Thursday 2 July 2015 11:24, UK
England Women's World Cup dream has ended in one of the cruellest ways football and indeed sport can deliver.
Just a few days ago, Laura Bassett was laughing and joking with the captain Steph Houghton on Sky Sports News HQ, showing her effervescence, humour and just plain niceness.
Now having just witnessed her tears, her emotions spill out, it is just quite frankly horrible. Her team-mates did their job and were more than just her fellow England footballers, they were her friends and they consoled her or at least tried. This will hurt for some time.
I saw coach Mark Sampson about an hour after the game had ended and asked him what could he do in a situation like this?
He said: "I've just told her to cry, I've told her to cry and let it out. There is no point holding this in, let it out.
"She's an incredible person and there is a silver lining here, because a little girl at some point during this tournament has seen Laura and she may say to her mum I want to be like her, I want an England shirt with Bassett on the back.
"Bas won't know this girl and they will likely never meet, but she’s had that impact. That's what she is about. Any sister, mother, father, boyfriend would be proud to have Laura Bassett. She will hurt and it may take time, but we are all here for her."
Steph Houghton, England's captain who has led by example alongside Bassett in forming one of the best central defensive partnerships at this World Cup, stopped to say hello on her way to the team coach.
They just want more people playing and enjoying football. And that is what England have done here in Canada - they have enjoyed it.
She was white, the colour had drained from her face and believe me, Steph had a nice sun-tan, but she was pale with exhaustion and I'm sure plenty of tears. However she is England's captain and held her head up and spoke with pride and passion.
"We were asked to leave nothing out there and we have done that," she said. "We will pick ourselves up and will prepare for Germany now."
Having been following this team for over four weeks now, it's difficult for me to gauge what the reaction has been in the UK. All I can tell you is the players, even minutes after defeat in a World Cup semi-final, all spoke about this moment being a catalyst for women's football.
I think I heard at least three players speak of the 'silver lining' of believing they may get more girls playing football and even more boys. They just want more people playing and enjoying football. And that is what England have done here in Canada - they have enjoyed it. Everything they have done they did with a smile, they did with a degree of humility.
But if you thought their World Cup was at an end, it is not.
One more game. Germany on Saturday in Edmonton to settle the 3rd and 4th places at this World Cup. How do you get motivated for a match like that? Well, Fara Williams summed it up beautifully. Even in defeat, the thought of getting back on the pitch put a huge smile on her face: "It’s Germany, I really want to beat them, I really do."
