Outplayed, outclassed but somehow, somehow, not out. Lauren James’s sending-off in the 85th minute for stepping on Michelle Alozie as her opponent lay on the floor was symptomatic of a frustrated England, who scraped past a tactically superior and better organised Nigeria on penalties to progress to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Randy Waldrum’s Nigeria, ranked 40th in the world, 36 places below England, looked as if they would claim the latest big scalp and knock out the European champions after the eliminations of Brazil, Canada, Germany and the USA. However, after Georgia Stanway’s missed penalty in the shootout, England scored four as Nigeria floundered, missing their first two spot-kicks to allow the substitute Chloe Kelly to thunder in the winner again.
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