Football
KweséESPN staff 6y

All to play for in Women's Under-20 World Cup semis

The England women's team will look to go one better than their male counterparts when they face Japan in the FIFA Women's Under-20 World Cup semifinals on Monday.

The Young Lionesses have twice before reached the quarterfinals, in 2002 and 2008, and looked to be heading for more heartbreak after conceding an early goal against Netherlands, but Georgia Stanway's quick-fire brace secured a famous win.

However, they face a stern test against Japan, who denied an all-European last four party with three second half goals against Germany on Friday.

Japan have conceded only twice in four Under-20 World Cup outings this year, and also have a potent strike-force lead by Saori Takarada and Riko Ueki, who are in the race for Golden Boot honours.

However, England are the top scorers at the tournament so far with 12 goals, having put six past Mexico, and coach Mo Marley says their attacking approach will not change.

"We felt we underachieved in the European [U-19] Championships last year, and that's no disrespect to anybody else that was there," she is quoted on FIFA's website.

"We just didn't feel that we left everything out there, so the approach to this tournament was we were just going to attack the tournament and express ourselves and do everything we can to try and get the result. It's more about us being positive and having fun. As I keep reinforcing, they're just enjoying the journey."

Hosts France take on Spain in the other semifinal, and it could turn out to be a battle of the strikers as Amelie Delabre and Patri Guijarro go head to head.

Guijarro is level with Stanway on five goals at the tournament, but Delabre is in red-hot form, having netted four goals in her last two games, including a hat-trick against the Netherlands and the winner in the quarterfinal against Korea DPR.

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