Brisbane was the stage for an edgy night as England narrowly avoided elimination against Nigeria. It took a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out for the Lionesses, reduced to ten after Lauren James saw red, to eventually see off a spirited Nigeria and reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Expect the unpredictable seems to be the new mantra for Sarina Wiegman’s side. After a vivacious performance in front of a partisan Adelaide crowd, the Lionesses progressed to the Round of 16 in style with a 6-1 victory over China. A brace from Lauren James and goals from Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Rachel Daly completed the rout. The Chinese pulled a goal back through a controversially awarded penalty that Wang Shuang duly converted.
Women’s football is at an inflection point in the Republic of Ireland. With big sponsorship deals, an enthralling national league and players making names for themselves on the biggest stages, it is a highly exciting time for all involved.
There is lot of talk about this being the biggest and best World Cup ever and this has been demonstrated not only by the performances on the pitch but also the media coverage and record TV viewing figures. But it’s doing so much more than that and it’s something we have noticed on a personal level.
The second set of Group matches are over. We’ve had a couple of shocks, plenty of top goals and a few controversial decisions.
The second set of Group matches are over. We’ve had a couple of shocks, plenty of top goals and a few controversial decisions.
It’s a busy year ahead for women’s football. Here are the highlights to look out for in 2019: