Women's World Cup: Australia breeze into quarter-finals; England run close by Nigeria

Two more quarter-finalists were confirmed on day 19 of the 2023 Women's Word Cup, with England, Nigeria, Australia, and Denmark the teams in action as the last 16 continued.

In the day's first game, Nigeria took England all the way to penalties after being the better team over 120 minutes. Things were much more straightforward for Australia aganist Denmark, with Sam Kerr even getting her first minutes of thr World Cup after injury.

England 0-0 Nigeria (England win 4-2 on penalties)

England narrowly advanced to the quarter-finals after an intense penalty shootout triumph over Nigeria, despite star player Lauren James getting sent off late in normal time.

Although Georgia Stanway, England's chief penalty-taker, missed the first one in the shootout, Nigeria failed to convert their following two attempts. Eventually, the European champions secured their spot in the last eight when Chloe Kelly put away her decisive kick with extreme power.

During normal time, amid a burst of frustration, James stamped on Michelle Alozie's back in the 87th minute after relinquishing possession and was justifiably shown a red card following a review by VAR.

Leading up to England's last 16 match, there was significant admiration for James, who had been remarkably outstanding thus far in Australia.

During the game in Adelaide, the 21-year-old stole the spotlight by scoring two goals and assisting three in England's commanding victory over China in the group stage finale.

In the first half, she struggled to get involved in the play as England's buildup was sluggish and disjointed, a stark contrast to their fluid attacking style against China.

James will be absent for the quarter-finals as a minimum and might potentially face a three-match suspension if deemed necessary by FIFA.

Sarina Wiegman said that James lost her cool in "a split second...it's not something she really did on purpose. She doesn't want to hurt anyone."

Her absence will undoubtedly be felt, given that she is England's top scorer in the tournament, having also netted the decisive goal in the 1-0 victory over Denmark in the second group match.

England encountered a nerve-wracking experience in Brisbane, playing on the edge for 120 minutes and often finding themselves trailing behind Nigeria.

Due to James' lack of composure, England had to navigate through extra time with only 10 players, and Nigeria gained momentum following sustained pressure prior to her dismissal.

The nine-time African champions executed their strategy perfectly, frustrating England, posing threats on counterattacks, and winning most of the one-on-one battles.

They struck the crossbar in both halves; first, Ashleigh Plumptre's powerful shot rebounded off the woodwork, followed by Uchenna Kanu's header grazing the top of the bar.

Sarina Wiegman's England squad believed they had earned a penalty in the first half when Rachel Daly went down, claiming a push from Rasheedat Ajibade, but VAR overturned the decision.

The Lionesses were also let off by a challenge from Lucy Bronze that should've been a penalty.

Ultimately, England limped through the end of regular time without the fluidity they had displayed against China, securing the victory in a penalty shootout, while Nigeria headed into extra time with momentum, yet fell short of the ruthlessness required to secure the win.

"I just know I'm 10 years older," Wiegman joked, talking about the intensity of the match. "I think the game was very equal. Nothing is easy in this tournament and that's very exciting...it's not the expected teams that have won all the time."

England will now face the winner of Tuesday's clash between Jamaica and Colombia on Saturday.

Australia 2-0 Denmark

Australia beat Denmark with a clinical 2-0 performance, securing a spot in the quarter-finals to match their best ever finishes from 2007, 2011 and 2015.

The match started slowly for the Matildas, but they gained momentum as the game progressed. Mary Fowler's skillful play led to Caitlin Foord's opening goal on a break.

The Matildas continued to dominate the first half and nearly extended their lead with another Foord effort that narrowly missed the target.

In the second half, as Denmark pushed forward to try and mount a comeback, Australia capitalised on the counterattack. Foord's assist set up winger Hayley Raso, who calmly slotted home her third goal of the tournament.

Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson made a significant substitution by bringing on captain Sam Kerr, who had been recovering from a calf injury, for her first minutes at this World Cup. Kerr's entrance received a standing ovation from the crowd and she made an impact in the closing moments of the game with a shot over the bar.

Denmark, who were playing in their first World Cup since 2007, put up a fight in the opening exchanges but struggled to create clear chances after falling behind.

Australia's opponent for the quarter-finals will be France or Morocco.

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