Women's World Cup: After Laura Bassett's tears come the cheers for unlucky England

Sampson so proud of players despite agonising World Cup exit
Freak own goal: Bassett breaks down after stoppage-time agony
Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP
Tony Leighton2 July 2015

Laura Bassett’s tears told the story of England's heartbreaking end to their World Cup dream. Notts County’s former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Bassett broke down at the final whistle of last night’s semi-final after handing Japan victory with a stoppage-time own goal.

England had been the better team after a 40th-minute penalty by Liverpool midfielder Fara Williams had cancelled out Aya Miyama’s 33rd-minute spot-kick opener.

But after dominating the second half and twice hitting the woodwork, Bassett mis-hit an intended clearance in off the bar to kill England’s hopes.

Head coach Mark Sampson, who along with the players did his best to comfort the inconsolable Bassett, said: “It was a horrible moment for Laura.

“But you could see the regard that the rest of the team hold her in from their reaction. Every single member of my group is devastated but our first point of call is look after your own.

“Laura’s one of us, we’ll get around her, console her, let her cry and tell her how proud we are of her. Whatever she needs this team will be there for her.”

GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images

Captain Steph Houghton, Bassett’s central defensive partner, said: “It’s not about blaming anyone. It’s all about the team, 23 of us in the squad — we win together and we lose together.”

Houghton’s Manchester City team-mate Jill Scott added: “The own goal was very unfortunate but Laura had to go for the ball because there was a Japanese player right behind her.

“Laura is devastated but if one thing happens to one of us, it happens to us all.”

England’s luck was out from the first minute, when striker Jodie Taylor’s 20-yard drive flashed inches wide of the far post.

The penalty they then conceded, from a foul by Chelsea’s Claire Rafferty, was outside the area.

England’s one moment of fortune arrived when Houghton went down with minimal contact from former Chelsea striker Yuki Ogimi and Williams converted the resultant penalty.

After the interval, Manchester City striker Toni Duggan hit the bar, Notts County striker Ellen White had a 20-yard effort brilliantly saved and a Rafferty cross bounced off the top of the bar. But then, as extra-time loomed, Bassett, trying to cut out a diagonal pass into the penalty area, had the hardest luck of all as the ball hit the underside of the bar and landed just over the goal line.

“Laura’s in a hard place, she really is,” said Sampson. “The team are around her, her family are around her and I can’t emphasise enough that Laura Bassett epitomises what our team is about.

“I couldn’t have asked any more of my players today. I’ve never seen a team do that to this Japanese team, the world champions — we parked the bus in their half of the pitch and created chance after chance.”

Sampson now has to pick up the whole of his squad as they prepare to face the world’s top-ranked team, Germany, in the third place play-off here in Edmonton on Saturday. Japan face the USA in Vancouver on Sunday in a repeat of the 2011 final.

Sampson said: “This group will pick themselves up and go again. They know nothing different. They put the jersey on and when they’ve got the three lions on their chest, they feel 10 feet taller.

“They know what it means, they know the sense of responsibility and they’re going to go for it.”

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