By Ninder Kaur
No footballer can imagine a more worse case scenario than scoring an own goal and unfortunately that was the case for Laura Bassett who scored an own goal in stoppage time.
The Lionesses were attempting to reach their first World Cup final before Laura Bassett’s injury-time own goal sent Japan into Sunday’s final with a 2-1 win.
Attempting to cut out a pass into the penalty area, Bassett instead sent the ball past the goalkeeper Karen Bardsley and in off the crossbar.
Bassett has been one of her team’s most reliable performers at the this World Cup but will find it hard to forget the moment that meant England would not be making history by reaching the final for the first time.
Japan will now prepare to face United States in a repeat of the 2011 final, which the Japanese won on penalties.
England, meanwhile, will face Germany in Saturday’s third-place play-off.