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LIVE BLOG: England defeats Canada 2-1 in quarterfinals

Abbotsford's Sophie Schmidt and Team Canada take on England at BC Place in the last quarterfinal matchup of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.



Post-game coverage coming soon.

England advances to the semifinals to meet Japan.

GAME OVER: England-2, Canada 1.

90 + 5' - Ball into box, into English keeper's hands.

90 + 4' - Free kick by England sails over net.

OUT Karen Carney; IN Casey Stoney. England substitution.

90 + 3' - Sesselman gives away free kick and earns herself a YELLOW CARD. Substitution for England.

90 + 1' - Canada wins free kick. McLeod (GK) way out of net for kick inside English half. Ball cleared out by England defence.

90' - Corner to Canada. Taken by Schmidt (MF). On to Sinclair's (F) head. Misses wide. Ball goes out for goal kick. Five minutes of stoppage time added.

88' - Canada pressing. Thrown-in in English zone. Ball quickly in. Schmidt trying to work a chance. Ball cleared to Belanger (F) who hits one from way out. Saved by English keeper.

84' - Buchanan (CB) steps into a strong challenge. Canada playing up in England's zone. Buchanan down for a bit, but she gets up to her feet. Crowd cheers. Canada throw-in.

83' - Canada puts on pressure. Leon (F) tries to work a shot from in close. Cross comes in to Schmidt (MF) who hits it over the bar at the top of the six-yard box.

80' - 10 minutes plus stoppage time left in the game. Canada playing with good tempo as England continues to defend their one-goal lead.

OUT  Fara Williams; IN Ellen White. England substitution.

78' - Sesselman defends English change. English sub

OUT Desiree Scott (MF); IN Kaylyn Kyle (MF). Canada substitution.

77' - Chance for Sinclair (F). Blocked. Sub for Canada.

75' - Free kick awarded to England. Dangerous spot; into the hands of McLeod (GK). She slows play down.

74' - Matheson (RB) and Schmidt (MF) try to work give-and-go. Cleared by England.

72' - Free kick for England. Into hands of McLeod (GK).

OUT Melissa Tancredi (F); IN Adriana Leon (F). Canada substitution.

71' - Cross comes in from England. McLeod (GK) grabs it out of the air.

70' - English free kick. Headed away by Schmidt.

69' - Canada builds up. Cross comes in. Lawrence commits foul on English player. Free-kick for England.

66' - England works another throw-in inside Canadian zone. Cross into middle. McLeod (Gk) grabs it.

64' - Yellow Card - English player Jade Moore. Free-kick for Canada. Sinclair (F) hits it over the net.

OUT Rhian Wilkinson (RB); IN Diana Matheson (RB). Canada substitution.

62' - Tancredi (F) tries to work an attempt. Blocked. Out for Canada throw-in. Canada substitution.

61' - Ball hit hand of English forward. Canada free-kick in own box.

59' - England bungles clear out, but foul by Lawrence (MF). England free-kick in own box.

58' - Chapman (LB) wins ball in defensive zone.

57' - Chamberlain (GK) plays ball out. Canada putting on offensive pressure.

55' - England with shot on net. McLeod (GK) makes a fingertip save; pushes ball out for a corner. Canada recovers possession. Ball in hands of goalkeeper.

54' - Sinclair (F) crosses into box. A couple misses. Cleared out of the box by English defender.

OUT Karen Bardsley (GK) Inj.; IN Siobahn Chamberlain (GK). England substitution.

49' - Bardsley (GK) is down, getting treatment. Looks like something is wrong with her right eye. Looks like she's coming out of the game. In comes replacement, Siobahn Chamberlain (GK).

48' - England's Carney with a strike from top of the box. Over the net. Out for goal kick.

And the second half is underway...

Canada goes into halftime down a goal. After a going down two in the first 15 minutes, Canada rallies with a heads-up play by Sinclair, inside the six-yard-box.England-2, Canada-1.

45'+ 1' - Halftime whistle.

44' - Canada free-kick. Taken by Sesselman (CB)

Goal - 42' - Sinclair scores for Canada. 155th goal for the country. Bardsley (GK) fumbles ball in by Lawrence (MF); Sinclair cleans up. England-2, Canada-1.

40' - With five minutes plus stoppage time left, Canada continues to put pressure on English defense.

39' - Foul call on Schmidt (MF). Bardsley (GK) takes. Buchanan (CB) wins free kick in defensive zone.

36' - Schmidt (MF) with a try from distance.

34'- Canada putting on pressure, winning a couple corners. They are cleared off the line. The expected 54,000-strong crowd still in the game, chanting, calling out amount of time English GK is holding on to ball (i.e. time wasting tactic)

30' - Belanger (F) with a cross. Sinclair (F) header is wide.

29' - Schmidt (MF) wins free kick in own zone.

27' - Buchanan (CB) fouls English player. Free kick to England, around mid-field. Kick into box is met by a header. Off the bar and out.

26' - Cross by Lawrence (MF) delivered into the hands of Bardsley (GK).

23 - Herdman has defensive options warming up on the side. English player Williams down on field, getting treatment.

22' - Sesselman kicks ball out for an English corner. Lets Go Canada chant dies down.

19' - Canada builds up strong. Ball out for Canada throw. Sinclair (F) works a shot. It's wide.

18' - Schmidt and Wilkinson (RB) play nice one-two. Free kick won in dangerous position to side of box. Schmidt(MF) to take. Meets Tancredi's (F) head. Goes over.

16' - Crowd at BC Place tries to rally crowd. Coach John Herdman barking instructions to team. Foul on Buchanan (RB). Free kick Canada. Sesselman (CB) to take.

Goal - 14' - Off set-piece. England scores again off a header by Bronze (RB). England-2, Canada-0.

Goal - 11' - Jodie Taylor, an unexpected starter, scores for England. England-1, Canada-0.

8' - Free kick to Canada. Dangerous position, deep in English zone. Schmidt (MF) to take. Ball cleared.

7' - Sophie Schmidt wins tackle in box. Canada breaks out. Sinclair with great move and ball to Tancredi who shoots it over the bar!

4' - Tancredi wins free kick. Taken by Sesselman (CB).

3' - Handball by Sinclair. English free kick in own zone. Taken by Bardsley (GK)

1' - Poor giveaway by English keeper Bardsley; Canada putting on some light pressure.

And ... we're underway!

Huge applause for Sinclair as she reads Fair Play message. Now, the anthems. "God Save the Queen" first, O'Canada next. Kick-off imminent.

The players are just coming out onto the field; awaiting the anthems.

The game is just around the corner. Kick-off is 4:30 p.m. at BC Place. The winner of this match faces Japan in the semi-finals. The U.S. and Germany will square off on the other side of the final four.

Weather

It's hot! Current temperature is aroung 25-degrees Celsius. Inside the stadium, on the turf, it could feel even warmer.

Projected Starting XIs

Canada: Erin McLeod (GK), Allysha Chapman (LB), Kedeisha Buchanan (CB), Lauren Sesselman (CB), Rhian Wilkinson (RB), Ashley Lawrence (MF), Sophie Schmidt (MF), Desiree Scott (MF), Christine Sinclair (F), Josee Belanger (F), Melissa Tancredi (F)

England: Karen Bardsley (GK), Claire Rafferty (LB), Steph Houghton (CB), Laura Bassett (CB), Lucy Bronze (RB), Jade Moore (MF), Fara Williams (MF), Karen Carney (MF), Katie Chapman (MF), Toni Duggan (F), Fran Kirby (F)

Match referees

Referee: UMPIERREZ Claudia (URU)

Assistant Referee 1: MASCARANA Luciana (URU)

Assistant Referee 2: TOLOZA Loreto (CHI)

Fourth Official: GANI Rita (MAS)

Reserve Assistant Referee: SHAMSURI Widiya (MAS)

Background

If Canada defeats England, it will be the second time in team history that they reached a World Cup semifinals.

The Canadian women enter Saturday’s match coming off a historic win against Switzerland, as it was the first time Canada defeated a European side at the World Cup. Josee Belanger scored the game’s only goal with goalkeeper Erin McLeod earning her third clean sheet of the tournament.

Canada’s all-time record against England is 5-6, with the two teams recently meeting in Hamilton in a pre-World Cup friendly. Schmidt hit a superb one-time strike from the edge of the box that lifted her side ahead 1-0, and proved to be the game-winner.

The English come into this match following a historic victory themselves. Their win over Norway was the side’s first in the knockout stages of a World Cup.

England finished Group F in second, falling to France in their opener, but securing 2-1 victories over Mexico and Colombia.

The English squad is ranked sixth in FIFA World Cup Rankings.

Canada is ranked eighth.