28 Jun 2015

Hosts knocked out of football World Cup

6:32 pm on 28 June 2015

England have beaten hosts Canada 2-1 to reach their first semi-final of a women's football World Cup where they'll meet defending champions Japan.

Canada's Desiree Scott, 2015.

Canada's Desiree Scott, 2015. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

'The Three Lionesses', who lost their opening group game to France, scored two goals against the run of play through Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze early in the first half.

The home crowd of 54,000 in Vancouver willed their captain Christine Sinclair to pull one back three minutes before the break, before a goalless second half.

Earlier, Japan defeated Australia 1-nil after 85 scoreless minutes in Edmonton when Mana Iwabuchi knocked in a scrappy goal.

The Japanese substitute found space at the back post to end the Matildas' run at the quarter-final stage for the third straight World Cup.