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England’s Womens Team will be relishing the chance to beat Australia at their home. (Image: AFP)
The rivalry between England and Australia is set to be revived as the sides face each other on the football pitch for the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup.
Kiera Walsh one of England’s key midfielders said it would be a ‘very nice feeling’ to silence the Australian crowd which sold out for the Women’s World Cup sem-finals against the co-hosts, Australia.
The reigning European champions will face the co-hosts with the crowd meant to be packed and hostile at the stadium which is said to have a capacity of 80,000 people.
There is a long-standing sporting rivalry between England and Australia and neither side has ever reached the final of the Women’s World Cup.
England knows the benefits of having a bumper crowd in their corner, having won the European Championship last summer on home soil.
But the Lionesses and Barcelona’s Walsh are now on enemy territory.
“When you have the crowd behind you it gives you that extra push,” said the 26-year-old, who was stretchered off earlier in the tournament with a knee injury but is now back in Sarina Wiegman’s side.
“But I also think that when you are playing against it, when you can quieten the crowd, it’s also a very nice feeling.
“Maybe trying to take the momentum out of (their) game is going to be important.
“So there’s positives and negatives to both and I’ve experienced both,” she told reporters.
Walsh said she was aware of talk among fans and media about the rivalry between England and Australia but she is more interested in reaching the final and winning the World Cup.
“For us, it is a semi-final, it is a massive game, regardless of who you are playing,” she said.
“We are all just really focused. A lot of us aren’t really on social media, we are not listening to what’s going on outside.
“That’s what has got us this far at this tournament.”
England are into their third semi-final in a row at the tournament but have never got farther, something Walsh is desperate to fix.
“It is every footballer’s dream to play at a World Cup final so for us that’s the aim and we hope we can get the job done on Wednesday.”
England came into the World Cup as one of the favourites and, having squeezed past Nigeria on penalties in the last 16, they defeated Colombia 2-1 on Saturday to make the last four.
Australia reached their first World Cup semi-final 7-6 on penalties against France.
The Matildas beat England 2-0 away in April to bring the Lionesses’ 30-match unbeaten run to an end.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
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