As England are preparing to play Australia in the World Cup semi-finals so too, crucially, is Georgia Stanway. After playing through five matches at the tournament on a yellow card and with the threat of a one-match suspension hanging over her head, the combative Lionesses midfielder successfully walked the tightrope to reach the point where bookings are wiped.
A younger Stanway perhaps wouldn’t have been so careful, and would have fallen foul of her instincts to challenge for balls that were not there to be won. There was, admittedly, one nervous moment, during the heat of battle against Colombia in the quarter-finals, when Stanway thought she had pushed her aggression too far after a mistimed tackle. Overall, though, the midfielder has shown restraint and control to reach the semi-finals in the clear. “I’m very, very grateful about that,” Stanway laughs, and England are as well.
