Megan Rapinoe and Karen Bardsley have been omitted from the United States and England line-ups respectively for tonight’s Women’s World Cup semi-final.
Bardsley, Phil Neville’s first-choice goalkeeper, will be replaced by Carly Telford after picking up a hamstring injury, while US head coach Jill Ellis has preferred Christen Press ahead of Rapinoe.
Though the decision to leave out the US’ top scorer at the tournament was understood to be tactical, Rapinoe did not take part in the warm-ups, instead watching from the sidelines.
Neville hands a start to Rachel Daly for the first time since the win over Japan, while Beth Mead also comes into the attack. Fran Kirby and Toni Duggan are left out.
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As well as Rapinoe, Ellis has also dropped Sam Mewis from the US side which beat hosts France at the Parc des Princes on Friday night. Lindsay Horan is preferred in midfield.
Line-ups
England: Telford; Bronze, Houghton, Bright, Stokes; Daly, Scott, Walsh, Mead; Parris, White.
Substitutes: Bardsley, Greenwood, Taylor, Kirby, Duggan, Williamson, McManus, Moore, Stanway, Carney, Earps, Staniforth.
United States: Naeher; O’Hara, Dahlkemper, Sauerbrunn, Dunn; Ertz, Horan, Lavelle; Heath, Morgan, Press.
Substitutes: Pugh, Mewis, Brian, Lloyd, Krieger, Davidson, Sonnett, Rapinoe, Harris, Long, Franch, McDonald.
