LYON: Women’s World Cup heads into its final week, the business end of the tournament.

The United States, the defending champions and three-times World Cup winners, remain favorites to lift the trophy in Lyon on Sunday but first they must deal with a confident England side in Tuesday’s semi-final.

In Wednesday’s game, European champions the Netherlands take on a Sweden side who are on a high after upsetting Olympic champions Germany in Saturday’s quarter-final. On Sunday, fans of all four teams began to arrive in Lyon, bringing their color and bonhomie to the central French city.

Italy, beaten by the Dutch on Saturday and playing in their first World Cup for 20 years, were certainly justified in taking such a view. The Spanish know they are on an upward curve and some of the emerging nations will have benefited from their experiences.

But, as the tears of French and German players following their eliminations in the last eight showed, such perspective is not for everyone.

“This England team is ready to win now,” said coach Phil Neville, adding that defeat to the U.S. would represent failure for a team who have fallen at the semi-final stage in their last two major tournaments.

“The only way for us to go back home is as winners.”

England brushed aside a traditionally solid opponent, Norway, in their quarter-final, winning 3-0, and their performance left the Americans, who beat France 2-1 thanks to a pair of goals from Megan Rapinoe, under no illusions about the task that faces them.

“England was super clinical the other night,” Rapinoe said. “We have absolutely our work cut out for us.”

The Netherlands are in their maiden World Cup semi-final and will look to their in-form striker Vivienne Miedema, a 22-year-old who has scored 61 goals in 80 games for her country and is one of three members of the side playing in England for Arsenal.

But Sweden showed against Germany that their direct, counter-attacking style is highly effective and their coach Peter Gerhardsson is not satisfied yet.

(Agencies)