In an impressive victory, England triumphed over Nigeria in a penalty shootout during the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals. This achievement is even more remarkable as star player Lauren James was red-carded and ejected from the game. Despite this setback, England emerged victorious with a 4-2 victory in the shootout, securing their spot in the quarterfinals.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw after regulation and extra time, giving Nigeria a chance to achieve their first-ever knockout victory in the Women’s World Cup. However, England’s team, the European champions, proved their mettle and prevailed.
England took on the title of tournament favorites after the reigning champions, the U.S. team, were eliminated in a penalty shootout against Sweden. However, England struggled to break through Nigeria’s strong defense and create scoring opportunities.
In the final minutes of regulation time, England’s star forward Lauren James received a red card after a VAR review of her violent tackle on a Nigeria defender. Initially given a yellow card, the referee changed her decision to a red card after seeing the replays. This incident drew comparisons to David Beckham’s red card during the 1998 World Cup.
This red card means Lauren James will miss at least one game, and potentially the rest of the tournament. With only 10 players on the field, England had to reorganize their formation, and substitute forward Chloe Kelly stepped up to play a crucial role up front.
In the dying moments of the match, Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie had a clear chance to score but failed to control the ball, ultimately missing the opportunity to secure a victory for her team. Nigeria’s veteran forward Asisat Oshoala also came close to scoring, but her shot was saved by England’s goalkeeper Mary Earps.
Although England narrowly escaped with a win, they must now prepare for their quarterfinal match against either Colombia or Jamaica in Sydney.
Reflecting on the victory, Chloe Kelly expressed her joy and praised the team’s resilience and belief in their abilities. She stated, “It’s amazing. We’ve shown what we’re capable of. We dig deep as a group and we believe in our ability. This team is special. We keep pushing forward — there’s more to come from this special.”
Nigeria’s coach, Randy Waldrum, commended his team for their performance against one of the best teams in the world. He said, “I’m so proud of them, to come in and play like we did tonight. We had every opportunity to get it done. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite get it done. We had the best chances, we hit the crossbar twice. When it gets to penalties, it’s anyone’s game.”
The match was evenly poised in the first half, with both teams creating opportunities. England even had a penalty awarded but overturned after a VAR review. However, neither team was able to find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless halftime.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
