In a nerve-wracking encounter, England’s Chloe Kelly emerged as the hero as she scored the crucial spot-kick, securing a place for the Lionesses in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The hard-fought match ended in a goalless draw against Nigeria, pushing the teams into an intense penalty shootout. Speaking after the match, Kelly attributed their success to rigorous penalty practice, which ultimately paid off.
The European champions had to endure extra time with a player down, following the red-card dismissal of Lauren James towards the end of the regular 90 minutes for an act of violent conduct. The challenge became even more daunting when Georgia Stanway missed England’s first penalty, sending shivers down the spines of fans across the globe.
However, the Lionesses displayed unwavering determination as Bethany England, Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood, and Chloe Kelly managed to find the back of the net, securing a 4-2 victory in the shootout and averting a potential upset in Brisbane.
In a post-match interview, Manchester City forward Chloe Kelly expressed her elation, stating, “It’s amazing; anything that’s thrown at us, we show what we’re capable of.”
It was indeed a momentous occasion for Kelly, who had previously scored the winning goal in last year’s European Championship final.
Sarina Wiegman’s side will face Colombia or Jamaica in the last eight and are among the favorites to win the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
But they were fortunate not to follow the likes of Germany and the United States from crashing out early as Nigeria enjoyed the better of the game and hit the crossbar through Ashleigh Plumptre in the first half.
“This team is special,” added Kelly. “We keep pushing forward. There is more to come from this special team.”
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