Football: England not afraid of hostile atmosphere against host nation Australia

Nearly 50,000 spectators watched Australia beat France at Brisbane Stadium on Saturday.

A much larger crowd, more than 75,000 people, are expected to watch the World Cup semi-final against England at Stadium Australia in Sydney tomorrow.

But in the English camp they are not afraid of the tremendous support provided by the team at home.

– This is what we expect now in major tournaments, especially in the semi-finals. “So we grow in moments like this,” says Millie Bright, every day at Chelsea.

-You want that environment, and you want it to be loud. It's a proud moment for women's football when people back home turn on the TV and see how amazing the spectacle is.

Gustafsson: “They are strong favourites”

Swede Tony Gustafsson, Australia's captain, believes the pressure is on England to reach the final.

“Lionesses” ranks fourth in the world and tenth in Australia.

– Looking at the world rankings, she is the favourite. If you look at the player profile, you will find that they have starting players in all the major clubs in the world, and we have reserve players in the same team. Add to that the resources they have, and it is clear that England are strong favourites, says Gustafsson.

But England captain Sarina Wegman disagrees.

– I don't think Australia is the underdog. They play at home in front of a packed arena. She says that there will be a meeting between two good teams and it will be a strong and exciting match.

The last time the two teams met, in a friendly match last April, Australia won, breaking England's 30-match winning streak. It is also England's only loss under Sarina Wegman.

No matter who wins, this will be the first ever World Cup final for women. Spain will be the opposition on Sunday after its victory over Sweden today.