The key players who could decide the World Cup final

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England will take on Spain in their first Womens World Cup final on Sunday.The European champions will have to navigate their way past a Spanish side rife with talent, including nine players from last seasons Champions League winners Barcelona.Here, the PA news agency looks at five players to watch when the monumental meeting kicks off in front of over 75,000 fans at 11am BST.Lauren JamesThe 21-year-old forward mi sed Englands last-eight and last-four clashes while she served a two-match ban for a red card she was shown after stepping on the back of defender Michelle Alozie in the Lione ses last-16 battle with Nigeria.Before the incident World Cup David Ortiz Jersey debutant James had netted three times in the group stage and is still joint top of the competitions a sist charts with three, despite her absence.Replacement Ella Toone scored the opener in their 3-1 semi-final victory, so it remains to be seen whether England manager Sarina Wiegman will risk tinkering with a line-up that has more recently clicked in favour of James early-tournament potency, or save her as a weapon off the bench.Jennifer HermosoWith double Ballon DOr winner Alexia Putellas seemingly struggling with her fitne s, controversial Spain head coach Jorge Vilda has relied on strong showings by other members of his side.Barcelona striker Hermoso, a team-mate of Englands Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh and her sides all-time top goal-scorer, has looked especially fearsome, scoring three times and providing two a sists en Rafael Devers Jersey route to Spains first World Cup final.Team-mate Aitana Bonmati shares identical statistics, giving La Roja a potent power in attack even without Putellas on top form.Mary EarpsLione ses goalkeeper Earps could be called into action more than any other time in the tournament against Spain, who enter Sundays encounter with a competition-leading 17 goals.The 30-year-old has thrived since becoming Wiegmans first choice between the sticks and last year won the Best FIFA Womens Goalkeeper award after conceding just two goals and keeping four clean sheets in Englands Euro 2022-winning campaign.The Manchester United keeper as made some vital saves so far in this World Cup while conceding just three times. Spain, meanwhile, have let in seven acro s their six matches.Ona BatlleYou do not have to scroll far down lists of World Cup statistics before coming acro s Spain defender Batlle.The former Manchester United full-back leads the competition in both pa ses and cro ses into the penalty area and has won the most tackles, 15, of any player in the 32-team tournament.Battle, 24, is also second to just Englands Alex Greenwood for touches taken, Chris Sale Jersey with 37 fewer than Greenwoods 669, and leads the competition with 34 progre sive carries.Ale sia Ru soRu so got off to a quiet start at the World Cup after being handed Englands starting centre-forward role ahead of Womens Super League Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly.Her maiden World Cup goal came four minutes into Englands thumping 6-1 win over China in the group stage, an anomalous result in a campaign that had otherwise not seen the Lione ses score more than twice in a match until Ru so netted late against Australia to set up the Spain showdown.The summer Arsenal signing, who also scored the winner against Colombia in Englands 2-1 quarter-final clash, now leads the World Cup in both shots (22) and shots on target (12) and will hope a few more find the back of the net in Sydney on Sunday.
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