England 1-2 USA: Women's World Cup 2019 semi-final – as it happened

England were superb tonight. Problem being, the USA - the reigning champions and the best team in the world - were just that little bit better. The USA will play either the Netherlands or Sweden in the World Cup final on Sunday; England will face off against the losing team on Saturday in the third-place match. Congratulations to the Americans; commiserations to England. All that’s left is to guide you towards Louise Taylor’s match report. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night, wherever you are!

An emotional Ellen White talks to the BBC. “I’m gonna cry.” She takes a moment to wipe away the tears before bravely gathering herself. “Obviously I’m devastated not to get to the final. But all I feel is pride, proud of my team-mates. The USA had an amazing match, we couldn’t quite match them. I’m disappointed about the one that was offside. But I’m just proud to be English, and wish the USA the best of luck in the final. But I’m devastated.” Could England have done any more tonight, she’s asked. “Scored!” A big laugh, the gallows humour in full effect. “The first half we were a little bit sloppy but got ourselves back into the game. In the second half we tried to play and created some chances. We’ve got an unbelievable squad, and we had belief that we could make the final. But it wasn’t quite enough, and we look forward to the third-place final.” As for her friend Steph Houghton? “It takes a lot of courage to step up and take a penalty. It happens. Keepers save penalties. We’ll never put anything on Steph, she’s our leader. We’ll rally round her.”

Victorious US coach Jill Ellis speaks! “I can’t express how proud I am. It was such a great effort. We had some challenges in terms of bodies, and everyone stepped up, and that’s what this team are about. That was Alyssa Naeher’s shining moment, though we’ve got one more game. What a frickin’ stop! I couldn’t be more proud of this group of players. Stay humble, we’ve got one more.”

Tea party. Alex Morgan celebrated what turned out to be the winner by pretending to sip a nice cup of splosh. Details of this seismic event can be found in our latest bid for the Pulitzer Prize below.

Finally Neville has a word for the captain Steph Houghton, who will perhaps be hurting most tonight after missing the crucial penalty. “She’s an amazing person on and off the pitch. She’ll deal with it the way that she does. She’ll look forward. She’ll be upset, she’ll be disappointed, but she’s been phenomenal, and no blame should be attached to her. That’s football, that’s sport. We’ll go again.”

As for the VAR decisions and the sending off ... “The disallowed goal was offside. We’ve had VAR decisions that have gone our way. We got on with it, we came back. We got the penalty. You score them, you miss them. That’s football. And Millie shouldn’t have got booked in the first half, 100 percent. I thought the referee wasn’t in control of the game, to be honest with you, but she sent Millie off. We went to three at the back, and it became stretched. But I can’t ask for anything more. We’ve had the time of our lives, and they’ve really played their hearts out.”

An emotional but proud Phil Neville speaks. “My players gave me everything. We said before the game, we wanted to leave our hearts and souls on the pitch, and they did. They gave everything. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with the best team in the world. They’ve showed great experience at the end with taking the ball into the corner. We went down to ten when we ran out of steam. But I asked them to play football the way I wanted them to play. We’ve come to this tournament and done our very best, we’ve not left anything in that dressing room, and I’ve told them there should be no tears tonight. We should be proud. We’ve touched the hearts of the nation back home, and they’ve left their hearts on that football field. So I’m happy.”

Ellen White is in floods. No World Cup final for her, or England, despite her tournament tally of six goals. She’s been magnificent, scoring one tonight and earning a penalty lifeline that her captain Steph Houghton couldn’t grab. Tears for Lucy Bronze, too, as she lets out a sob and allows her shoulders to slump. Poor England. It’s going to be a long night. But the USA were too good over the entire piece, and deserved winners. Wearing perhaps the widest smile as they celebrate: Megan Rapinoe, who bounces onto the field of play to embrace her team-mates. A win over the Netherlands or Sweden on Sunday, and a fourth World Cup is theirs!

90 min +6: Moore sends a harmless shot miles wide right from distance. She had options either side as the USA desperately held their shape. That was England’s last chance, surely.

90 min +5: Parris is cautioned for barging into the back of Lloyd, as the US striker kills time near a corner flag.

90 min +4: Stokes lets the ball slip from her hands mid-throw. An elementary mistake at a time England simply can’t afford one.

90 min +3: Bronze scampers down the right. But her cross is no good, and Lloyd can make her way into the space vacated by the England right-back. Lloyd doesn’t really go anywhere, eventually checking back and losing possession, but that clock keeps on keepin’ on.

90 min +2: A long ball. Parris rises to flick a header on. Naeher gathers. The clock ticks on.

90 min: But there’s going to be seven additional minutes, a legacy of those VAR checks. The USA have one foot in the final ... but ten-woman England aren’t out of this yet!

89 min: England’s last throw of the dice, as Stanway comes on for Daly. The USA are pressing England back in their final third. Parris is getting extremely agitated about the time they take over a throw.

87 min: How quickly the bottom fell out of England’s world back there. The USA take the sting out of the game by swapping O’Hara for Krieger, and taking their sweet time about it. England would do the same.

84 min: That wasn’t a good penalty kick, but it still required Naeher to guess the correct way. She’s America’s hero right now. It was the right decision to award the spot kick, by the way. Sauerbrunn did make contact with White’s boot from behind.

83 min: The captain Steph Houghton squanders the chance to equalise! She sidefoots towards the bottom left, but hits it poorly, and Naeher smothers the ball!

80 min: Heath is replaced by Carli Lloyd. But the game doesn’t restart with a goal kick, because that White-Sauerbrunn challenge has gone to VAR! Is this a penalty?

79 min: White misses a huge chance! Kirby spins in the midfield to make space, then sends Stokes into the USA box. Stokes rolls a pass across the front of the six-yard box. White will surely sidefoot home ... but under pressure from Sauerbrunn, she takes a fresh-air swipe. White claims there’s been contact. The referee isn’t interested.

78 min: A loose pass out of defence by Bright has England on the back foot. O’Hara, who has worked the right flank well, nearly bursts clear. But not quite.

76 min: Heath goes down in order to get some treatment. And maybe to catch her breath. She’s not the only one who needs it. Everyone takes the opportunity to make for the touchline and take a bang of an isotonic beverage.

75 min: It’s all a bit scrappy now, as the teams tire. Some passes aren’t sticking. Other passes are a mile off target. And no wonder: it’s hot in Lyon.

73 min: If nothing else, that disallowed goal will at least give England some hope. They have the ability to carve the USA open. But they don’t have much time left in which to do it again (and this time to specifications that will keep VAR happy).

71 min: Keira Walsh has arguably been England’s best player tonight. But she’s tiring, and so on comes Jade Moore.

66 min: O’Hara has the better of Daly down the right, and is bundled over as a result. A free kick just to the right of the England box. Heath floats it in ... and the ball disappears down Telford’s throat. That’s very poor.

65 min: Lavelle makes her way back to the bench, Phil Neville gives her a sympathetic tap on the back of the head. A lovely sporting moment amid the hubbub. She’s replaced by Mewis.

64 min: Lavelle’s race looks to be run. She drops to the floor and signals to the bench: it’s her hamstring. That’s a terrible shame, she’s been superb tonight.

62 min: The USA are pressing England back. Heath dribbles into the box from the right and very nearly gets clear of Stokes, but the defender sticks to her guns and eventually runs the attacker out of play for a goal kick. A little bit last-ditch.

60 min: Carly Telford has been selected for her distribution skills, but she nearly gifts the match to the USA here. A dreadful heavy touch on the edge of her box allows Press to take up possession. Press looks to curl one into the top left corner of the unguarded net. Fortunately for England, the shot is way off. Telford puts her hand up to apologise, as well she might. She got very lucky there.

58 min: England make the first change of the evening, Fran Kirby replacing Beth Mead. Meanwhile in the room women come and go, talking of Megan Rapinoe. “Fox Sports at halftime say that they have had a report from ‘several sources’ that Rapinoe is out because of a hamstring injury rather than tactical reasons,” reports Stephen Davenport. “Of course, this might still be mind games.”

56 min: Lavelle sashays down the centre of the pitch with little regard for anyone around her. It’s a brilliant run, challenges bouncing off her. She’s eventually stopped on the edge of the England box, a victim of her momentum as much as anything else, control finally lost. But England were panicking as they backtracked there. Lavelle has been a danger from the get-go.

54 min: Ertz and Horan exchange short, crisp passes down the inside-right channel. Ertz has an ambitious look at the top-right corner from distance, but her effort flies well off target.

53 min: Bronze jinks her way out of her own area and releases Scott down the right. Scott shuttles the ball further forward to Parris, who is hoping to release White ... but her striking partner is offside. Slick move, though.

52 min: Scott drives down the middle of the park, a rangy and determined run. She exchanges passes with Daly and tries to burst into the box, but eagerness gets the better of her and she fells Sauerbrunn. A free kick that relieves the pressure on the USA. England have started this half in sprightly fashion.

50 min: Walsh loops long, towards the far post. Houghton rises highest and heads downwards. White, her back to goal, attempts to hook over her shoulder from a tight angle. Naeher gathers, and it turns out three or four England players were offside anyway.

49 min: Bronze busies herself down the right and feeds Parris, who is clattered from behind by Dunn. This is a free kick in a very dangerous position, 25 yards out on the wing.

47 min: Horan’s the victim this time as Daly’s studs meet her leg. It looked accidental, but it’s certainly a sore one, and Horan isn’t too happy about it. This half has yet to get going.

The teams are back ... and we’re off again! No half-time changes. The USA restart this very entertaining match. Horan tries to burst into space down the left but she’s stopped by Bronze, who takes a whack in the mouth for her trouble. Horan is booked.

Half-time analysis. “The more this game continues, the better Jill Ellis’s decision to leave Rapinoe out of the starting line up is looking,” suggests David Wall. “There is surely no way they can keep up this pace and intensity in this heat for the full game. Introducing such a good player late in the game to exploit tiredness seems a good plan (if it’s needed).” Ian Copestake has another way of making pretty much the same point: “To think, the US have yet to play their Trump card.” He’s here all week, ladies and gentlemen, try the president’s cold and quickly congealing McDonald’s Happy Meal buffet.

Half-time entertainment. Megan Rapinoe’s partner Sue Bird has penned an extremely amusing piece for the Players’ Tribune. She takes on the Rude Man in the White House, and as you’d imagine, it’s not a fair battle of wits. Enjoy!

45 min: A poor pass upfield by Dunn is intercepted by Bronze, who zips down the right wing with great intent. She earns a corner off Dunn, who had done well to recover from her mistake and stay on Bronze’s shoulder. The corner is met by Scott, who heads weakly wide left from 12 yards.

43 min: Bright fails to clear a long ball. It breaks to Mead, who enters the box from the right. Bright does well to get back and guide the ball out for a corner with Morgan lurking. The set piece results in nothing. England look extremely nervous in their final third, though.

41 min: The resulting free kick is launched into the England area. Horan rises highest, but her header flies harmlessly high and wide. Horan wants a penalty, claiming Bronze had given her a wee shove in the back as the pair jumped, but she’s not getting one.

40 min: Morgan and Bright tussle for a ball in the centre circle. It looks as though Morgan’s going to get away, so Bright sticks out an arm. Her hand slaps Morgan in the face, and that’s an inevitable booking.

38 min: Press nibbles at Daly’s ankles, much to the England midfielder’s annoyance. For a second it looks as though it’s going to kick off, but everyone calms down soon enough.

36 min: A cross comes into the England box from the right. Bronze does extremely well to glance a header backwards to deny the lurking Horan. England look super-exposed every time the USA swing a ball into the area.

35 min: The USA nearly score a fine team goal of their own, Lavelle and Heath exchanging passes down the right as they spin around elegantly to open England up. Ertz takes up possession, drifts infield, and sends a shot just over the bar.

33 min: Walsh strides into a little space in the middle of the park, and sends a rising heatseeker towards the top right. It’s in all the way ... except Naeher extends to full length and tips it away from danger. That was a wonderful shot and an even better save. This is such a great game.

29 min: The resulting corner is hoicked straight out of play by Mead. The USA can breathe again.

28 min: Good luck calling who’ll score next. Bronze jigs in from the right, dancing across the face of the USA box, not so much avoiding challenges as ignoring them. She lays off to Mead, who tries to turn into space down the inside-left channel but slips. Then Walsh floats in a cross from the left. Sauerbrunn panics and sticks out a leg, the ball dropping towards White. She sends it flashing inches wide of the top right. So close to a spectacular own goal!

27 min: The USA decide to go long. O’Hara nearly finds Morgan down the middle with a 1980s-style hoof. Nearly, not quite. Telford gathers on the edge of her box.

25 min: Ertz loops into the England box from the right. Heath rises to head but is clattered accidentally by Bronze, the pair clashing heads. The USA want a penalty. No! The ball breaks to Lavelle, who sends yet another screamer goalwards. This one is parried away excellently by Telford. This is superb entertainment. Both teams are going at it full throttle.

23 min: Lavelle has a dig from distance. Her shot smacks Bright right on the noggin. A brave block, that’ll have stung. England go straight up the other end, reinvigorated now. Daly cuts in from the right and tries to feed White down the channel. White goes over claiming a penalty, but Dahlkemper behind her didn’t really make much contact. This is a contest now.

21 min: Just before that equaliser, Bronze had dribbled down the right only to be shepherded out of play by Press. Another notch in Jill Ellis’s credit column, I was about to say. But news ages fast these days.

17 min: Houghton sprays a glorious pass down the left wing for Mead, who traps and turns in one smooth movement, then nearly slips White clear down the inside-left channel. But O’Hara reads her intention and cuts out the pass. Better from England, though; they haven’t asked too many questions of the Americans yet.

16 min: Heath worries Stokes down the right yet again with her pace. Stokes just about keeps the door shut. The ball’s worked infield to Lavelle, who takes a touch and larrups a shot over the bar from 20 yards. While England look nervous, it’s the USA’s excellence that makes them so jittery. The holders have been magnificent so far.

14 min: Press dribbles hard down the left, nips back and nearly finds Morgan in the middle. Houghton does extremely well to cut out the low cross. England are hanging on a bit; the nerves are on display right now. Two-pass moves at a premium. They need to take a deep breath and calm down.

12 min: Bronze didn’t cover herself in glory there. She was facing the wrong way when the cross came over, allowing Press time to guide her admittedly excellent header into the top left. The USA have continued their habit in this World Cup of taking the lead early doors.

9 min: England show in attack for the first time this evening. Daly has a bit of space down the right, but her cross is poor and easily intercepted by Sauerbrunn.

7 min: Now Telford flaps at a Heath right-wing cross. A claim that her poor punch hits the arm of Scott, but neither referee nor VAR is interested in awarding a penalty.

6 min: The USA have started brightly. A free kick out on the left. Lavelle floats it in. Just too high for Morgan, who was free in acres six yards out. The England defence was all over the shop! Had that free kick been delivered a couple of inches lower, England were in serious trouble.

4 min: There’s a bit of pinball in the area, then England half-clear the corner. The ball’s worked back right to Lavelle, who nutmegs Bright deliciously along the touchline, cuts back upfield, then snaps a shot towards the bottom right. Telford does extremely well to parry and England clear at the second time of asking ... but only just.

3 min: Heath turns on the jets and wins a corner down the right, Stokes doing pretty well to keep up with her. The US load the box, and the stadium falls quiet in nervous anticipation.

2 min: A little bit of space for Lavelle out on the right. She floats a pass to the other flank for Horan, who momentarily looks like dribbling into the England box. But Bronze and Houghton are quickly over to put a stop to that notion. England clear their lines. Both teams already playing at a brisk tempo.

And we’re off! England get the party started, White knocking the ball back to Houghton, who pumps long. The ball quickly comes back to her. Then a first touch for Bronze, who contemplates dribbling down the right but checks back. It’s all a bit frenzied, as you’d expect at the start of a World Cup semi!

The teams are out! An electric atmosphere of anticipation in a packed Stade de Lyon. National anthems are hollered, hands are clasped, pennants are swapped, coins are tossed. We’ll be off in a minute! In the meantime, a word from Tracy Mohr: “For Neville and England’s sake, let’s hope his dropping the first-choice keeper doesn’t have the same outcome as when USA coach Greg Ryan dropped Hope Solo for Briana Scurry in 2007’s semi against Brazil. Go USA! USA!! USA!!!”

Rapinoe hasn’t taken part in any pre-match warm-ups. Instead she’s been watching her team-mates being put through their paces from the sidelines. Make of that what you will. Injured after all? I suspect we’ll not be getting to the bottom of this until after the match ... unless she comes on and scores another couple of goals, that is, in which case we’ll have it all worked out well before the 90 minutes are up. “I 100% love Phil Neville’s selection of Rachel Daly to start on the right of midfield,” writes Hubert O’Hearn. “It was frankly my hope, as I thought it would take Rachel and Lucy Bronze to double on Rapinoe, who is now absent. England now can offensively overload on the right. It’s like a free line of attack for us.”

Phil Neville speaks ... and it would seem that Carly Telford’s inclusion isn’t simply down to Karen Bardsley’s fitness. “Karen picked up a minor injury in the game against Norway. When you get to these games, you need players that are 100 percent fit. We trust Carly, it’s a game where we need to play out from the back, and Carly’s distribution, technique and speed is going to be vital for us, and we need everyone to be 100 percent on the field. So it was a tough decision, probably the toughest one I’ve made since coming into the job. Rachel Daly and Beth Mead have both been playing well. It’s a game when we need all our speed and energy on the pitch, and then 55 minutes into the game, we’ve got quality on the bench to come on when the game opens up. We’re excited and we’ve picked an attacking team that stays true to our values. Tonight’s not a massive game. Sunday’s a massive game, tonight’s just another step on our journey to where we want to go, and that’s the final.”

Some more natter regarding Rapinoe. The suspicion among folk in Lyon is that it’s a tactical switch, with Jill Ellis concerned about the threat of Lucy Bronze. The US coach thinks Christen Press is better equipped to handle her. Of course, that doesn’t mean Rapinoe won’t feature at all tonight. “Although she played better last game against France, Rapinoe played poorly versus Spain,” argues USA fan Jim D’Altorio. “I’ll guess second-half sub? She does score...”

England will be wearing their first-choice white shirts tonight. Steph Houghton will be handing over a slightly dull pennant.

The USA - who will be wearing second-choice red - have a much funkier approach to commemorative merchandise. There’s no denying it. Also pictured is their captain’s armband, usually the property of Megan Rapinoe ... but today it’ll be worn by Alex Morgan instead.

Why no Rapinoe? Caitlin Murray, who is covering the USWNT for the Guardian, has the latest from Lyon.

Well, well, well. Some big team news from both camps! England keeper Karen Bardsley is out with a hamstring injury. Carly Telford takes her place. Telford will be making only her second appearance in a big tournament, having debuted against Argentina in the group stage. Meanwhile Rachel Daly and Beth Mead replace Fran Kirby and Toni Duggan in what looks like a 4-4-2.

But anything Phil Neville can do, USA coach Jill Ellis can do better: she’s dropped the captain Megan Rapinoe! She must be injured or exhausted, surely. Or is it tactical? Either way, Christen Press takes her place on the left. Lindsey Horan meanwhile replaces Samantha Mewis in the midfield.

The fans are gathering in Lyon. Plenty of supporters of both sides, American fans this month finding themselves second in number only to hosts France, while England is just a quick hop over the briny. Here’s one English fan hoping for a retro rerun of 1982 (when the men didn’t win, but did go home undefeated).

Meanwhile here’s a US fan sporting a fascinating fascinator. We can’t be certain, but that looks like the recreation of a match between Sampdoria and Shrewsbury Town. More when we have it.

Bassett’s story was revisited in our recent superb series of World Cup game-changing moments. For those of you coming to the party late, you can get up to speed quick-smart by simply going on an entertaining click-about here. Also features tales of Japan, China, Marta, Brandi Chastain and 100,000 punters at the Azteca in 1971.

The USA have reached the semi-finals of every single World Cup since the tournament began in 1991. England by contrast are relatively new to it all. This is only the second time they’ve made that last four of the biggest competition in the game. The first, against Japan in Edmonton four years ago, ended in heartbreak for poor Laura Bassett.

The two countries last met four months ago to the day. They battled out a 2-2 draw in the SheBelieves Cup in Nashville. Steph Houghton and Nikita Parris scored for England, their goals bookended by Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath in a to-and-fro tussle. England went on to win the invitational tournament for the very first time.

This is the 17th time England have met the USA. The Americans have won on ten occasions, England just the four. But it’ll be just the second time the pair have met at a World Cup. That happened in the 2007 quarter-finals, and the USA won easily enough, thanks to a 12-minute, three-goal, second-half blitz by Abby Wambach, Shannon Boxx and Kristine Lilly. Here’s how the Guardian reported that back in the day.