Believe the ‘overhype’: England overcome Caicedo and friends to set up date with their toughest foe

For an ‘overhyped’ team who were ignoring their ‘inadequacies’, England did well to show the lessons they had learned while reaching another World Cup semi.

Among some fierce competition, one particularly pathetic thought stood out from the recent hatchet job on England conducted by a prominent national newspaper journalist:

Those England players who stopped in the aftermath to discuss the near two hours of torture, against a side who also brought organisational discipline to the occasion, showed little willingness to admit that the performance was inadequate.

England prevailed – and that’s what ultimately counts – but to hear the players speak of ‘pride’ in the display was to wonder which field they had occupied.

The inconvenient truth is that the performance reinforced what the group stage had hinted at: that they are overhyped and nowhere near as good as they would have us think.

Yet there England are, two hurdles – eminently difficult though they will be – from becoming the reigning world and European champions. Two hurdles, two games, two exacting, pushing, challenging wins from eternal greatness. Perhaps they really are pretty good?

They could not, contrary to unpopular belief, have overcome Colombia without an element of introspection. Mary Earps promised that the best was “yet to come” before the quarter-final. “We can give more,” Lucy Bronze said after scraping past Nigeria on penalties, adding: “We are not happy with our performances.”

Nor should they have been, considering the talent at Sarina Wiegman’s disposal and the high standards to which they are held both internally and on the outside. But the numerous setbacks the Lionesses have absorbed both before and during the tournament have hardly been conducive to linear improvement to match their progression through the tournament.

There were no unexpected problems, self-inflicted or otherwise, to solve against Colombia. They were stern in the challenge but skilful on the ball, Ana Maria Guzman clattering Lauren Hemp on one touchline shortly after Linda Caicedo sent Jess Carter for a hotdog on the other. It was tough, but that was no surprise.

Caicedo, much like her namesake when it comes to the current headlines, both dominated proceedings and was particularly elusive in her movement. There was a trade-off of sorts as England targeted the wide-open spaces Manuela Vargas was often left to monitor alone defensively. Crosses from that side produced fleeting chances for Alessia Russo, but nothing substantial.

The breakthrough, in fairness, was hardly signposted. Leicy Santos might not immediately seem like this generation’s Ronaldinho but playground discourse will centre on whether another fleet-footed South American forward meant to humble a pony-tailed England goalkeeper at a World Cup. A cross? A shot? It ultimately doesn’t matter as long as it goes in.

But then came Colombia’s first mistake. They sat back, invited pressure and retreated deeper into their own half, hoping to see out the remaining minute plus stoppage time of the first half. England took the initiative, started to build and advance through the midfield and created their own luck, Hemp converting after another goalkeeping error.

It was the best England had played all tournament. Confident. Assertive. Cohesive. With intent. And Colombia had the half-time whistle to thank for it only producing an equaliser and nothing more.

Hemp was excellent. Alex Greenwood, too, and Georgia Stanway. The nervous tension clear in the Nigeria win was a distant memory.

But it was Russo who decided the game, latching onto a threaded pass from Stanway after a brilliant ball from Greenwood pulled Colombia completely out of position. The Arsenal forward’s flicked control was glorious, her finish as stunning as it was decisive.

There was no storm to weather, no gilt-edged Colombia chance to pray was squandered or deflected wide. Earps produced one eye-catching save from range and everything else was repelled by Millie Bright, if not intercepted by Greenwood. England, when pushed, rose to the occasion not just in result, but performance this time.

Australia await in the semi-final: both the hosts and the only team to beat England during the Wiegman tenure. It will take an almighty effort to go one better than in 2015 and 2019 and advance to the final, but the bruised and battered but burgeoning Lionesses can take pride in having made it this far.