Australia and England showed their superior strength when they defeated China 6-1 in the final match of Group D of the 2023 Women's World Cup on the afternoon of August 1.
*Goals: Russo 4', Hemp 26', James 41' 65', Kelly 77', Daly 84' – Wang Shuang 57' (pen)
The match at Hindmarsh pits reigning European champions England against reigning Asian champions China. But the two teams are in contrasting situations. England only need a draw to secure their place in the next round, while China must win.
Things got even more difficult for the Asian representatives when England opened the scoring in the 4th minute thanks to Alessia Russo's long-range shot. Before they could find a way to approach the opponent's goal, China conceded another goal in the 26th minute. Lauren Hemp broke the offside trap and placed the ball with her left foot in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Zhu Yu.
England women celebrate their goal in a 6-1 win over China. Photo: PA
Not only in open play, England also had a lot of tricks up their sleeves when it came to set pieces. In the 41st minute, the European team was awarded a direct free kick on the right wing and instead of shooting straight, Alex Greenwood passed back to the second line for Lauren James to make it 3-0 with one touch. In the fifth minute of injury time, James once again scored a beautiful long-range shot with his left foot but the goal was disallowed after VAR determined an England player was offside.
In the second half, China tried to attack and found results. In the 57th minute, Lucy Bronze committed a foul in the penalty area, giving China a penalty, and Wang Shuang did not miss the opportunity to reduce the score to 1-3. However, Lauren James once again shined to extinguish the hopes of the players in red.
Lauren James (white shirt) volleyed with her left foot to score the fourth goal for England. Photo: Reuters
In the 65th minute, James volleyed beautifully with his left foot from a cross from his teammate on the right wing to complete his double. In the 77th minute, James' long pass caused goalkeeper Zhu Yu to make a mistake when he came out, allowing Chloe Kelly to easily shoot into an empty net. The striker born in 2001 then left the field in the 81st minute, ending the match brilliantly with a double goal and a hat-trick of assists. Notably, she is the younger sister of defender Reece James, who plays for Chelsea and the England men's team.
Before the match ended, England scored another goal in the 84th minute thanks to Rachel Daly, thereby winning 6-1. In the same match, Denmark defeated Haiti 2-0. This result helped England lead Group D with nine absolute points, while Denmark came in second.
In the round of 16, England will face Group B runner-up Nigeria, while Denmark will face Group B winner Australia on the same day, August 7.
Starting lineup
English: Mary Earps, Alex Greenwood, Millie Bright, Jessica Carter, Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Rachel Daly, Katie Zelem, Lauren James, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo
China: Zhu Yu, Li Mengwen, Yao Wei, Wang Shanshan, Chen Qiaozhu, Yang Lina, Yao Lingwei, Wu Chengshu, Zhang Linyan, Wang Shuang, Lou Jiahui.
Hieu Luong
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