England Women face hours in the air if they fail to beat Colombia

Sky Sports reporter Geraint Hughes maps out England Women's travel options should they advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Canada is a massive country, second only in land mass to Russia, and if England are not careful on Wednesday evening against Colombia they are going to be finding out just how big a place it is.

Due to the unique way this Women’s World Cup is organised, the top two teams in each of the six groups qualify for the knockout stages as do four third-place sides. So in a tournament that began with 24 teams, after the group stages, only eight teams will go home.

For England five scenarios face them once the full-time whistle has gone in Montreal against Colombia.

One is not great, that’s a trudge back to Montreal International airport and an eight-hour flight back across the Atlantic to England. I would imagine that flight would be a quiet one, not really what England have in mind.

What we need to do is to win against Colombia, if we do that it’s in our hands and the scenario that faces us will hopefully mean we can stay in Montreal.

Second. Hooray! England beat Colombia and the result from France against Mexico means England top Group F. That’s the cheap option as well, England would remain in Montreal for the last 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. That’s if they keep on winning otherwise it’s the quiet, reflective flight across the Atlantic that awaits.

'Jet lag'

Thirdly. Finish second in Group F. Not too bad a journey, a couple of hours by road to Ottawa for the last 16.

Fourthly. Finish third in Group F, but qualify as one of the four best third-place finishers. Not good. A five-hour flight to Edmonton along with a two-hour time difference.

Finally a fifth option which is the same as the fourth option, yet somehow England instead of going to Edmonton, fly to Vancouver 2,500 miles away with a three-hour time difference.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that if England did win in either Edmonton or Vancouver, then they rack up more air miles by flying back across Canada to the eastern side where they came from just days earlier for a quarter-final. Did anyone mention jet lag?

England captain Steph Houghton played along with my geography lesson, looking at the distances that could face her side; “now looking at it, it’s not good going to Edmonton. I want to stay here in Montreal!”

“What we need to do is to win against Colombia, if we do that it’s in our hands and the scenario that faces us will hopefully mean we can stay in Montreal," she added.

“We don’t mind travelling as a lot of the girls are used to it especially those who have played their club football in the USA, but it’s best to be able to rest up and recover after a game rather than a long journey.”

Houghton is very much the leader of the pack. Since becoming captain 18 months ago, she’s been through the nervous, doubting stage and seeing her among her team-mates now, she’s the boss.

She doesn’t say or do anything to put her colleagues in their place, she is not that arrogant, but she has clearly earned the respect of the 22 players that follow her into battle.

'Weird bunch'

She said: “When I first took the job, I wouldn’t say it was fun. Now though I know what the job is, so yes I do enjoy it and every time I play for England I remember how lucky I am to be captaining my country.”

Houghton will lead England against Colombia in Montreal’s cavernous Olympic Stadium. For Canada 2015, it’s capacity is at around 50,000. Back in 1976 for the final of the Olympic Football tournament over 70,000 saw Poland and East Germany contest the Gold Medal-match.

East Germany won by the way, 3-1, and Houghton would happily take a result like that against Colombia, but it’s highly unlikely the stadium will be full, or even half full.

During the first and second-round of group matches, the crowds in Montreal were pitiful, barely 10,000 people officially. Canada played their final group match and the crowds came for that, but as Kenny, a barman at Pub McLean’s in downtown Montreal told me: “People in Montreal are a weird bunch. It’s hockey first (that’s ice hockey to you and me) then basketball and baseball, soccer is somewhere down the list.”

It’s a problem that Don Hardman from Canada 2015’s Organising Committee has been trying to deal with. “The first few games weren’t great, it’s been a challenge," he said. "There’s a lot going in this city, a lot for sports fans. We had the F1 the other week and I’m just glad Canada is going well and that they’ve come here. The soccer fans will come out for this.”

Hardman couldn’t guarantee a full house for when England play on Wednesday, but he was honest enough to admit that the tournament needs it’s host to stay in it.

Houghton also brought a bit of honesty to proceedings, I asked if it mattered if there was a decent crowd watching England v Colombia: “You know what, it doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is that 23 players are all together and we just get the job done.” Something England’s travel agent will also be heartily agreeing with.