ENGLAND
imemaliza katika nafasi ya tatu kwenye Kombe la Dunia wanawake nchini
Canada kufuatia ushindi wa bao 1-0 dhidi ya Ujerumani leo.
Dakika
90 zilimalizika timu hizo zikiwa hazijafungana na katika dakika 30 za
nyongeza, ndipo England wakajibebea Medali ya Shaba/
Ilikuwa
ni dakika ya 108 wakati refa Ri Hyang-ok alipowapa penalti England
baada ya beki wa Ujerumani, Tabea Kemme kumuangusha Lianne Sanderson
kwenye eneo la hatari.
Fara
Williams, ambaye alifanya vizuri katika mikwaju ya penalti kwenye mechi
dhidi ya Colombia na Japan, akamchambua vizuri kipa wa Ujerumani,
Nadine Angerer na kuamsha bonge la shangwe kwa Waingereza wote
waliokuwapo uwanjani.
England's hero Williams immediately wheeled away, pointing and running towards England's bench to start the party
England's ecstatic substitutes ran onto the pitch in celebration after WIlliams' penalty found the back of the net
England's Fara Williams (right) and
teammates celebrate her winning goal against Germany during the FIFA
Women's World Cup 2015 match
In
front of a friendly crowd of 21,483 at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium,
the scene of England’s cruel stoppage time semi-final defeat to Japan,
Laura Bassett looked fiercely determined pre-match to right the wrongs
on the surface still wet with her tears from Wednesday.
Whatever
happened, history was always going to be made with England’s previous
best at a World Cup being an appearance in the quarter-finals – and that
was even before the tournament was expanded to 24 teams.
But
the motivation was not just there to finish as strongly as possible in
this tournament, but also to overcome an opponent they have never
beaten. There were even a few in Sampson’s line-up who could recall the
pain of being thrashed 6-2 by Silvia Neid’s Germany at the Euro 2009
final in Helsinki.
England's No 4 blew kisses in celebration after she scored her third goal of the tournament from the penalty spot
England's Laura Bassett (centre)
celebrates with her team after their win in the match for third place
between England and Germany in Canada
The England team celebrates their victory over Germany in the third place match of the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup
Laura Bassett celebrates her team's
third place after defeating Germany during the FIFA Women's World Cup
2015 third place playoff match
German team members react to losing
their match against England during the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada
third place playoff match
Laura Bassett, seen here speaking to manager Mark Sampson, was determined to atone for her own goal against Japan
It looked like it might be a long, painful afternoon for England when Germany almost opened the scoring in the first minute.
Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley had to be at her athletic best to tip Lara Petermann’s header round the post.
A
chance for the tournament’s leading scorer Celia Sasic soon followed as
she ran through the middle towards the goal, but her tame shot was
collected by the Manchester City stopper.
There
was nearly another own goal embarrassment, this time by Brmingham
City’s Jo Potter who headed the ball over Bardsley, but luckily Steph
Houghton was on hand to hook the ball off the line.
Those early scares put England into action and they started to gain a foothold in the game.
Barely
12 minutes in and captain Houghton had the chance to give her side the
lead when the ball fell to her in the box, but surrounded by Germany
defenders she couldn’t get enough on her shot to trouble veteran
goalkeeper Nadine Angerer.
England's Eniola Aluko was a constant threat to the Germany defence in the latter stages of the second half of normal time
Jill Scott missed a good chance for England, choosing to cut back when a shot would have been the better option
A
more fluid midfield formation from Sampson meant England saw more of
the ball in the first half here than they did against world champions
Japan on Wednesday.
And
there was a sign that it was in the middle of the field where the game
was going to be won, with tough physical battles occurring across the
pitch.
Young
striker Sara Daebritz felt the full force of a shoulder barge from Alex
Greenwood, Jill Scott showed her intent to track back and tussle with
Simone Laudehr, and England’s leading scorer Lucy Bronze made her
presence known when going to head the ball but ending up straight in the
back of Saskia Bartusiak.
Germany,
ranked no 1 in the world, pressed in the build-up to half-time though
and Sasic again came close in the 43rd minute with a header that went
over the bar. The tie remained scoreless at the break with both teams
locked in a fierce battle for pride.
Germany manager Silvia Neid was an animated presence on the touchline at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton
England's Ellen White (23) and Germany's Melanie Behringer battle for possession of the ball in the first half of normal time
The
two-time World Champions began the second half as they began the first,
and Daebritz’s volley from a Sasic cross was excellently pushed wide of
the post by Bardsley who has attracted her fair share of criticism in
this tournament but proved why she is England no 1 here.
England
had to sustain a good 20 minutes of pressure from the Germans, most
notably the younger players showing at least the future of the national
side is promising.
But
England could have and should have scored in the 76th minute.
Substitute Eniola Aluko burst into the box and laid the ball to an open
Jill Scott who instead of shooting first time, tried one trick too many
with the ball to get a clear shot and Germany eventually cleared.
As
the clock ticked down, both sides frenetically pushed for a winner and
Bassett showed why Sampson praised her so highly in a brilliant tackle
on Laudehr on the edge of the box to deny a goalscoring opportunity.
Germany's goalkeeper captain Nadine Angerer and England's Steph Houghton shake hands before the third place play-off match
Alex Greenwood (14), here sliding in on Germany's Celia Sasic (13), was an indefatigable presence for England