A lot on her shoulders – England look to Houghton to drive World Cup bid

Paris (AFP) – The last time England met Norway at the women’s World Cup, it was captain Steph Houghton who headed in the equaliser to set them on the way to victory four years ago in Canada.

That 2-1 win in Ottawa came in the last 16, and now the sides clash again in the quarter-finals in Le Havre on Thursday with Houghton and her teammates having emerged from a bruising and controversial victory against Cameroon.

It was particularly tough for centre-back Houghton, with the 31-year-old needing treatment on an ankle injury after being caught by a nasty challenge late on as their opponents’ frustrations spilled over.

“We are concerned about her. She is not someone who stays down,” said coach Phil Neville. “She is a big player for us, our captain.”

Houghton, who has 109 caps, scored England’s opening goal to set them on their way to a 3-0 victory over Cameroon.

Her importance to the Lionesses as they chase World Cup glory in France is not lost on Neville. The former Manchester United man has made a habit of chopping and changing his side, and only four of his squad of 23 have participated in all four matches so far at the tournament.

Houghton and right-back Lucy Bronze — who scored the winner against Norway in 2015 — are the only two to have played every minute, and their influence has helped England keep three straight clean sheets.

The others to have taken part in every game are Nikita Parris and Jill Scott, the 32-year-old midfielder who is at her fourth World Cup and who surpassed Peter Shilton’s England record by making her 18th appearance at the finals in the Cameroon victory.

Like Scott and Bronze, Houghton is a native of England’s north-east. All three played for Sunderland early in their careers and all three subsequently went to Manchester City, although Bronze is now at Lyon.

Houghton made her England debut in 2007 but missed that year’s World Cup in China due to injury. In 2011 she made just one appearance as a substitute as the Lionesses exited in the quarter-finals.

– Motor neurone disease –

By 2015 she was the bedrock of the defence and now she truly is one of the old heads in a squad featuring the likes of Keira Walsh (22) and Georgia Stanway (20).

Interest in the women’s game is increasing all the time and the BBC reported a record UK television audience of 6.9 million for the Cameroon victory.

from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2xaYvGg