England's Bungle Sends Japan to World Cup Final

Laura Bassett scored into her own net during second-half stoppage time, giving Japan a 2-1 victory over England in a Women's World Cup semifinal. The decisive goal came when Japan's Nahomi Kawasumi drove up the right side and sent a cross into the middle for Yuki Ogimi. Bassett reached out with her right foot and caught the ball flush, inadvertently sending it toward her net. The ball struck the crossbar and bounced in just before goalkeeper Karen Bardsley could get across. The defending champions advance to play the United States in the championship game in Vancouver on Sunday. It's a rematch of the 2011 championship game in Germany, when Japan won on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw.

"However we played in this game, the fact is, we're going to the final," Japan coach Norio Sasaki said through an interpreter. "And I'd like to congratulate the players for that. ... We should really cherish this moment that we are going to the final." Bassett was inconsolable at the end of the match, lying flat on the ground, her face in the turf. She then needed assistance from teammates and her coach before leaving the field. "This team can't be afraid to cry," England coach Mark Sampson said. "There's nothing wrong with that at all." The US, which got to the final with a 2-0 win over Germany, is 24-1-6 against Japan. (More Women's World Cup stories.)