England 0 Nigeria 0 (England win 4-2 on penalties)
Outplayed, outclassed but somehow, somehow, not out. Lauren James’s sending-off in the 85th minute for a stamp on Michelle Alozie was symptomatic of a frustrated England, who scraped past a tactically superior and better organised Nigeria on penalties to progress to the World Cup quarterfinals.
Randy Waldrum’s side, ranked 40th in the world, 36 places below their opponents, looked as if they would claim the latest big scalp and knock the European champions out of the World Cup after the eliminations of Brazil, Canada, Germany and the USA. However, after Georgia Stanway’s missed penalty in the shoot-out, England scored four as Nigeria floundered, missing their first two spot-kicks to allow the substitute Chloe Kelly to fire in the winner again.
Mouths were agape on the announcement of England’s starting line-up, the return of Keira Walsh looking miraculous 10 days after she left the pitch on a stretcher in agony. Walsh’s World Cup obituaries were written; she was England’s most valuable player, irreplaceable. Despite confirmation that she had not sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury, hopes of a World Cup return were low.
Walsh’s return had people quietly wondering whether there was room for Barcelona’s Champions League winner – not because she is any less important than she was, but because the collective that cracked China, winning 6-1 in a new formation, was so cohesive.
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Of course, Nigeria posed a very different threat, their transitional game promising the first real test of England’s backline and their defensive organisation stifling and frustrating.
Nigeria had done their homework and were well organised. Halimatu Ayinde was exceptional in her marking of James, who scored twice and provided three assists as she ran the show against China. Ayinde was more than James’s shadow; stalking her every move, she dominated her. James, so good with the ball at her feet, able to dribble and trick her way out of the smallest of spaces, couldn’t keep the ball at her feet, such was the speed with which Ayinde snapped it away.
England started brightly but there were also signs of how Nigeria had beaten Australia and drawn with the Olympic champions Canada on their way to escaping the group. After 13 minutes Toni Payne’s outswinging corner was met by the full-back Alozie, whose thumping header from 12 yards was headed away by Alessia Russo in the six-yard box. A few minutes later and the players in green threatened again, Alex Greenwood putting her head on the line to make a clearance that fell to Ashleigh Plumptre, who fired a thunderous strike off the underside of the bar before forcing a save from Mary Earps moments later.
England had chances, but they felt fleeting. Russo latched on to an error by the defender Oluwatosin Demehin and found herself clean through but Chiamaka Nnadozie, well off her line, dived low and blocked the shot. The wing back Rachel Daly would smash a volley goalwards from a cleared corner, but it was straight at Nnadozie.
England were playing deep, too deep, and Walsh seemed to be playing as a single pivot, almost in the way of the driving runs seen from Millie Bright against China. Her partnership with Stanway looked unbalanced and, with James marked out of the game, the trio in the middle struggled to create.
Just past the half-hour, England were awarded a penalty after Rasheedat Ajibade bumped Daly in the back. However, after a VAR review, the referee Melissa Borjas revised her decision. That felt harsh but Daly’s fall appeared exaggerated.
Up the other end an Alibade strike ricocheted off the back of Bright after Ifeoma Onumonu’s cutback. Then in added time Uchenna Kanu smacked a header off the top of the bar.
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The second half was much like the first. Nigeria had scored only three goals in three games, all against Australia, but they had also kept two clean sheets and their defensive organisation frustrated England immensely. They were also the more threatening side. Daly put the ball wide on the volley and forced a save from Nnadozie, who dived to her right to keep out the Aston Villa player’s header, but England’s chances were extremely limited.
It was calamity with five minutes remaining, when James inexplicably boiled over and stepped on the back of Alozie, who had dispossessed her. The Chelsea midfielder received a yellow card, but it was overturned after a VAR review and instead James walked – an instant one-match ban will likely become more after review.
England reformed, this time with Kelly at the head of a 4-4-1, and rode out the final few minutes to force extra time. Nigeria pushed to make the most of their advantage but they looked exhausted. England’s defensive trio of Bright, Jess Carter and Greenwood were superb and penalties beckoned.
Stanway was up first and smashed her effort wide to the keeper’s right. There was no retaking this one, after her saved spot-kick against Haiti she got a second chance because the keeper had been off her line. Desire Oparanozie mirrored Stanway’s wide effort to maintain the stalemate. Bethany England, a late substitute, coolly put in England’s first before Alozie skied her penalty.
Daly hammered hers into the corner, then Earps went the right way but could not stop Ajibade’s strike. Greenwood sent the keeper the wrong way for England’s fourth and Ucheibe dispatched for Nigeria before Kelly, scorer of the winner in the Euros final and the decisive penalty in the Finalissima, thundered the ball into top corner and wheeled away in celebration, again. – Guardian
