The Fifa guide to Tianjin talks of folk artists, spring festivals and the many colleges and universities contained within this city of 10m. What it doesn’t mention is the smog. In the mornings, it’s visible, oozing between the skyscrapers; by afternoon it has burnt off to the extent that it is no longer seen, but anybody who ventures outside is reminded of its presence by the acrid taste in the throat.

The air is best in the evenings, but England wheezed and spluttered against the United States just when they needed deep, calm breaths. Did they choke? Hope Powell, the coach, didn’t think so, but in 13 decisive minutes, she saw the brilliant work of a long World Cup campaign dismantled by nerves and errors.

For two years, through a qualifying group that resulted in England eliminating France, through impressive warm-up games and in a group stage where they were the equals of Germany, Powell’s side was a coming force. It made yesterday seem all the more disappointing, but it is also why the Three Lionesses can be sanguine when they reflect. The USA are No 1 in the world, but England bettered them for 30 minutes, were easily worth a 0-0 scoreline at half-time and had the mental strength to finish strongly after going three goals down.

From minutes 48 to 61, it was sheer trauma, though. Their poise was punctured when, from a set-piece, Abby Wambach gave the USA a lead that they had not looked like establishing in open play.

Mistakes followed, and all of a sudden, it seemed, Kristine Lilly was rolling in her 125th international goal for 3-0 and England’s women were being eliminated from a leading finals at the quarter-final stage, as is traditional with the men.

Powell attempted a bit of air-brushing when she said: “I don’t really remember how the goals went in”, before acknowledging “goalkeeping errors”. She was trying to be kind to Rachel Brown, but her No 1 will not want to remember Lilly’s strike, in particular, when she went to the edge of her box to meet a long clearance by Cat Whitehill, allowed the ball bounce over her head and turned to watch the American captain, winning an extraordinary 333rd cap, steal in behind and finish.

The vast advantage in terms of experience that the USA held was illustrated by Lilly. The average number of caps held by Greg Ryan’s starting XI was 101. Five of the six youngest players who took the pitch were English. The opening spell was the only period in which Kelly Smith, suggested that she could be England’s matchwinner once again, but the three forwards in front of her, Karen Carney, Eniola Aluko and Alex Scott, struggled against the Americans’ big and canny defenders. A Carney shot from long range and a cross from the winger that Jill Scott almost connected with, before being penalised for high feet, was the best it got for England.

The USA had Wambach, their hulking, bruising, scorer. Ryan had called for “big plays from big players” and Wambach provided it, lifting her team through moments of physical force when she imposed herself on the game.

Defender Faye White competed bravely against the striker, but in the 37th minute Wambach smashed through England’s captain in a challenge, catching White’s face with her arm and leaving her with blood streaming from her nose. “The blow really shook her” Powell said.

Early in the second half Wambach scored, nodding home a corner in powerful style.

England could not clear their heads or their lines, and Shannon Boxx rammed home a drive from 20 yards that perhaps Brown should have got to. Then came the calamitous third goal.

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