HOUGHTON: England will be nervous vs Australia but support can work both ways

England will be nervous ahead of Wednesday's game with Australia and that is only natural. It's a World Cup semi-final and the last few hours between the final training session and the match will be difficult.

Part of you is telling you to go out and enjoy it but the other part is telling you what is at stake. You know how much it means to everyone back home and as much as you try to relax it's only natural to have those thoughts.

They are big occasions. The 2019 semi-final, and the penalty miss, does pop into my head sometimes. For three or four months after it defined me as a player. I was hard on myself and it affected my football and my confidence.

When I met people or had interviews I knew it would come up. I was so desperate for us to win. That was an unbelievable team with a great manager. We were 2-1 down against the Americans and had started to get on top. To not be able to take it to extra-time, I guess it is what it is. It's sport.

People miss penalties — it's part of the game but in that moment it is everything. I look back and think 'Oh my God, Steph, that was an absolutely s*** penalty. You practised for weeks, months, years and never missed one'.

But you can't replicate that situation - a penalty in a semi-final of a World Cup against the world champions. You have to give yourself a break.

First and foremost you have to be brave enough to step up. That said, I hope there is no need for penalties and we sail through!

We are playing the hosts and they will have massive support. That can work both ways. We played Canada in the 2015 quarter-final and it was deafening.

They hated us. We got booed from the moment we came out for warm-ups but thrived off it. It can give the home team momentum but England will be used to it.

It can actually put a spring in your step. You use it as a positive to drive you on. You know if you score they're going to go quiet and the opposition feel that.

A lot has been said about England's performances so far and they have not got into a rhythm like at the Euros.

It doesn't matter. This is tournament football and you play to win. If we win the World Cup, nobody will remember how we did it.

A big positive is how resilient we've been. The girls are working together and the subs are making a difference. I think the switch from a 4-3-3 is getting the best out of our better players.

This will be a tight game. We know they came to England and beat us and there will be a feeling it can't happen again. I hope that's right.

Steph Houghton is talking to Mail Sport in conjunction with the Darby Rimmer Foundation. Donate at: darbyrimmermnd.co.uk/