England Women move into last-16 after win over Colombia

Wednesday 17 Jun 2015
Fara Williams is mobbed by her England team-mates after scoring from the spot

England moved into the last-16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup courtesy of a comfortable 2-1 win over Colombia in their final match in Group F.

Karen Carney and Fara Williams scored the goals during a first half their team-mates dominated.

Lady Andrade pulled one back in added time, but Mark Sampson's side held on for the win.

England 2-1 Colombia

FIFA Women's World Cup 2015
Group F
Wednesday 17 June
Olympic Stadium, Montreal

England started and ended the day in second place as France blitzed Mexico 5-0 to usurp Colombia and top the group.

The Lionesses will now take on Norway, runners-up in Group B, at the Lansdowne Stadium in Ottawa on Monday 22 June.

There were five changes to the England team that edged Mexico on Saturday. Vice-captain Jordan Nobbs and former skipper Casey Stoney came in for their first appearances of the tournament.

Carney and Alex Greenwood, who each made a big impact as substitutes against Mexico, replaced Claire Rafferty and Eniola Aluko respectively while Alex Scott was recalled to the starting 11 in place of Lucy Bronze.

And it was Stoney who had England’s first attempt at goal following a well-worked corner. Greenwood cut the ball back to Williams, who swung over a deep cross which Scott headed back across goal, but the on-rushing Stoney could only nod the ball over the bar.

Fara Williams doubled England

Fara Williams tucks away her penalty for 2-0

That chance sparked England into life, and it wasn’t long before they went ahead.

They were awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal, which Steph Houghton tried to bend into the near post. Colombia goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda got down well to parry the ball away, but Carney was on hand to slide home the rebound from a tight angle.

It was her second goal of the tournament from just her second attempt.

Jade Moore then headed wide from another Greenwood corner before Fran Kirby skipped beyond the Colombian backline but gave herself too much to do and prodded into the side netting.

The crowd inside the Olympic Stadium were certainly in favour of Felipe Taborda’s side – Montreal has a large Latin American population – but England were doing their best to keep them quiet. However, the yellow flags were waving when Andrade broke down the left, but she could only shoot off target.

In his pre-match press conference, Sampson said he expected Colombia to be a physical outfit – and it was from another of their first-half misdemeanors that England doubled their advantage.

Karen Carney is challenged by Angela Clavijo

Karen Carney under pressure in Montreal

Catalina Usme was booked for a foul on Toni Duggan, Houghton drilled the subsequent free-kick into the area and Duggan poked the ball goalwards. Carolina Arias slid in to block and the ball hit her arm.

Referee Carol Chenard pointed to the spot and Williams drilled home the penalty high to the keeper’s right for her 38th international goal.

Sampson’s charges had controlled the first half but goalkeeper Karen Bardsley had to be on guard to stop Arias halving the deficit just before the whistle sounded.

The full-back was played into the box by Yoreli Rincon but Bardsley was quick off her line to block.

Scott blazed an angled shot over the bar when well-placed shortly after the restart, but there was no need for England to over-exert themselves in the second period.

Lianne Sanderson replaced Carney just before the hour mark for her first game at Canada 2015 – and her first World Cup outing since 2007.

Fran Kirby attempts to evade the challenge of Nataly Arias

Fran Kirby is challenged by Nataly Arias

Jo Potter and Jodie Taylor also entered the fray in the second half for their first-ever appearances at a World Cup.

Colombia knew they would join England in the last-16 as one of the best third-placed teams and they attempted to give their boisterous followers something to cheer about when Rincon cracked an effort from range just wide of the upright.

The South Americans tried to up the ante midway through the second half. 

Bardsley plucked a couple of free-kicks from the air and then punched away a potentially dangerous Diana Ospina cross, and that was the extent of Colombia’s threat - until Andrade popped up in added time to lift the ball over Bardsley and into the net.

England offered little going forward after the break, but they did not need to.

They had looked comfortable from the outset, they managed the second half well and now have four days to prepare for their knockout tie against Norway.

England (4-3-3): 1 Karen Bardsley (Manchester City); 2 Alex Scott (Arsenal), 5 Steph Houghton (captain; Manchester City), 15 Casey Stoney (Arsenal), 14 Alex Greenwood (Notts County); 7 Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), 4 Fara Williams (Liverpool), 11 Jade Moore (Birmingham City); 10 Karen Carney (Birmingham City), 18 Toni Duggan (Manchester City), 22 Fran Kirby (Reading).

Substitutes: 20 Lianne Sanderson (Arsenal) for Carney 56, 17 Jo Potter (Birmingham City) for Kirby 66, 19 Jodie Taylor (Portland Thorns) for Duggan 81

Substitutes not used: 3 Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), 6 Laura Bassett (Notts County), 8 Jill Scott (Manchester City), 9 Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), 12 Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), 13 Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal), 16 Katie Chapman (Chelsea), 21 Carly Telford (Notts County), 23 Ellen White (Notts County).

Goals: Carney 15, Williams (pen) 38

Bookings: Scott 65

Head coach: Mark Sampson

Colombia: 12 Sandra Sepulveda, 3 Natalia Gaitan (C), 4 Diana Ospina, 6 Daniela Montoya, 9 Orianica Velasquez, 10 Yoreli Rincon, 11 Catalina Usme, 13 Angela Clavijo, 14 Nataly Arias, 16 Lady Andrade, 17 Carolina Arias.

Substitutes: 7 Ingrid Vidal for Usme 58, 15 Tatiana Ariza for Rincon 75, 19 Leicy Santos for Ospina 83

Substitutes not used: 1 Stefany Castano, 2 Carolina Arbelaez, 5 Lina Granados, 8 Mildrey Pineda, 18 Yisela Cuesta, 20 Laura Cosme, 21 Isabella Echeverri, 22 Catalina Perez, 23 Manuela Gonzalez

Goals: Andrade 90+4

Bookings: Usme 36, Arias 37, Sepulveda 85

Head coach: Felipe Taborda

Referee: Carol Anne Chenard

Attendance: 13,862

By Glenn Lavery in Montreal, Canada