England's Lionesses Edge Iceland, Keep World Cup Hopes Alive

0:00On April 18, England's lionesses kept their World Cup qualifying dream alive with a tight 1-0 win over Iceland and Reykjavik. A Lesha Russo banged in the only goal in the 21st minute, her 30th for the team during their 500th international match. That result holds their 3-point lead over Spain at the top of the group. Spain made it look easy meanwhile, smashing Ukraine 5-0 on the same day. Iceland parked the bus early, but turned up the heat after halftime, forcing England to dig deep. Serena Wegman sigh created some chances, but couldn't add to the scoreline. Hannah Hampton was a wall in goal for Chelsea, pulling off crucial saves to shut down Iceland's late push. Captain Leah Williamson returned from a hamstring tweak and helped steady the backline, while subs like Beth Mead and Jess Park ease the pressure. Iceland hit the post and had a few close calls, but England hung on through 5 minutes of stoppage time. No major injuries reported, setting up a big June clash with Spain and Ukraine.

1:01Group winners grab a direct ticket to next year's World Cup in Brazil, so England stays in the driver's seat for now.