Jill Ellis described the USWNT's 2-1 quarterfinal victory over France as the most intense match of her career after the Women's World Cup holders advanced to the semis.

Goals in either half from experienced forward Megan Rapinoe ensured the US will face England in Lyon on Tuesday, but Wendie Renard's late consolation for the host team left Ellis and her players emotionally exhausted at the end of a heated battle at Parc des Princes.

Despite dominating much of the game and preventing France from having a shot on target in the first half, it was a nervy ending for the longtime coach, who said she had prepared her team for such situations.

"That was the most intense match I have ever been a part of," Ellis said. "A win's a win in a World Cup. I haven't seen many pretty games in a World Cup. We trained for a back five for moments like this. France are an incredible team. The surge from the fans was intense, like a tsunami.

"For having flexibility and knowing what card we needed to play at each particular moment, I credit the players. They've taken everything on."

France coach Corinne Diacre vowed to fight on after a sell-out crowd in Paris saw her talented team lose only their second game in their last 19 matches.

Only once in the history of the Women's World Cup has France reached the last four but much was expected of Diacre's team, with six of her starting 11 coming from Lyon, the Champions League winning team.

But even after a disappointing end to the team's campaign, Diacre remained determined, saying: "I'm not the kind of person to give up. I still have work to do.

"There are still certain things we need to fine tune and work on together. Yes, it is a failure on a footballing level. We're a long way off our target but I hope we have retained something elsewhere, and I hope we have won over the hearts and minds of the public and helped the women's game go further and move into that next level.

"We showed we're not too far off the USA side. I've never seen a USA side switch to a five-player back line, so it's a sign we're making progress."