England strolled through to the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup with their biggest win in a significant tournament. Kelly Smith scored two more goals, celebrating with more discretion this time, to join Birgit Prinz and Marta, Fifa's most recent world players of the year, on four for the tournament. England are proving they belong among the elite now.

Smith was named player of the match, also earning one of the two penalties that England scored as Argentina were reduced to ten players. There was no boot-kissing from Smith on this occasion, though, as Hope Powell's team made light work of weak opposition. Fara Williams collected a second yellow card of the tournament and will be suspended for Saturday's quarter-final, the opposition for which will be decided in the final group B games tonight.

"It's a big blow that Fara's out," Smith said, "but we've got Katie Chapman to come back and we're confident we can get a result in the quarter-final, no matter who plays for us. It's unlucky for Fara but she'll bounce back."

Smith faces the possibility of playing against the United States, where she played for Philadelphia Charge for two years. "I'd love it but whoever we get we'll be excited." So England stand two games from the World Cup final. "It sounds great, doesn't it?" Smith said.

England could not have asked for a better start. Even before Germany took a lead against Japan in Hangzhou that reduced the chances of Powell's team being pipped to qualification, they flew out of the blocks and into a two-goal lead inside ten minutes.

Argentina, beaten 11-0 by Germany in their opening game, were poor; England made sure they looked it. Casey Stoney played a routine cross into the penalty area but Eva Gonzalez, off balance, contrived to head the ball backwards and over Romina Ferro. If the Argentina goalkeeper felt poorly guarded then, she must have felt like giving up when, after Smith's mazy run was ended, Catalina Perez pulled out of a tackle when faced by Jill Scott 30 yards from goal. The Everton midfield player was rewarded for her aggression when her tackle became a shot and the ball zipped in for her first goal for England.

When news came through that Prinz had scored for Germany, England were sitting pretty. Attention turned to potential quarter-final opponents in Tianjin on Saturday, but there was still a game to be sealed here.

Eniola Aluko, recalled to the side along with Rachel Yankey, turned superbly on to a ball into feet in the penalty area but saw her rising shot crash against the bar. Yankey was showing flashes of her undoubted talent, skinning players at will, while Smith started getting at defenders to maximum advantage. One of her idiosyncratic runs ended with her heels being clipped by the hapless Perez, who was dismissed for her second yellow card before Williams confidently dispatched the resultant penalty.

Rachel Brown was again beaten by a free kick when Eva Gonzalez curled one home from 25 yards. The Everton goalkeeper covered herself in no glory by allowing the shot through her diving grasp.

Williams's evening took another turn for the worse two minutes later. The Everton playmaker paid for one of her rare losses of control when, the ball running away from her, she brought her man down and earned a second booking of the tournament. Her absence for Saturday's tie will at least be balanced by the return of Chapman, suspended for this game.

England reasserted their supremacy with a goal of high class in the 62nd minute. Yankey produced the surge to go with the skill as she weaved her way into the penalty area and she chose the right ball as well, driving her low cross in to the near post from where Smith nonchalantly backheeled the ball home. Smith reacted first after Yankey's in-swinging shot was only scooped out by the goalkeeper and slammed the rebound home.

In the last minute, when Gonzalez brought down Jody Handley, the substitute, Vicky Exley, another late introduction, converted the penalty with style. It was an emphatic finish to a highly satisfactory night for England.

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