SEMI-FINAL HANGOVER IN NEW HEARTBREAK

tournament and the best 80 minutes. “You could see the emotional effect from the game against the USA.

“You just don’t know how you are going to feel, physically and emotionally. And going two-down was probably the best thing that happened to us.

“It got us into the mindset of,

‘We’re in trouble here, we have got to get ourselves out of it’.

“I saw qualities I’ve never seen before. That’s what I’m going to take from the game. They gave their all. Now emotionally, physically, mentally, they are on their knees. The disappointment wasn’t today. It was the semi-final.”

England appeared all at sea from the start. Carly Telford’s goal had come under pressure before the Swedes took an 11th-minute lead.

Steph Houghton was off the pitch with a head injury when Alex Greenwood’s weak clearance was swept into the net by Kosovare Asllani. Sofia Jakobsson then struck the upright after yet more sloppy play, but there was no doubting the quality of her next effort.

The Montpellier forward exchanged passes with Stina Blackstenius before using Houghton as a shield and curling in a beauty.

England needed a response. Beth Mead saw an effort cleared off the line before Kirby collected Jill Scott’s clever pass and finished off with a left-foot drive.

Two minutes later Mead drilled a ball into the box. White controlled on her chest and tussled with Linda Sembrant before squeezing home.

But the strike was reviewed and ruled it out. Two of the five goals disallowed by VAR here have been White’s. With a Golden Boot beckoning, it was a bitter pill to swallow.