England v USA: Phil Neville says 'hearts and souls left on the pitch'

England's players left "their hearts and souls on the pitch" in their Women's World Cup semi-final defeat by the USA, said boss Phil Neville.

The Lionesses lost 2-1 in Lyon, with Ellen White having a goal ruled out by the VAR for offside and captain Steph Houghton having a late penalty saved.

"I've told them no tears tonight," said Neville. "I'm proud. They have touched the hearts of the nation.

"I couldn't ask for more. We had the time of our lives."

England must now shrug off the heartbreak of a third consecutive semi-final defeat in a major tournament to face either Sweden or the Netherlands in Saturday's third-place play-off.

"We'll have to allow 24 to 48 hours for this to sink in and for them to get over this disappointment," added Neville, who said beforehand anything other than reaching the final would be a "failure".

"Nothing I can say will make them feel better. Elite sport and being on top of the world means that on Saturday in Nice we have to produce a performance. Read More...