suspended Manuela Vanegas against Jamaica, or to try someone else.
The 18-year-old showed poise and maturity in her first tournament appearance, and her stunning pass helped skipper Catalina Usme score the team's sole goal.
Abadia claimed he would keep England guessing despite the return of Vanegas. He made the analogy that football is similar to chess in that both require strategic thinking. We need to be analytical, like chess players. We've done the math on England, and we know where our best prospects lie," he said.
However, as a coaching staff, we have complete faith in any of our available players.