12:26 PM BST
67 mins: Australia 1 England 1
England come close to taking the lead again! Bright pings in a long, long pass to Bronze on the right wing, she gets to the byline and stands up her cross and it’s not far off going in at the far post, Arnold a little helpless there. England cannot get a woman into the far post to send it back into the danger zone.
12:25 PM BST
Tom Garry’s thoughts on the Kerr equaliser
“That’s the goal Australia has been waiting for. Sam Kerr, at her home tournament, after the calf injury, after all the pressure, after all the noise, she’s produced something magical for her country amidst the weight of colossal expectation.”
12:23 PM BST
64 mins: Australia 1 England 1
That has got the crowd going. Kerr again in the penalty area, left side, looking dangerous. Jess Carter lunges in to tackle at the right moment and sends it behind for a corner.
12:21 PM BST
GOAAAAL! Kerr with a thunderbolt!
If you thought Toone’s goal was a good one…
This is classic Kerr and England are punished for giving the ball away.
She picks the ball up just in the England half, runs towards goal and then lets fly from 22 yards out and Mary Earps can do nothing about it. It perhaps takes a slight deflection off Bright. But Bright really should have given Kerr less space there.
Australia 1 England 1
12:20 PM BST
62 mins: Australia 0 England 1
England find a bit more space attacking as Australia commit more bodies forward. The yellow shirts are not quite as close on their blue counterparts as they were in the first half. They are still there, though, as Russo is dispossessed…
12:18 PM BST
60 mins: Australia 0 England 1
I will not say that England are “in control” of the game because that is absolute nonsense when a side is just 1-0 up. But they are looking fairly comfortable at the moment…
12:15 PM BST
58 mins: Australia 0 England 1
Greenwood’s corner does find centre-back Bright this time on the edge or the six-yard box, it’s a glancing heading downwards but it slides wide of the post.
12:14 PM BST
56 mins: Australia 0 England 1
A foul given against Lucy Bronze for… something, but I am not sure what. Can’t see what it was and I don’t think it was a foul. Polkinghorne headed the ball away and Bronze was just there… some strange officiating so far in this match.
Hemp from the edge of the box with her left foot! It’s well struck and heading to the keeper’s left but she parries out for another England corner. Good hit.
12:12 PM BST
54 mins: Australia 0 England 1
Australia not exactly cutting through England’s defensive lines at the moment. Lacking a bit of creativity.
12:09 PM BST
50 mins: Australia 0 England 1
Greenwood’s corner is sent in to the back post but Bright cannot get high enough to get her head on it and it’s an Australia goal kick. England the ones putting Australia under pressure here, though they are defending fairly well currently.
12:07 PM BST
48 mins: Australia 0 England 1
Australia causing England a few problems early on here, though England are not helping themselves with giving the ball away numerous times. Kerr nods one down to Fowler on the edge of the box. She takes time to set herself for the shot but Bright lunges into tackle her.
England counter and Toone forces a corner, after a long ball down the right. Hunt stabbing it out. A high-intensity start to this half.
12:05 PM BST
46 mins: Australia 0 England 1
England see out an Australia attack, Sam Kerr the target in the penalty box but Carter disrupts her enough and Earps claims the loose ball easily.
12:03 PM BST
Second half: Australia 0 England 1
England began the second half positively through Hemp and Russo on the right, but Russo gives it away to Raso on Australia’s right… England regroup slightly and force Australia back.
11:59 AM BST
Right, 45 minutes stand between England and a first World Cup final
Well, they do if Australia do not score one more than England in those 45 minutes. And maybe even if they do. The match stats, for what it’s worth, are in England’s favour: 67 per cent of the possession, 7 shots to four and two on target to one. They have nine fouls to Australia’s one, though I think Australia got away with a few in that half.
11:51 AM BST
HALF TIME: Australia 0 England 1
England deservedly lead. They haven’t exactly been brilliant as such, but certainly good and good for their 1-0 advantage.
11:47 AM BST
45 mins: Australia 0 England 1
England have a few attempts at clearing the danger from the corner, first with Daly heading away but it soon bounces back. Earps claims the looping ball and England are a step closer to half-time. Just a single minute of time to be added on.
Australia’s best period of the game since the goal. Probably. England clear the danger again with Hemp bursting out of her own half. That should be that for the half…
11:45 AM BST
42 mins: Australia 0 England 1
Australia have looked their most dangerous down the right and they come again with an attack there now. Cooney-Cross sends in a cross-field ball from deep and Bronze has to nod it back for a corner with Foord waiting just behind her.
11:44 AM BST
Luke Edwards on the Toone goal
“And that’s what happens when you go forward, show a bit of adventure and look to ping quick passes around. England sliced through Australia there. The touch from Russo to get away from two defenders on the touchline was silk and then the pull back for Toone to hit on the run. Great goal. That is what England are capable of when they move the ball fast.”
11:41 AM BST
37 mins: Australia 0 England 1
Such a good goal.
11:37 AM BST
GOAAAAAL! England take the lead in Sydney
England take the lead… a superb strike from Ella Toone! The patience paid off!
Russo on the byline, cuts back for Toone (via a Hemp dummy) in space about 13 yards out and cuts across it with her right foot and sends in a thunderous strike into the right side-netting, Mackenzie Arnold with no chance of stopping that one. Wonderful strike. England (deservedly probably) take the lead.
Australia 0 England 1
11:37 AM BST
33 mins: Australia 0 England 0
England were fairly patient early on, but they’ve had less of the ball and fewer promising positions in the final third in the last 10 or so minutes. A little impatience is perhaps starting to sink in. Australia are clinging to those blue shirts, so, so tightly, though.
11:34 AM BST
31 mins: Australia 0 England 0
Australia coming back into this a little more. Or at least it’s a quieter period for England. The Matildas break after a misplaced Carter pass but Carpenter on the right flank overhits her cross and England escape from danger.
11:30 AM BST
30 mins: Australia 0 England 0
Raso gets to the byline and Daly puts it out for a corner. Raso goes down clutching her ankle but it was not a foul. Not that she cannot be hurt, but it was not a foul. Not that she was trying to claim one.
The ball falls to Raso at the back post, Lucy Bronze deflects it behind for a second corner in quick succession.
11:29 AM BST
28 mins: Australia 0 England 0
Daly is fouled on the touchline, quite clearly, by Raso but the referee gives nothing, lets play go on and Australia end up with a throw. Sarina Wiegman is not happy and nor should she be. Australia getting away with a few here, I feel.
11:27 AM BST
25 mins: Australia 0 England 0
England go aerial again (though there is a foul in the build-up that is not given), but Arnold in goal or the Matildas, claims comfortably to a significant cheer from the partisan crowd.
11:26 AM BST
23 mins: Australia 0 England 0
England getting joy down both sides. Russo receives a fairly robust challenge and the referee does not give anything before Kerr is fouled by Jess Carter, whose foot is high. Not 100 per cent sure it was a foul, really. The ball hit her in the face, not Carter’s foot.
Kerr has been fouled a few times already, perhaps unsurprisingly.
11:23 AM BST
21 mins: Australia 0 England 0
Russo picks up the ball from Hemp on the left of the box but cannot get the ball in a position to shoot – despite some nifty footwork – with her right foot and is dispossessed by Raso.
11:21 AM BST
19 mins: Australia 0 England 0
I wouldn’t say it’s been a nervy start for Australia, more that England have been very good so far.
11:19 AM BST
16 mins: Australia 0 England 0
Australia get a bit of the ball, on the right flank. England work a pay very well from a goal kick, Bronze flicks it onto Toone who then sends a through ball to Russo who fires a shot off in the right edge of the box and into the side-netting. Should have done a bit better there maybe? Encouraging, though, and super-link up play.
Carter fouls Foord on the half-way line.
England with five shots, none on target, to Australia’s one.
11:16 AM BST
14 mins: Australia 0 England 0
Russo and Hemp link up on the right this time, Hemp beating Hunt and turning, although the attack then breaks down. England comfortably the better side here and are looking creative and dangerous.
11:14 AM BST
12 mins: Australia 0 England 0
England causing Australia a few problems with some cross-field aerial balls into the box. Nothing yet but a couple of corners, but some concern for the hosts.
11:11 AM BST
9 mins: Australia 0 England 0
And now England get their first chance! Greenwood lofts one over the top from the left edge of the midfield and finds Stanway in the penalty box. She shoots first time down low and Arnold saves with her feet and it’s an England corner. Nice work, especially from Greenwood.
After that speculative opening few minutes, the game has become a bit open.
Greenwood then hacks down Sam Kerr, who is on the break, and is booked.
11:09 AM BST
8 mins: Australia 0 England 0
A first worry for England… A superb pass from the midfield pierces through the entire England backline, finding Sam Kerr who runs it on onto the penalty area and then shoots low with her left foot… it’s a superb save from Earps with her feet and it goes out for a corner.
Or rather it doesn’t as Kerr is then flagged offside. She just went a bit early there, but that was a little bit too easy for Australia.
11:07 AM BST
6 mins: Australia 0 England 0
England with the lion(esses?)’s share of the possession in the opening minutes but most of it has been sideways and backwards in their own half. Cagey. Cartner miscontrols it with her back to goal 25 yards out, and Foord chasing her down but gets away with it.
Tom Garry:
“It’s been an interesting start from Australia. They’re choosing not to press England’s back three, and instead are trying to mark central midfielders Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway out of the game. England have attempted long balls forward from the back four times already, perhaps as a result.”
11:05 AM BST
4 mins: Australia 0 England 0
England keeping possession at the back, taking their time and patiently trying to work it forward. Hemp lofts one in towards Toone but she cannot control it and the ball goes out of play for an Australia throw.
11:04 AM BST
1 min: Australia 0 England 0
Keira Walsh sends in a late tackle on Sam Kerr very early on. She is not carded but it is a foul.
11:02 AM BST
Kick-off!
We are under way in Sydney.
10:58 AM BST
…as is Tom Garry
“Representatives from the local aboriginal community have just welcomed everybody to the stadium with an opening speech, which receives warm applause. Next up, the players will come out of the tunnel. A thumping drum beat awaits them from the speaker system. On the pitch, huge flags of Australia and England are being held tight by zones of volunteers. Smoke is pumped into the air. The stage is well-and-truly set. Now here come the roars…”
“The sound system here at Stadium Australia is so deafeningly loud at the moment, I hardly heard anybody singing. It certainly looked like 75,000 Aussies were belting out ‘Advance Australia Fair’ at the top of their voices, but somebody has got the volume on the speakers here at their highest setting.”
10:57 AM BST
Luke Edwards in the stadium is feeling the atmosphere
The atmosphere inside the stadium is intense. Not sure I’ve experienced better for a women’s international fixture. Yellow and gold everywhere… a sprinkling of white and red. There are supposedly around 8,000 England fans here…. England need to silence this crowd in the first half .
10:54 AM BST
A bit of fan trouble in the fan park
10:51 AM BST
Sarina Wiegman speaks to BBC Sport
“I think we played a very good game, it was a great team performance so I don’t see any reason to change it. It doesn’t change at all, we were ready for everything. They have played with her and without her… we know what we can expect. We as a team look forward at this match, it’s a big big game and it’s going to be a battle. Probably we will have some tactical things to find solutions to.”
10:43 AM BST
Australia vs England: A tale of female sporting rivalry
Heather Knight, Emily Scarratt and Geva Mentor talk about what it is like to take on and beat the Australians in action.
10:36 AM BST
Rio Ferdinand has made his prediction
10:29 AM BST
Luke Edwards in Sydney
“I might be wrong but I’m detecting some apprehension among the Australian fans before kick off. I also thought some of the comments from Mackenzie Arnold before the game were strange talking about the negative reaction if she played badly. It was meant as a joke but many a true word is said in jest.
“The supporters I spoke to on the train out to the stadium were worried about the fact England have not played well and still reached another semi-final. They also think, on paper, we have the better players.
“The return of star striker Sam Kerr to the starting line up will ease some home crowd nerves but if England score first I think the Matildas could push the panic button.”
10:24 AM BST
Spying row before Australia vs England Women’s World Cup semi-final
England’s World Cup semi-final showdown with Australia has been soured by a spying controversy after a helicopter was used to film the Lionesses’ final training session before the match in Sydney.
The Australian Daily Telegraph sent the helicopter to spy on Sarina Wiegman’s side as they worked on a plan to beat the Matildas and knock them out of the tournament they have co-hosted alongside New Zealand.
Read more from Luke Edwards here.
10:17 AM BST
Jess Carter also spoke to BBC Sport
“I feel like we are gelling together… the team as a collective is gelling really well together. I think everyone’s pretty chilled to be fair.
“There’s history in this kind of tournament for England but we are looking to write our own history. I think everyone’s just excited for the game, everyone’s going out there and give it their all and hopefully come away with a positive result.
“[Sam Kerr] is obviously a top player but I think that we are well equipped to deal with her and whatever Australia throw at us.”
10:13 AM BST
Millie Bright spoke to BBC Sport
“It is exciting. We are ready as a team, ready to perform and step up as always.
“Really excited for the atmosphere. Credit to Australia for creating that throughout the tournament, we have felt welcomed by everyone on and off the pitch.
“Who wants to play in a quiet semi-final? Not us!
“The game is between two teams that know a lot about each other, but tournament football is all about turning up, fighting for your place in the next game. We are ready to do absolutely everything.”
10:09 AM BST
Australia have never made it this far before
They will obviously have the support of the home crowd. England fans will be outnumbered and outvoiced.
09:56 AM BST
Tom Garry is on the ground
Weather looks decent, doesn’t it?
09:51 AM BST
Fancy a free bet?
It’s crunch time for England as once again, they are favourites to reach the final. Back them to get past today’s opponents with these Women’s World Cup free bets and betting offers.
09:49 AM BST
Australia’s side is also in
Starting XI: Arnold, Polkinghorne, Cately, Foord, Fowler, Hunt, Raso, Gorry, Kerr, Carpenter, Cooney-Cross
Substitutes: Williams, Nevin, Luik, Vine, Van Egmond, Micah, Yallop, Simon, Grant
Alanna Kennedy is out: “This morning Alanna Kennedy was ruled out of tonight’s clash due to illness. Alanna will not be in attendance tonight,” according to the team.
09:43 AM BST
What time is kick off and how can you watch?
Kick-off between Australia and England is at 11am UK time on Wednesday August 16 (8pm Sydney local time). If you are in the UK, you can watch it live on BBC One or on BBC iPlayer.
09:37 AM BST
Tom Garry has been subject to some riotous banter in Australia…
“The Aussies have been dishing out banter ever since this blockbuster semi-final was confirmed. I was in an Uber this morning and the driver offered me and the rest of the English press pack a lift to the airport tomorrow!”
“In our hotel, the concierge had the cheek to recommend a hotel in Brisbane for this weekend – to cover the 3rd & 4th-place play-off. And a number of the Australia newspapers’ front pages have made a reference this morning to ‘beat the Poms’.”
“It’s largely been good-natured but, make no mistake; the co-hosts would love nothing more than to knock England out tonight. This is a sporting rivalry that runs deep.”
09:32 AM BST
The England team is in
Starting XI: Earps, Bronze, Walsh, Greenwood, Bright (c), Stanway, Daly, Toone, Hemp, Carter, Russo
Substitutes: Charles, Nobbs, Hampton, Wubben-Moy, Morgab, Coombs, Kelly, England, Zelem, Roebuck, Robinson
09:25 AM BST
Good morning
Hello and welcome to a huge day for England football as the European champions take on Australia in Sydney. The winner will move through to the World Cup final where they will face Spain on Sunday. The biggest threat to England’s hopes will come in the shape of Sam Kerr, who is fit to play after struggling with a calf injury.
England boss Sarina Wiegman said: “Australia is not just Sam Kerr. Yes, we have a plan [if she starts]. She can play and she can start on the bench, so that’s the situation. Of course she is a threat, she’s a very good player, so a lot of respect [to her].
“But there is more than Sam Kerr, because at the end it is always a team performance. When the team does really well an individual can do even better. That’s the same for Australia and it’s the same for England.
“There is a lot of pressure on her because everyone expects things from her. I think Australia have grown in the tournament too, they had some difficult situations they had to come back from and they did really well. We expect a very strong Australia tomorrow.”
England captain Millie Bright, Kerr’s club team-mate at Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, echoed her manager’s assessment, adding:
“I think everyone knows [Sam] pretty well. On the worldwide stage, I think she’s made a name for herself. “It’s pretty hard not to know Sam and her abilities, but like Sarina said there’s other players in the team. I think we’re prepared to play against Australia as a team.”
Packed fan zones in cities around Australia will have giant screens showing the match, and thousands of pubs will broadcast. And you can follow the match live with us here, with the kick-off for the big game at 11am BST.
