BRISBANE, Australia (August) — England’s women’s soccer team moved forward in the Women’s World Cup on Monday following a penalty shootout against Nigeria in the last-16 round. The match, which saw Chloe Kelly score the decisive penalty, ended in a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes of intense gameplay.
England’s Beth England, Rachel Daly, and Alex Greenwood also successfully converted their penalties, leading to a 4-2 shootout win for the European champions. This achievement was made despite the team being reduced to 10 players during extra time following the dismissal of forward Lauren James in the 87th minute.
Kelly, who also scored the winning goal in the Euro 2022 final against Germany, expressed her pride in the team’s resilience.
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“It’s amazing. Anything that’s thrown at this team, we show what we’re capable of,” she told the BBC after today’s last-16 round victory. “We dig deep as a group, and we believe in our ability.”
England now prepares for the quarter-finals, where they will face either Jamaica or Colombia in Sydney on Saturday.
However, they will have to do so without James, who faces at least a one-game suspension following her red card.
England’s goalkeeper, Mary Earps, was named player of the match. She credited the team’s previous experience in the Finalissima shootout in April as a valuable preparation for this match.
“It’s a very special moment, a very special pressure-cooker,” she said.
The match was not without its challenges for England. Nigeria put up a strong fight, forcing Earps to make several crucial saves.
England did not have a shot on target until the 77th minute, when Daly’s header off Greenwood’s corner forced Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, to make a quick save.
England, now in their sixth World Cup appearance, aims to surpass their best finish of third place in 2015. On the other hand, Nigeria, ranked 40th, exits their ninth World Cup in the last 16 for the second consecutive time.
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