two England lionesses celebrating on the pitch

Megan Ioannides

After what seemed like an interminable game against Nigeria on Monday, England advances to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup.

England vs. Nigeria World Cup Match Play-by-Play

Ready to face Nigeria, England Head Coach Sarina Wiegman stuck with an almost identical starting line-up that saw a 6-1 win over China the previous week. This match saw the return of midfielder Kiera Walsh. Walsh, who suffered a knee injury earlier in the tournament, seemed raring to go as the game began.

In a nail-biting game of missed shots and fouls, full-time was reached with the teams locked in a 0-0 draw. One of these fouls led to England entering extra time with only 10 players on the field.

Lauren James’ Red Card

Lauren James, who received a red card for standing on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie, has now been given a two-match suspension.

Wiegman stated that she respected referee Melissa Berjas’ decision to red-card James and acknowledged that it was “a very hard lesson” for the young player to learn.

Heading to social media, James apologised to Alozie and promised fans she would learn from the incident. The Nigerian player responded with her understanding of the “insurmountable emotions” involved in playing international football. “All respect for Lauren James,” she added.

A player down, England still managed to withhold Nigeria’s strong offence, and headed into a penalty shootout after 120 minutes of play. With a couple of misses from their opponents, the Lionesses triumphed with a 4-2 win.

Wiegman told BBC 5 Live that she “couldn’t be prouder of her team and their resilience, despite the setbacks faced.”

The deciding penalty was scored by ‘hero’ Chloe Kelly. Initiated with a skip and jump from Kelly, the goal has subsequently broken the record for the fastest-recorded shot in the tournament. It has also been recorded as being more powerful than any goal in last season’s Premier League.

England and Nigeria place respect front and centre

Despite her electric goal, Kelly hesitated in her celebration with the Lionesses and instead headed to comfort Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

She also sharply dismissed encroaching camera’s seeking to broadcast the devastated goalie. Kelly’s gesture has been praised by fans and has highlighted her great sportsmanship.

In fact, the match has further highlighted the respect and compassion we continue to see across women’s football. Only days ago, the Matildas, Australia’s national team, were also praised by Fox Sports for consoling Danish players after their 2-0 defeat.

“…role models are being made of players like Kelly”

With the increased visibility of women’s sports on an international stage, role models are being made of players like Kelly. Not only does this exposure inspire new generations of sportspersons, but events like those seen in the Women’s World Cup demonstrate the possibility of maintaining both integrity and success — a pivotal improvement on the disruptive reputation affiliated with mainstream football.

What’s next for England at the Women’s World Cup?

Following last year’s triumph in the UEFA Women’s Euros, England have been favourites to win this year’s World Cup since this tournament began.

England will play Columbia in the quarter final on Saturday 12th August at 11:30 (BST). The winner will then face either Australia or France, who will go head-to-head that same day.

The Women’s World Cup final will take place on Sunday 20th August at 11am (BST). The question is: will the Lionesses be there? Only time will tell.

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Featured image courtesy of Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here

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