England beat Nigeria 4-2 on penalties to reach the quarter-finals after the game finished 0-0 after extra time.
Written by admin on August 7, 2023
England beat Nigeria 4-2 on penalties to reach the quarter-finals after the game finished 0-0 after extra time. Heartbreak for Nigeria, who dominated the game for large spells. England rode their luck and the European champions went down to 10 players after Lauren James was sent off in the 87th minute.
Nigeria dominate but fall short as England ride their luck after going down to 10 players as Lauren James was sent off. Nigeria dominate but fall short as England ride their luck after going down to 10 players as Lauren James was sent off.
Chloe Kelly scoring the decisive spot-kick, following a 0-0 draw over 120 nerve-jangling minutes.
Beth England, Rachel Daly and Alex Greenwood also converted in a 4-2 shootout win for the European champions, who had a player sent off in regulation time on Monday.
England were awarded a penalty when Daly was pushed from behind in the box by Rasheedat Ajibade, but it was overturned after a VAR review.
The Lionesses did not have a shot on target until the 77th minute when Daly had a great chance with a header off Greenwood’s corner that forced goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to get down quickly and save.
England sat back in their own half for most of the extra time, and substitute Asisat Oshoala fired a close-range shot minutes before the final whistle that Earps dove to scoop up.
England held on and scraped through on penalties, with keeper Earps named player of the match.
She said the Finalissima shootout win over Brazil in April was a great warm-up.
England, making their sixth World Cup appearance, are hoping to top their best finish of third in 2015. They were fourth four years ago in France.
The 40th-ranked Super Falcons bow out of their ninth World Cup in the round of 16 for the second consecutive time.
Fourth-ranked England face either Jamaica or Colombia in the quarter-finals in Sydney on Saturday.
“This team is special; we did it in the Euros, we did it in the Finalissima, and we’re here again tonight and doing it,” said Kelly, who scored the winner in the Euro 2022 final against Germany. “And we keep pushing forward. There’s more to come from this special team.”
