Defender Lucy Bronze revealed England would have failed to live up to their own expectations had they not reached the World Cup semi-finals. Alessia Russo guaranteed the Lionesses would finish no lower than fourth in the 2023 tournament when her second-half goal completed a 2-1 comeback against Colombia in Saturday’s quarter-final to set up Wednesday’s meeting with co-hosts Australia. Third place would see England equal their best-ever finish from eight years ago in Canada, but Bronze insisted reaching this stage for the third time in the European champions’ history was the bare minimum. “If we hadn’t have gotten to the semi-final, I would have said that we would have underperformed,” said Bronze. “A lot of people said that England were the team that were going to flop a little bit. Our performances haven’t been our best, granted, but the results have been there and we’ve got to the semi-final, which is what this England team is known for doing. “This very much reminds me of 2015, having to fight in every single game. “I think the difference with this team is we have won trophies, we have won tournaments, so we do know what to do. “We knew coming into the tournament that it wasn’t going to be easy. There was a lot of outside noise about whether England was going to be able to cope well with everything thrown at us…and the semi-final is what is expected of us as the England team.” Bronze, alongside Alex Greenwood, is one of just two members of the 2023 squad to have featured in three consecutive World Cups and is second only to Jill Scott in World Cup appearances for the Lionesses, with 18 to the retired midfielder’s 21. The 31-year-old made history during her first global showpiece in 2015, when her 76th-minute effort made it 2-1 against Norway in their last-16 encounter and secured England Women’s first-ever victory in a World Cup knockout stage. Four years later, again against Norway, Bronze unleashed another stunning strike, capping off the Lionesses’ 3-0 quarter-final victory in France to book a second trip to the semi-finals. To say the Matildas have captured Australia’s imagination en route to their first-ever final-four encounter would be selling short the fervour taking hold Down Under. Saturday’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over France was watched by over 7.2 million people in Australia, over a quarter of the country’s population. Co-host broadcaster Seven said the audience was the “highest rating TV sport program of the past decade”, while “the 472,000 viewers on 7plus makes the Matildas v France game the biggest streaming event ever seen in Australia”. England had a taste of the environment they are likely to face on Wednesday when they lined up across from a Colombia side that enjoyed the overwhelming majority in the Stadium Australia stands, a sea of yellow who booed when England touched the ball and unleashed an almighty roar when Leicy Santos scored the opener. Lauren Hemp cancelled it out by half-time, while Russo provided the lethal blow after the break to eliminate the only side from the Americas left in the tournament. While being the home side does have its advantages, as Bronze knows from last summer’s Euro 2022 triumph, she was quick to point out the potential pitfalls facing the Matildas come Wednesday night’s historic encounter. She said: “(There are) positives and negatives for being the home nation and for being the team against. “It can be a lot of pressure to put on teams. I remember playing Canada in 2015 in that World Cup and there was a lot of pressure put on that team and it gave them a lot of fight. “It was the same thing for us in the Euros last year. The ’12th man’ as they say, it really helped us. “It was a key part to us winning and I think that’s been a key part for Australia when their backs have been against the wall this tournament. (For us) it wasn’t hostile but the Colombians were very loud, so that’s something we’re used to now.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Adrian Lam: Sky is the limit for Challenge Cup winning Leigh Leopards Kylian Mbappe set to return to PSG squad after ‘positive discussions’ – reports Eddie Howe relishing selection dilemmas as Newcastle prepare for packed season

West Ham defender Hawa Cissoko has reflected on the racist abuse she suffered last year and called for social media companies to offer more security online. Cissoko received a torrent of racism after she was sent off following an altercation with Aston Villa’s Sarah Mayling during a 2-1 defeat in the Women’s Super League on October 15. It was subsequently reported to the police, but Cissoko believes racist people will “find every opportunity” to be so. “Yes I was surprised to be honest,” Cissoko admitted of the racism she faced. “It’s not that I thought the men were lying or that it wasn’t happening to them, but it never happened in women’s football or maybe if it did then the women were quiet. I didn’t expect it would happen to me, especially when the people that did it don’t even watch our games. “If it was from people who follow the league I would understand a little bit more, but when it was from not even French or English people I was like, ‘you should focus on your own business’. “I realised, okay some people are just racist and they just find every opportunity to be racist and say whatever they want. “When I understood this, it was easier to deal with because at the beginning you take things personally, you think they don’t like you when they see you every week, they hate me, but when I realised it was outside of WSL fans, I thought, ‘I don’t care’. “I know that some people, they send messages because they know that nothing is going to happen even if you tell them you’re going to the police. They know nothing will happen. We need more security and more. I don’t know how they can do it.” The Government did last week sign off an Online Safety Bill, which is designed to make the internet in Britain safer. I realised, okay some people are just racist and they just find every opportunity to be racist and say whatever they want. West Ham's Hawa Cissoko However, Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham received racist abuse earlier this month to further highlight the fight to rid the sport of discrimination still has a long way to go. Cissoko conceded the best way she found to deal with the racism was to turn off her phone. She added: “Yeah it’s hard (to receive abuse), but it depends on who you have around you. If you have nice team-mates and your manager supports you and shows you love, respect and the support you need, then it is easier. Obviously I have my family as well. “On social media I just ignore people because it is not real. Those people, they can say a lot of things on social media but if they met me they would never say this because they would see I am actually a human with a heart and feelings. “If I turn off my phone, they don’t exist. The most important thing is the relationships I have with my team-mates, my coach and my family.” Paris-born Cissoko will begin her fourth season with West Ham this weekend and remains eager to change the perception around her. The France international was sent off twice in the 2021-22 campaign before her notable red card last October. “I think some people have made a picture around me as a player that I am aggressive and stuff like that, but if you look, I think I do less fouls than any other defender,” Cissoko pointed out. “I’m really quite chill and calm. When I go to the referees, I try to be respectful, I speak with a low voice all the time. I have had the same with male and female refs. “Once I was tackled and I felt like it was a foul and he didn’t and I said, ‘hey, ref, this is a foul!’ And he said, ‘no, just calm down’. This is not the moment to say, ‘calm down’ just ignore me and I will calm down! “I think it’s just the misunderstanding between players and referees. I think we just need to speak to them. I will understand them more if I speak to and they will understand more. “I am going to tell you a secret. As players, everyone wants to be a journalist or a coach, but I think after my career I would like to become a referee. “Maybe I need to start learning with the under 15’s and go to their game and referee, maybe it will change my mind. No top level player in the men’s or women’s game has become a referee. Maybe I can be the first one.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Maro Itoje keen to reach ‘another level’ after England secure quarter-final spot Europe complete Ryder Cup foursomes clean sweep to take 4-0 lead over USA Luke Crosbie appreciates his journey from public schoolboy to World Cup starter

"Succession," the HBO drama about an ultra-wealthy family fighting for control of a sinister media empire, led the nominations Wednesday for the Emmys --...

Apple Inc.’s top executive in charge of its video and sports businesses is departing, according to people familiar

Fox Corp said on Friday Viet Dinh would step down from his role as chief legal officer and

Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is about to begin her 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of defrauding investors, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, over fake claims about the company’s blood-testing capabilities. As well as being handed jail time over her role in misleading investors, Holmes was also ordered to pay $452m in restitution. Follow the latest updates live “This is a fraud case where an exciting venture went forward with great expectations and hope, only to be dashed by untruth, misrepresentations, hubris, and plain lies,” Judge Davila, presiding over the case, said before handing down the prison sentence to Holmes. “I suppose we step back and we look at this, and we think, what is the pathology of fraud? Is it the inability or the refusal to accept responsibility or express contrition in any way? Now, perhaps that is the cautionary tale that will go forward from this case.” Ahead of being sentenced, Holmes, who has long maintained she did not intend to defraud anyone, told the court: “I am devastated by my failings. “Every day for the past years I have felt deep pain for what people went through because I failed them. I regret my failings with every cell of my body.” Where will Holmes serve her sentence Holmes, who requested 18 months of house arrest as a punishment, will begin her sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas – an all-female facility 100 miles from Holmes’ hometown. The minimum security prison houses around 500 inmates, and runs a variety of programmes intended to prepare prisoners for life after incarceration, according to Camp Bryan’s handbook. Holmes’ day will begin at 6am, when inmates are woken up for meals and work; people failing to comply with the strict wakeup rules are subject to punishments. Inmates are then counted at five different times during the day, when they must assemble in specific areas (once again, punishments are doled out to those who are not present at these times). The prison features a study, game room, and work programmes that see all inmates take part in a six-week course on the importance of efficiency in the workplace before they are placed into a role – with some prisoners earning as little as $0.12 in some assignments. According to the handbook, “All designated inmates are required to develop a financial plan to meet their financial obligations”, which for Holmes will mean reparations of $452m. How will Holmes keep in touch with her family? Holmes is married to Billy Evans, and the pair have two children, William, 2, and newborn Invicta. She lives around 100 miles from her family, who will be permitted to visit at weekends. Inmates at Camp Bryan are also permitted to take part in video sessions with their friends and family, according to the handbook, as well as to send and receive text messages. Prior to beginning her sentence at Camp Bryan, Holmes spent the weekend with her husband and children at the beach.

Patients, staff and displaced people fled Gaza’s largest hospital Saturday, with one describing a panicked and chaotic evacuation as Israeli forces searched men among the evacuees and took some away

Victoria’s Secret & Co. reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss amid a rise in investment in marketing and technology,

ZURICH Global wealth, as measured in personal holdings of assets from real estate to stocks and shares, is

Disney Dreamlight Valley Redemption Codes

Australia's dramatic two-wicket in the first Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday ensured a hugely-anticipated Ashes series got off to a thrilling start as skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's unbroken stand...

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 7, 2023--