England Lionesses lose on the pitch but victory for women's football brings watershed moment closer than ever

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Phil Neville had promised that losing this semi-final would 'mean nothing' to him but, when he is finally able to reflect on an agonising defeat, the England manager will feel differently.

The Lionesses lost a second consecutive World Cup semi-final, going down 2-1 to the USA, but their performance against the holders in Lyon was nothing if not meaningful.

Neville's side went toe-to-toe with the three-times champions, matching them for 97 minutes and arguably edging a dramatic, high-quality and bad-tempered contest at the Groupama Stadium.

In the end, England were the width of Ellen White’s big toe from scoring a second-half equaliser, before captain Steph Houghton missed a penalty, which would have surely sent the game into extra-time.

The USA have largely been on a level of their own for the past two decades but England proved that the gap to the world No1s is not just closing but has closed. They were beaten by the finest of margins.

Christen Press and Alex Morgan scored first-half headers from crosses either side White's equaliser, and the England striker had a second goal ruled out on 68 minutes after the tightest offside call from the VAR.

White was then tripped for Houghton's penalty, saved by Alyssa Naeher, before Millie Bright was dismissed for a second yellow card late on.

Centre-back Leah Williamson had said that England 'wanted more' than to win the World Cup and it many respects this tournament was a means to an end for England; a way of inspiring the country and bringing the breakthrough moment for the women's game in the UK a little closer.

That moment is still to come but Neville and his players have already restored the image of women's football after the disastrous dismissal of his predecessor Mark Sampson and won hearts across the country. The watershed is closer than ever.

The former Manchester United defender has spent the last month repeating hammering home the need for a winning mentality in his squad and, on the night, England showed there is still work to do, which Neville will now continue at the Tokyo Olympics and beyond. They were not second best in terms of quality but the US showed their elite mindset and focus, which proved the difference.

Until Tuesday night, England had escaped unpunished from their habitual lapses of concentration in France, as Scotland, Japan and Norway all missed a host of chances.

It was never likely that the US would be similarly wasteful, even with Megan Rapinoe missing from their XI, believed injured.

Neville celebrates after White's equaliser in the first half
Getty Images

Sure enough, the holders punished England sloppiness and continued their remarkable run of early goals by opening the scoring inside ten minutes.

There was a certain inevitability in Press, Rapinoe’s replacement, opening the scoring and that Lucy Bronze, hailed by Neville as the best player in the world again pre-match, losing the flight of Kelley O’Hara’s deep cross.

England’s fightback was spirited and effective, White becoming the first women to score in six consecutive World Cup matches when she sliced Beth Mead’s perfect cross into the top corner. She could yet win the Golden Boot, with the third-place play-off to come on Saturday.

Thereafter, England were on top, with Kiera Walsh finally showing her quality in the centre of the park with a string of silky passes, but they will look back on the USA’s second goal with regret.

A simple move, which had started with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, ended with Morgan heading home unmarked at the near post from Lindsey Horan’s cross.

If the US made it look easy, it's because it was. You wondered if Karen Bardsley might have got to hand to palm it away but the Californian-born England No1 was missing with a hamstring injury, leaving Carly Telford to deputise.

It said plenty that the US were barely weakened by the inclusion of Press over Rapinoe, whereas England missed Bardsley’s presence between the sticks, underlining the difference in depth between these two squads.

There were still two massive 'what-if' moments to come from the Lionesses, as White finished cooly from Jill Scott's brilliant flicked pass, only for the VAR to overrule the goal. Houghton, who has been magnificent in France, deserved better than to see her weak penalty saved by Naeher but it underlined that there is work to do on mentality. It was England's third penalty miss in France, after Nikita Parris had seen two saved.

Though England failed to reach another final, as Neville delivered his usual post-match huddle, he would have been proud of his players. The work continues.

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