Reigning European champions England and the hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023 have advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Nigeria and Denmark respectively.
England defeated Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after 120 minutes of 0-0 stalemate, despite being outnumbered and having a player sent off in the final minute of regulation time, in the round of 16 at Brisbane Stadium in Australia on Sunday.
England are the defending European champions, having won the 2022 Women’s European Football Championship (EURO) on home soil.
With top-four finishes in Canada 2015 and France 2019, England will be looking to win their first ever World Cup title at the tournament.
England, ranked No. 4 in the FIFA World Rankings, had a player sent off in the final minute of regulation time, but held on for 30 minutes of extra time with a stiffer defense than they’ve shown since winning the title.
England will play the winner of the Colombia-Jamaica match at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 for a spot in the semifinals.
Nigeria, ranked 40th, failed to win their first match of the tournament.
Nigeria has made two previous appearances at the tournament, in the United States in 1999 and France in 2019, and both have been eliminated in the first round.
The turning point in a tight game came in the 42nd minute when England midfielder Loren James was sent off for an unsportsmanlike foul.
After tangling with Nigerian defender Michel Alozie, James stomped on Alozie’s buttocks as he got up.
The referee initially pulled out a yellow card, but after a video assistant referee (VAR) on-field review, he changed it to a red.
Nigeria went into stoppage time with a numerical advantage, but the pendulum was not swinging in their favor.
England’s tenacious defense kept the Nigerian attack at bay, and the game went to penalty kicks.
England had all of their players convert their shots except for Georgia Stanway, who took the first kick.
On the other hand, Nigeria’s first kicker, Onome Ebi, and second kicker, Alozie, missed.바카라사이트
Australia defeats Denmark 2-0 on first-half goals from Fouad and Lasso
Hosts Australia advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Denmark at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia.
The Socceroos will reach the semifinals for the first time in their history with a win in the quarterfinals on Wednesday against the winner of the France-Morocco match.
The Socceroos took the lead in the 29th minute on a goal by Caitlin Poord and made it 2-0 in the second 25 minutes when Haley Lasso converted an Emily Van Egmond backpass with a right-footed shot.
In the 35th minute, Australia’s ‘captain’ Sam Kerr, who had been sidelined with a calf injury, took the field for the first time in the tournament, replacing Lasso.