Make sure that you have sufficient substance to make up for any lack of elegance. The Women’s World Cup favorites England drove home that point by defeating a resilient Nigeria and overcoming adversity to go to the quarterfinals in Australia & New Zealand.
The European champions advanced to the round of eight thanks to Chloe Kelly’s game-winning penalty kick in a 4-2 shootout victory after the round of 16 match had gone scoreless and with England’s Lauren James dismissed. As a result of the United States’ exit in another thrilling shootout against Sweden 24 hours earlier, their success justifies their ranking as the tournament’s favorites (+225, according to Caesars Sportsbook).
However, being considered the favorites in a World Cup can be both a burden and a source of inspiration. During their disastrous campaign, the USWNT did little to earn that distinction. One would argue that Spain (+330), Japan (+475), co-hosts Australia (+750), or Sweden (+900) are more deserving of the “most likely to” designation than England, whose only noteworthy performance thus far was the 6-1 group-stage triumph against Asian champions China.
However, despite the fact that Nigeria outplayed coach Sarina Wiegman’s team for significant stretches of the game and had to deal with James’ 87th-minute dismissal for a senseless stamping on Michelle Alozie, the Lionesses did what winners typically do: they reorganized, dug deep, and fueled off the disappointment of losing one of their best players to force the game into extra time and penalties before winning that test of nerve.
Wiegman stated, “We weren’t expecting it to be simple. “I give Nigeria a lot of credit. I don’t believe I’ve ever played a game with such high stakes. It was really competitive and tough.
Instead of relying solely on the star qualities of James, that was possibly overhyped for her two goals as well as three assists against China, England prevailed thanks to Rachel Daly’s drive, Alex Greenwood’s defensive sturdiness, and Keira Walsh’s illustrious 119-minute performance in midfield after making her team comeback from a knee injury. The game would have lasted 120 minutes, but Walsh, who had tried to play it out to the very end, eventually gave in to the consequences of her recent layoff with a few seconds remaining on the clock. But she had contributed in her own way.
But Daly was the star of the show. The Aston Villa star, who shifted from defense to striker last season and topped the Women’s Super League scoring lists, was once again used as a wing-back by Wiegman, and she displayed a sense of unjustifiable resentment that she was not in charge of the attack. Daly has a genuine fire inside of her, but it works to her advantage and makes her such a crucial part of this England team. James has not yet mastered that important skill, and her red card, which came after VAR had rightly requested that referee Melissa Borjas examine her initial judgment of a booking, might have ended England’s World Cup chances.
Wiegman described the twenty-one-year-old Chelsea player as “young.” “She doesn’t intend to hurt anyone; this is only a brief moment. She will undoubtedly gain something from it.
Since David Beckham and Wayne Rooney were notably dismissed for violent behavior in World Cup games for the men’s team before losing on penalties, it seemed like history repeating itself for England, but Wiegman’s Lionesses were able to stay away from the same fate. England could have won the match long before James threatened to jeopardize their standing if they had displayed more of the flair & dominance that are typically associated with favorites. However, it was England’s ejection that finally allowed them to demonstrate why they are thought to be the side most likely to win the world championship on August 20.
The No. 1 and No. 2 FIFA World Ranking teams are no longer preventing England from winning a championship because the United States and Germany are out of the tournament. It is also a fact that, in the New Zealand-based bracket system leading to the championship game, England is trapped in the weaker half of the draw, with Japan, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands locked into the opposite side of the bracket. On Saturday, England will face either Colombia or Jamaica in the quarterfinals, a matchup they will again be expected to win. If the Matildas advance that far, Australia might be a difficult opponent in the semifinal.
However, Wiegman and her team will realize that they need to shift into another gear if they want to win England’s first Women’s World Cup once the thrill of defeating Nigeria wears off. To provide England with more of a goal threat, Wiegman may have to think about swapping out the unproductive striker Alessia Russo for Daly in the middle.
The tenacity of this England team, however, is beyond dispute. They have a strong foundation, so if they can add some flare, they can succeed completely.