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United States' Osborne shuts down England star

By Sports Network -- The Sports Network

Leslie Osborne was nearly invisible during the United States' 3-0 win over England in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup on Saturday.

But only because she spent most of the match in England star Kelly Smith's shadow.

Osborne, a defensive midfielder, made just her second start of the tournament and played a vital role marking - and shutting down - the dynamic Smith.

"Leslie did a great job of keeping Kelly as quiet as you can keep a very talented player like Kelly Smith," U.S. coach Greg Ryan said.

Quiet? Smith didn't have a shot until the final minute of the match.

"She had the great job of marking Kelly Smith most of the time, and I don't think Kelly did much," U.S. midfielder Shannon Box said.

Smith, who was a star in the WUSA in the United States, entered the game with four goals in her first three games to lead England to the final eight.

Her role did change against the United States, moving from center forward to center midfield, but it didn't have as much to do with her struggles as the 24-year-old Osborne did.

"We play a zone in the midfield, but (Saturday) we changed that a little bit and had her follow Kelly Smith when Kelly was in positions where she could receive the ball," Ryan said. "She was able to keep her under pressure where she didn't get as many opportunities."

Pretty impressive considering Osborne is appearing in her first World Cup.

"Its just fun out there," she said.

Osborne just started to make an impact on the United States last year when she played in 19 games, including 12 starts. She continued to play a big role this year, starting most games leading up to the World Cup.

Although her role was still unclear entering the tournament, she's started two games in midfield in place of Carli Lloyd. Each time Osborne has marked one of the top players in the world.

In addition to shutting down Smith, Osborne held Sweden's Victoria Svensson in check in a 2-0 win during the group stage.

"Leslie did a good job on Svensson from Sweden and then again (Saturday) in that role against Smith," Ryan said. "She was a key to both victories."

The United States advanced to play the winner of Sunday's quarterfinal between Australia and Brazil in the semifinals on Thursday.