Lionesses dig deep after Lauren James’s ‘Beckham-esque’ red card

BBC commentator Robyn Cowen summed it up as “daylight robbery” as ten-woman England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach the quarter-finals of the Fifa Women’s World Cup. After Lauren James saw red late on in normal time, the last-16 clash in Brisbane finished 0-0 after 120 minutes with the Lionesses progressing after winning 4-2 on spot-kicks.

Sarina Wiegman’s European champions were “outplayed by a brilliant Nigeria side”, said Rob Smyth in The Guardian. The Super Falcons created the “best chances” and hit the woodwork twice in the normal 90 minutes. However, after the “mother, father and extended family of scares”, England are through to the quarters where they will face Colombia or Jamaica on Saturday (11.30am BST). They were “outplayed” and “outclassed”, said Suzanne Wrack in The Guardian, but “somehow, somehow, not out”.

‘Moment of madness’

“Talk about digging deep,” said Phil Dawkes on BBC Sport. England were “staring down the barrel” of a World Cup exit after being “second best” to Nigeria. But “once again, the Lionesses find a way” and “when the dust settles” they’ll realise they “got out of jail” because they “did not play well”.

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England played with 10 women through extra time after Chelsea star James was red-carded for an “ill-tempered stamp” on the back of Michelle Alonzi after the two “went down in a tangled heap”, said Reuters. James, who is England’s top scorer at the World Cup with three goals in the group stage, was “initially given a yellow card for the altercation” in the 87th minute, said Felix Keith on the Daily Mirror, but “VAR intervened” and the card was upgraded to red. She will be given an automatic one-game ban, which “could be extended to three games, meaning that her tournament could be over”.

Going from “hero to villain”, James’s reckless challenge “brought back memories” of David Beckham being sent off against Argentina at the 1998 men’s World Cup, said Gill Clark on Goal.com. In a tweet, former England striker and football pundit Gary Lineker called it a “Beckhamesque moment of madness” from the Lionesses forward.

England ‘have to improve’

With Germany, Brazil, Canada and holders United States all out, this Women’s World Cup has been described by AP’s James Robson as the “most open” ever. Change is “happening fast” in women’s football and a “levelling of the playing field” is being highlighted at the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

England know they will “have to improve” if they want to add the World Cup to their European crown, said WorldFootball.net. But in the end against Nigeria they “found a way, as they so often have under Wiegman”, said Emma Sanders on BBC Sport. And it was the “familiar sight” of Euro 2022 heroine Chloe Kelly “who ran away celebrating” after scoring the decisive penalty.