England Women braced for physical Colombia test

Sky Sports News HQ reporter Geraint Hughes brings us the latest news from England's Women's World Cup campaign in Canada...

There’s a very good chance the Olympic Stadium in Montreal will be overstaffed for the visit of England and Colombia - well certainly for the crowds or lack of them that will watch the game.

Montreal hasn’t taken the Women’s World Cup to heart yet, apart from Canada’s final group match at the enormous 50,000-seater stadium, attendances have been a source of concern for organisers.

No one was ever expecting 50,000 sell outs, but when a stadium so big has fewer than 10,000 fans inside, it feels and looks empty.

Not that England care about a crowd. On this occasion the job in hand is too important to really worry about whether the Montreal public feel the need to be curious about how other nations in this tournament play their football.

The Lionesses’ biggest concern is Colombia and it seems not necessarily their skills, but their physical approach to the game.

It’s got manager Mark Sampson concerned and he not so subtly made a point about his players requiring protection from officials. He had some stats to back up his concerns - Colombia committed 25 fouls against France and they are bringing five players on yellow cards into the England game.  

You may be thinking that Sampson is walking around with a black cloud above his head, but he’s playing a game with FIFA’s referee assessors as well as the officials that he hopes will see positive results for his creative and flair players, many of whom will be on show against Colombia.

Sampson said: “Don’t get me wrong, we have players who can certainly look after themselves, but it’s about trust and I think we are at a stage where the officials here are of a good standard, but it’s important players who are trying to express themselves are able to do so.”

Talking about creative players for England - Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs is all set to make her debut here at Canada 2015. The Arsenal midfielder has been carrying a niggling hamstring injury, but is now fully fit and set to bolster England’s options.

Nobbs told SSN HQ: “We want to win against Colombia, we’re going for the game, we will be going straight down their throats.” She meant that in a footballing sense, if you are wondering!

Nobbs will doubtless line up alongside the ever-reliable and influential Fara Williams. The Liverpool midfielder does all the jobs others hate. She sits in front of the defence if it needs more help, she picks up the scraps and wins the 50/50 balls. She will sometimes pass sideways and backwards because at that point in a game that is the right thing to do, but that’s not to say she doesn’t have more to her game.

Williams is no water-carrier.  Watch out for a shot or two from distance from the 30-year-old.

“I hit the bar from a long way out against Canada in a warm up and against Mexico I had a shot from 40 yards out,” she said. “I just saw the keeper ever so slightly out of position and I do like to have shot. I’m always looking up and if I feel the keeper isn’t in a good place I am more than happy to have a go.”

So it’s all set for England. Of the 23 players, only striker Jodie Taylor isn’t 100 per cent fit, but her knee problem is clearing up and she’s fit enough now to be used as a substitute. Sampson hopes his message to the officials will be heeded while the players know if they win, their World Cup destiny is in their hands and they will qualify.