Russo picks out trait that'll help England beat Australia in their own backyard

13 August 2023 , 10:40

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Russo picks out trait that'll help England beat Australia in their own backyard

England hero Alessia Russo believes the unbreakable bond of the Lionesses will help them waltz past the Matildas and into the World Cup final.

The 24-year-old Arsenal striker hit the winner in the impressive 2-1 win over Colombia to seal a semi-final place against the hosts, Australia, on Wednesday. Back home bars, clubs and restaurants are expecting bumper lunch time takings thanks to the later 11am kick off UK time.

Alessia, of Maidstone, Kent, had parents Mario and Carol and brothers Luca and Giorgio among a huge contingent of players' family and friends in the stands of the Stadium Australia in Sydney. She said: "We have been up against a lot at this tournament and we always find a way through.

"One of the strongest things about this team is that we never give up and we have such a good team bond off the pitch. I really think that is important." She added: "We are enjoying each other's company and having a good time. We like being with each other and when times are tough, we have each other's back."

Midfield duo Georgia Stanway, 24, of Barrow in Cumbria, and Rochdale-born Keira Walsh, 26, who plays for Barcelona, posed for a 'semi-finalist selfie' as the team returned to their training HQ in Terrigal, New South Wales on Sunday. Georgia's brother John Paul also posted a message to say that 'if Carlsberg did weeks, they would look a lot like this'.

Earps reacts to FIFA Best nomination and on season so far with Man Utd

Alessia Russo continues to be the hero for England down under (Mark Metcalfe - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Ella Toone, 23, has forged a close bond with Jordan Nobbs, 30, in the England camp, saying: "She is so funny." Ella was singing 'Sweet Caroline' with the England fans in the 75,784 strong crowd on Saturday but joked: "To be honest, when I hear it on the way to training, it can be a bit boring. When I hear the fans singing it in the stadium, I love it."

The Lionesses will face either Sweden or Spain, who play on Tuesday in their first ever Women's World Cup final if they were to go through. Australia are high in confidence after they were celebrated for one of their country's 'greatest sporting moments' in the dramatic win over France in the semi-final on Saturday.

They made headlines including "Magnifique Matildas" and "Mathrilldas". The 7-6 penalty shootout victory attracted the biggest TV audience since Cathy Freeman won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with 4.23m of the 26m population tuning in.

Hosts Australia beat France after a dramatic penalty shootout (Photo by Justin Setterfield)

England fans will be arriving on planes, trains and automobiles for the match. Many of the 4,000 who bought tickets from UK addresses were heading out for this week's quarter final, semi final and final on Sunday. Others are travelling from Hong Kong, Singapore, and cities across Australia, including Brisbane and Melbourne.

Nicole Smith, head of events at the specialist agency Sportsworld, said fans already here were doing the sights of Sydney while 'on tour'. Newcastle Utd fan Claire Coyles, 34, of Whitehaven, Cumbria, is on a £12,000 dream trip. She has tickets for the semi and the final and wants to see a repeat of our Euro 2022 triumph.

She said that you "cannot put a price" on seeing England win a World Cup. The semi-final showdown has split allegiances in the 1.3m expat community of Brits living in Oz, but also brought fans together. Aussie Chelsea Dyson, 34, a mining supervisor, is following England all the way through the tournament, with tickets to the final.

Have your say! Will England beat Australia to reach the final? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.

More England fans will be jetting in ahead of Wednesday's match (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

She has pledged her allegiance to the Lionesses as her mum Terri is originally from Wembley, north London while dad Darryl is from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. She said: "My grandad is from England as well as my parents so I have saved up for tickets."

She will be cheering them on with Sally Jerrim, 29, originally from the Isle of Man and now living in Perth, who said: "I managed to get a month off work. My boss is a Man United fan and knows how much I love the game." The engineer, now based in Perth, spent 7,500 Aussie dollars (£3,250) on accommodation and tickets.

Jeremy Armstrong