Christiansen believes England have put the fear into reigning champions
• Crocked midfielder backs team-mates
Izzy Christiansen believes the United States are “scared” of England’s challenge at the women’s World Cup.
The two sides meet in the semi-finals in Lyon tonight with England seeking to upset the current champions and three-times World Cup winners.
England have played an exciting brand of football in France and won all five games, including successive 3-0 wins over Cameroon and Norway at the knockout stage.
“I think they [the US] are scared,” said Lyon midfielder Christiansen, who missed the tournament after breaking her right leg and damaging ankle ligaments while on international duty at the Shebelieves Cup in March.
“They’ve got so much history as being the best team, they are winners.
“But I think England’s belief is more self-built. We’ve been through years of winning and losing and now we are in a position where our self-belief is where theirs is.
“That’s why I think they are fearing England. It’s like having someone breathing down your neck in a marathon race.
“You feel the hot air behind you, and I think that’s exactly how the US are feeling now.”
The US also have a 100 per cent record in France and scored 18 goals, including a 13-0 thrashing of Thailand, at the group stage.
But the knockout games have proved far tighter affairs with narrow 2-1 wins over Spain and France, with Megan Rapinoe scoring all four American goals.
“Alex morgan has not scored since the first game and it’s time some of the American players stepped up a little bit,” Christiansen, right, said.
“I feel they haven’t necessarily performed at their best yet, and it will be interesting to see their mentality because they haven’t been challenged like England will challenge them.
“England are playing a perfect tournament at the moment. They are peaking at the right time and the wind is blowing behind them.”
Christiansen, 27, is ready to return to pre-season training after suffering the double heartbreak of missing the World Cup and Lyon’s Champions League success.
“It was tough getting the injury, couldn’t have happened at a worse time really,” she said.
“I was devastated to miss out on the World Cup and that devastation was maximised because I knew how big it was going to be.
“Playing in France and travelling around the country in the last year I knew what an incredible showpiece the tournament was going to be.
“Four years ago I would probably have gone to the World Cup because we didn’t have that depth, but I understand it would have been a risk selecting me.”
Christiansen was speaking to back a Lucozade Sport initiative offering 90,000 minutes of free football to all women across the UK.
The partnership with the Football Association will see free pitch time available at Powerleague and Goals football centres this summer.
“It’s a fantastic initiative and has come at a very good time for women who are being inspired by what is happening over in France at the World Cup,” Christiansen said.
“It gives them the opportunity to go out and enjoy playing football. It’s just amazing as a senior England player to hear stories directly that the growth of the sport is having on the nation.”
Izzy Christiansen is working with Lucozade Sport to inspire the next generation of women’s football by teaming up with Goals and Powerleague centres nationwide to give away 90,000 free minutes of football to women.