England v Colombia
Colombia shocked viewers in the group stages, topping Group H and eliminating Germany in the process. They began their tournament strong with a 2-0 win over Korea. In their quest to the top of the table, they defeated two time world champions Germany 2-1. They ended their group stage campaign with a 1-0 loss against Morocco, which saw Germany leave the tournament and Morocco progress to the next stage.
Finishing top of their group with six points, Colombia were set to face Jamaica in the Round of 16 in what could become a historical match for both nations. In only their second appearance in the Round of 16, Colombia had their sights set on making the quarter final stages for the first time. Jamaica did not make it an easy task for Colombia to win, but Colombia did enough to book their place in the quarterfinals, with the only goal of the match coming in the 51st minute through Catalina Usme.
England were undoubtedly within the favourites to win ahead of the 2023 edition of the Women’s World Cup following their Women’s Euros victory in 2022. The Lionesses had a rocky start to the tournament in Group D, with narrow 1-0 wins over Haiti and Denmark. However, a change of formation for Wiegman’s side saw England return to their previous winning form with a 6-1 win over China which led them to top Group D.
England struggled to find a winning goal against Nigeria in the Round of 16, taking the game to extra time and penalties. Familiar with penalty shoot outs following their Finalissima win against Brazil in April 2023, England won their penalty shoot out against Nigeria 4-2.
Team Tactical Updates
England
England began their tournament with the familiar 4-3-3 formation which they have kept from their Euro success in Summer 2022. However, due to injuries leading to key players being missing in their lineup, including the dangerous goalscoring threat of Beth Mead, England did not showcase the quality and threat that they can have as a team. Following a minor injury to key midfield player Keira Walsh against Denmark, England had to alter their formation to match the influence she has in midfield.
England lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against China. This undoubtedly brought a new life to the team, with their relentless goalscoring nature returning. The 3-4-2-1 allows England to have numbers in attack, using both the attacking and defensive qualities of Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly in the wing back position.
Moving into their match against Nigeria in the Round of 16, Sarina Wiegman opted to keep the same formation that proved successful against China. Keira Walsh returned to the squad replacing Katie Zelem from their previous match. The formation did help England have chances on goal, but they were unable to find the net against a strong Nigerian side. England then had to adjust in the late minutes of the second half due to Lauren James receiving a red card.
Looking towards their match against Colombia, Sarina Wiegman will need to find a player to slot into the key attacking midfield position which Lauren James has started in in their previous two matches. She may decide to return to the 4-3-3 formation, with Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly on each wing and Alessia Russo as the centre forward. To keep the 3-4-2-1 formation, Georgia Stanway could move forward into the centre attacking midfield position to replace Lauren James, and Katie Zelem line up beside Keira Walsh in defensive midfield. Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly could drop deeper into the central role, playing behind Alessia Russo.
Predicted Lineup
Colombia
Colombia lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Jamaica in the Round of 16, the same formation which they lined up in against their final group stage game against Morocco. In their opening game against Korea and 2-1 win over Germany, Colombia opted to line up in a 4-3-3 formation.
Facing a strong side such as England, Colombia may revert to their original 4-3-3 formation however, their 4-2-3-1 formation has proved to be a strong set up for the side, which allows them to be more defensive whilst having attacking quality.
Manuela Vanegas is now able to make a return to the squad, following her one game suspension after picking up two yellow cards in their group stage matches. In their Round of 16 game against Jamaica, 18 year old Ana Guzman replaced her in the left back position.
Colombia will want to remain defensive and dominate the central areas. They will best be able to do this through a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders able to join the defensive line when called upon. Colombia will look towards their attacking players that can pose a threat to find a goal against England to take them to the next round.
Young star Linda Caicedo has proved her goal scoring ability, scoring two goals for her country in the tournament. She links up with Catalina Usme, Leicy Santos and Mayra Ramirez in attack, all who pose a great threat to opposing teams. Colombia’s positioning allows them to find space to attack, which is prevalent through their goal against Jamaica in the Round of 16. Catalina Usme remained wide against a narrowly defensive Jamaican side which gave her teammates the opportunity to switch the ball to her in free space.
Predicted Lineup
