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Starter, the sports-apparel brand that was popular in the 1990s, is plotting a comeback for its old-school styles

England face hosts Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals as the Lionesses come up against not just the Matildas but an entire nation in Sydney, with a place against Spain in Sunday’s final up for grabs. The stage for the latest chapter of England and Australia’s historic rivalry could not be bigger as both teams aim to reach their first-ever Women’s World Cup final, with the hosts gripped by Matildas fever and set for their biggest sporting occasion since the 2000 Olympic Games. The Lionesses rode the wave of home support as they won the Euros last summer but will now look to spoil the party as Sarina Wiegman’s side look to make history of their own. England have overcome several challenges to reach the semi-finals now faced with their biggest yet as they take on a near-80,000 capacity crowd at Stadium Australia. Follow LIVE: England face Australia in World Cup semi-final clash Tensions are set to be high as the Lionesses face the Matildas, although players from both sides played down the traditional rivalry that is played out across sports like cricket and netball. I wouldn’t say this is a major rivalry in football,” England midfielder Keira Walsh argued ahead of the match. “They are a great team and it is a semi-final. Whoever you’re playing it is going to be an intense game. So for us that is one of the last things we’re thinking of.” Who is the referee for England vs Australia? England’s semi-final with Australia will be refereed by American Tori Penso, who is one of the leading officials in the game. Penso regularly takes charge of Major League Soccer matches in the United States after becoming the first woman to referee in the US top-flight in 20 years when she officiated a game between D.C. United and Nashville in September 2020. The World Cup semi-final will be Penso’s fourth match of the tournament. Penso, who has been a Fifa-rated referee since 2021, took charge of 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 against Morocco in the last-16. Penso only gave out two yellow cards across her first three games at the tournament. When is England vs Australia? The Women’s World Cup semi-final will kick off at 11am UK time (BST) on Wednesday 16 August, and will be played at the Stadium Australia, Sydney. How can I watch it? England vs Australia will be shown live on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer, with coverage getting underway from 10am. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today England and Australia’s old rivalry on a new stage for World Cup semi-final Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is meeting with Greece's prime minister as part of an effort to deal with organized violence in soccer in the wake of a deadly attack led by Croatian fans in Athens

Australia are facing England in the Women's World Cup semi-final today, with both teams trying to get into their first-ever World Cup final. Playing in the host nation's Stadium Australia in Sydney, from 11am BST, the Matildas (as they are known) will face England's Lionesses and it is expected to be an exciting match given how well both teams have been playing in the tournament. But those developing an interest in women's football for the first time may be confused as to why Australia's team are called the Matildas as they watch the action unfold. The history behind the nickname is pretty interesting. When Australia qualified for their first Women’s World Cup in 1995 they were known as “the Female Socceroos”, referencing the men’s team, a portmanteau of “soccer” and “kangaroos”. But before the tournament started, the Australian Women’s Soccer Association ran a viewer competition to find a better nickname, with the shortlist including the “Soccertoos”, “Blue Flyers”, “Waratahs”, “Lorikeets” and “Matildas”. The Matildas, which comes from popular Australian song “Waltzing Matilda”, which is seen as an unofficial national anthem, won the poll and the name stuck. The song “Waltzing Matilda” tells the story of a person who steals a sheep and is chased by police, and jumps into a pond to escape, but drowns. Former Australia player Moya Dodd once told The Sydney Morning Herald why she thought the nickname was so fitting for the team. “I think it did capture a sense of rebelliousness, if you like, which is women’s football,” she said. “It was banned for a long time. To be a woman playing football was a social transgression. In a way, it identifies well with a song about a guy who’s defying authority by stealing things, and then making sure he doesn’t get caught.” So there you have it. Regardless of the team's nicknames, the countdown to the semi-final is getting increasingly exciting, with an Australian newspaper accused of spying on England's latest training session, showing just how intense the long-running rivalry between the two countries is getting. European champions England defeated Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the Matildas’ dramatic penalty shootout victory against France in their winning quarter-finals became the most-watched sporting event in the country since the 2000 Olympic Games. The winner will play Spain in Sydney, after La Roja defeated Sweden 2-1 in the other semi-final and then we will know who has won the World Cup. It's all to play for. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ben Stokes is coming out of retirement from one-day internationals to play in England’s defense of the Cricket World Cup

Alexi Lalas was considered a pioneer when he joined Padova in 1994

Tottenham Hotspur are continuing to assess striker options on the transfer market following the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, with Gent's Gift Orban and Brighton's Evan Ferguson among their targets.

Australia star Sam Kerr has been included in the starting lineup for the Matildas semifinal match against England at the Women’s World Cup

'Mystic meerkats' who correctly predicted the Lionesses' results to the Euro 2022 finals have made their guesses on who will come out on top at England vs Australia at the Women's World Cup. The animals, who live at Drusillas Park in Sussex, have gotten into predictions as a form of enrichment, and have become internet stars as a result. They're presented with a bucket, one with each team's flag, before they decide which one is their favourite. It's set to be a good day for England. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Kenya is likely to haul in another good chunk of medals in distance races at the upcoming track and field world championships in Hungary

Deontay Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, has said he is ‘optimistic’ that a fight between the “Bronze Bomber” and Anthony Joshua will take place early next year. Joshua knocked out Robert Helenius in the seventh round on Saturday (12 August), 10 months after Wilder stopped the Finn in Round 1, and a clash between the former heavyweight champions has never seemed closer. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has spoken positively about negotiations for months, while Finkel has commented on the situation less frequently. However, Finkel told Sky Sports on Tuesday (15 August): “I am optimistic that a deal can be made for Deontay to fight Joshua in early 2024.” The fight has been one of the most-anticipated in boxing since 2018, though Briton Joshua and his American counterpart have experienced mixed fortunes since. Joshua suffered his first professional loss in 2019 when he was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr, and he has lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk since then. “AJ”, 33, has also outpointed Ruiz and Jermaine Franklin and knocked out Kubrat Pulev and Helenius in that time, though. Meanwhile, Wilder fought Tyson Fury to a controversial draw in late 2018 before suffering two knockout losses to the Briton. The 37-year-old has, however, knocked out Dominic Breazeale, Luis Ortiz and Helenius in the last four years. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Anthony Joshua has the blueprint to beat Deontay Wilder – is he brave enough to use it? Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout Tyson Fury promoter Frank Warren hits out at ‘boring’ Anthony Joshua performance

England face hosts Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals as the Lionesses come up against not just the Matildas but an entire nation in Sydney. The stage for the latest chapter of England and Australia’s historic rivalry could not be bigger as both teams aim to reach their first-ever Women’s World Cup final, with the hosts gripped by Matildas fever and set for their biggest sporting occasion since the 2000 Olympic Games. The Lionesses rode the wave of home support as they won the Euros last summer but will now look to spoil the party as Sarina Wiegman’s side attempt to make history of their own. England have overcome several challenges to reach the semi-finals and are now faced with their biggest yet as they take on a near-80,000 capacity crowd at Stadium Australia. A place against Spain in Sunday’s final is up for grabs, with ‘La Roja’ defeating Sweden 2-1 yesterday. Follow live updates from England vs Australia in the semi-finals and get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Read More How to watch England vs Australia: TV channel and kick-off time for Women’s World Cup semi-final England and Australia’s old rivalry has new stage as World Cup arrives at its biggest moment The Lionesses will need to beat an entire nation in the grip of World Cup fever