Picture left to right are Millie Bright, Nikita Parris and Lucy Bronze of England Women. PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES
Cancel the book club, ignore the doorbell... the Lionesses face the Stars & Stripes tonight, and the tension's getting unbearable.
England’s Women are on a high after a surprisingly one-sided 3-0 quarter-final win over Norway, while the USA edged past World Cup host nation France, without showing the dominance and authority of earlier rounds.
The last big-stage clash between the sides was a 2-2 draw in the SheBelieves Cup in the States in March, which England went on to win – to the hosts' surprise.
Captain Steph Houghton and Nikita Parris were on target for England that day, but they’ll be facing Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath, who scored for USA.
The semi-final showdown, for the right to play either the Netherlands or Sweden in the final on Sunday, is being staged in Lyon, the stadium Pride of the Lionesses Lucy Bronze calls home. She'll have the local French support behind her, as well as the Barmy Army.
Four Chelsea players are in the England squad, while the USA’s star winger is also familiar to Blues fans – last season’s mini dynamo Crystal Dunn.
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