Lucy Bronze: England Women's World Cup Performances Fall Short of Expectations

Defender Lucy Bronze acknowledged that England is dissatisfied with their World Cup performances thus far. However, she pledged that the Lionesses will elevate their game in the upcoming quarter-final against Colombia. Despite convincingly defeating China in their last group game, it is evident that England has struggled to score goals from open play throughout the tournament.

Lauren James, who will be absent from the Lionesses' quarter-final match due to a one-game suspension, was responsible for the goal scored against Denmark. This came after her dismissal in Monday's last-16 triumph over Nigeria.

Bronze is determined, stating, "We have the capability to give even more. Our team consists of exceptionally skilled players. Nonetheless, the crucial aspect is that we have progressed to the next round."

There is no need to showcase our top performances in the initial games; it would be more prudent to reserve them for the quarter-finals or beyond.

Throughout each match, we have learned and gained valuable insights. Whether it was the physically demanding game against Haiti, the setback of losing our key player Keira Walsh in the Denmark game, altering our entire formation in the China game, or dealing with a red card on Monday.

We have faced and overcome every challenge thrown our way, continually pushing forward.

I haven't observed many other teams who have experienced such adversity, and even if they have, I doubt they have managed to overcome it in the same manner we have. Nevertheless, we are unsatisfied with our performances.

England, currently ranked fourth in the world, has yet to reach a World Cup final. Despite facing numerous challenges, such as pre-tournament injuries to important players like Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, and Fran Kirby, they have persevered.

Midfielder Walsh, a key player for the team, was stretchered off during the match against Denmark due to a knee injury. She did make a comeback in the game against Nigeria. Unfortunately, James was shown a red card for stepping on the back of Michelle Alozie, which could lead to a longer suspension imposed by FIFA.

The absence of Chelsea forward James will be deeply felt by the Lionesses as she had already made significant contributions with three goals and three assists in the group stage.

We need to refocus on training and ensure our full attention is on the task at hand. Winning games is paramount," Bronze emphasized.

I previously mentioned this after the Haiti game, and while it may not have been the desired outcome for some, we are the ones still in contention. Many top teams are being eliminated because they have failed to secure points or succeed in penalty shootouts, unlike us.

What is the schedule?

The first semi-final will be played in Auckland on August 15, followed by the second semi-final at the Accor Stadium in Sydney on August 16. The final will also be held at the Accor Stadium on August 20. A third-place play-off will take place in Brisbane on August 19, a day before the final.