My 2015 Highlight: England's Lionesses

The FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada helped to further revolutionize the women's game worldwide.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

2015 saw England’s women go further than their male counterparts had done since 1966. It also underlined a revolution of the women’s game in England.

England travelled to Canada with the hope, perhaps expectancy of achieving something similar to what we associate with the men’s side at major tournaments, a quarter-final finish. After opening their campaign with a narrow 1-0 loss to group rivals France, the usual critic’s soon voiced their opinions.

However they were soon silenced by repeated 2-1 victories on match day two and three against Mexico and Colombia as England stormed into the round of 16 where Steph Houghton’s side prepared themselves to face Norway in Ottawa.

Our women came back from 1-0 down to find an equaliser through Captain Houghton, shortly before right back Lucy Bronze hit a stunning winner from outside the box to carry her nation into the quarter-finals.

As the nation was well-and-truly gripped by the character and quality of a new batch of footballing stars, Bronze once again stepped up with a crucial goal that put the lionesses 2-0 up against host nation Canada in Vancouver just three minutes after Jodie Taylor had given England the lead. Although the hosts replied with a goal from their heroin and captain Christine Sinclair shortly before half time, they could not find another and the travelling side marched into the final four.

Following the unparalleled success that had already been achieved, the semi-final fixture against Japan was perhaps the moment that really cemented the England players place in the hearts of the nation. Lining up against the current World Cup Champions at the time, England faced their toughest test yet, but once again they were hardly phased.

Falling behind to Miyama’s penalty shortly after the half hour mark, midfield maestro Fara Williams soon levelled the score in the same fashion. Seeming destined for extra time, solid centre-half Laura Basset was unable to position her feet in the way she wished and the ball deflected off the Notts County defender and into the back of the England net. Tears that were reminiscent of Gazza’s from Italia ’90 followed.

But this England side showed that they were made of stronger stuff. Returning to the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton where they had lost that semi-final just days before, Mark Sampson’s side battled to a deserved 1-0 win after extra time against European rivals Germany thanks to another Fara Williams penalty.

With a peak 2.4 million viewers tuning in to follow the sides efforts, the game is in a better position now than ever before. Now it is over to the Football Association and a nation of supporters to continue supporting the women’s game and helping to ensure we go that one step further in 2019.