Women’s World Cup 2023

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      Laura Woods passionately defends England ace Lauren James after Nigeria stamp & says: We’re only through because of her

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      LAURA WOODS has come to the defence of England ace Lauren James after she was sent off against Nigeria.James was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for stamping on Michelle Alozie.
      Laura Woods has passionately defended Lauren JamesCredit: Getty
      Lauren James was sent off for a stamp on Michelle AlozieCredit: Getty
      Nigeria had identified James as the Lionesses’ biggest threat and targeted her throughout the match.
      The 21-year-old let her frustrations get the better of her late on as she trod on Alozie and was dismissed in the 87th minute.
      She has since been defended by Woods on social media, though, with the presenter hitting back at a fan who claimed it would be James’ fault if England went out.
      Woods replied: “We’re only through because of her! Please don’t start this narrative.
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      “Yes, silly foul. But there’s a reason everyone’s been talking about her. Huge talent, first World Cup, enormous pressure. She’s human.”
      She also agreed with a supporter who said it would be wrong to vilify the Chelsea starlet.

      “Exactly this,” wrote Woods. “Weird to put the blame solely on one player when we’ve struggled in this game throughout.”
      England boss Sarina Wiegman also defended James, who is playing in her first major tournament, after the match.
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      Speaking to reporters, she explained: “It was a moment of a split second. It was later in the game so players get tired.
      “She’s inexperienced on this stage and had done well but she lost her emotions. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She’s the sweetest person I know.”
      James has scored three goals and provided three assists for England at the Women’s World Cup, including the winner against Denmark.
      Her dismissal left her side down to 10 players for the remainder of normal time and extra time before the Lionesses secured a 4-2 victory in the penalty shootout.
      She will be suspended for Saturday’s quarter-final against Colombia or Jamaica and could still be banned for longer by FIFA.
      Sarina Wiegman has also defended Lauren JamesCredit: Rex More

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      Australia World Cup goal hero Hayley Raso thought she would NEVER play again after breaking her back in horror injury

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      HAYLEY RASO has continued to shine for Australia at this year’s Women’s World Cup.But just five years ago, she thought her football career was over.
      Raso has scored three goals for Australia during the Women’s World CupCredit: AP
      The winger has been one of the stars of the tournament so farCredit: Getty
      But just five years ago, she had to learn to walk again after suffering a broken backCredit: YouTube/Hayley Raso
      In August 2018, while playing for National Women’s Soccer League side Portland Thorns, the winger suffered a traumatic back injury during a match against Washington Spirit.
      The freak injury, caused by an accidental collision which saw the Washington goalkeeper’s knee dig into her back, left Raso wondering if she’d ever be able to play football again.
      Just two months after the incident, the Australia international told ABC: “I couldn’t do anything at that moment, I was just in so much pain, I couldn’t move my body.
      “I can remember just saying: ‘Help me, help me’. I knew that something bad had happened.
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      “My athletic trainer came onto the field and she was asking me: ‘Can you feel your legs, can you wiggle your toes?’
      “I was just thinking, you know, I have been hit in the back and I know these injuries can be serious.”
      At the age of just 23, Raso feared that she would never walk or play sport again.
      But in the days that followed the horrific ordeal – which saw her break three vertebrae – she received positive news from doctors.
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      She added: “A neurosurgeon came in and spoke to me and said: ‘You will recover from this, it’s going to be hard, but you will play again.’
      “In that moment I felt such relief because I had all these things in my head that I thought I was going to have to go through.”
      The winger spent a week-and-a-half in hospital before being moved to a local rehabilitation centre, where she gradually had to learn to walk again.
      Speaking about her rehab journey, Raso told ABC: “It was hard. I couldn’t even move or roll over in bed let alone stand up.
      “I had a few episodes where I passed out because of the pain and I went into shock.
      “Eventually I was able to get up, slowly and with a lot of help.
      “I was firstly in a wheelchair then I went to using a walking frame and I was just taking really small steps trying to get around the hospital.”
      Just six months after sustaining the traumatic injury, Raso returned to the pitch in a Cup of Nations match.
      And, she incredibly scored for Australia against New Zealand within a matter of minutes.
      Fast-forward four years and she is now one of Australia’s Women’s World Cup heroes.
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      She scored twice for the Matildas during the group stages of the tournament before helping them to the quarter-finals with a goal against Denmark.
      Raso joined European giants Real Madrid before the World Cup kicked off following an impressive two-year spell with Manchester City. More

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      England Lionesses duo get matching tattoos on Women’s World Cup duty as pair ‘complete’ each other

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      RACHEL DALY and Millie Bright have got matching tattoos at the Women’s World Cup.The England pair have celebrated their friendship by getting inked in Australia during the tournament.
      Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have got matching tattoosCredit: Getty
      The pals got matching ink at the Women’s World CupCredit: Rex
      Daly and Bright have been pals for years and always planned to get matching tattoos together.
      However, they have revealed they had not found the right one until heading Down Under.
      The pair have got the fraction “1/2” tattooed on their hands to signify that they are not complete without each other.
      Daly explained: “It took us ages to find the right one and we ended up going with a half on our hands because she is the other half of me, my life is not complete without her.”
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      Although they have never played together at club level, both Lionesses grew up in Yorkshire.
      Bright was raised in Chesterfield, with Daly born in nearby Harrogate.
      Their roots played a part as Daly claims she knew they would be friends for life from the moment they met.
      She added: “[Bright] first came into the squad, it was only a couple of camps after me, and we just hit it off straight away.
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      “It was probably that Yorkshire connection – loud. We always knew, we kind of knew each other when she was at Donny and I was at Leeds and we never looked back.
      “We always wanted to get a tattoo together, like a bestie tattoo.”
      Both players have starred at the Women’s World Cup, with Bright captaining the Lionesses at the tournament.
      As for Daly, she has shown her versatility by already appearing in defence, midfield and attack for Sarina Wiegman’s side.
      The Aston Villa star also netted from the penalty spot during England’s shootout victory over Nigeria on Monday.
      Her and the rest of the squad will now look ahead to a quarter-final clash against either Colombia or Jamaica this weekend.
      Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have been friends for yearsCredit: Rex More

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      How many games will England’s Lauren James miss at the Women’s World Cup after red card?

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      ENGLAND are through to the World Cup quarter-finals after their win over Nigeria, but the victory came with a price. The Lionesses defeated the African side 4-2 on penalties after a tense 120 minutes of action finished goalless.
      Lauren James stamped on her opponent and was sent off as a resultCredit: PA
      Lauren James was originally shown a yellow before the decision was changed to redCredit: Getty
      But England’s player of the tournament so far Lauren James was sent off deep into the second half of normal time.
      James got into a scuffle on the floor with Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie, electing to stamp on her while she got up off the deck herself.
      The referee immediately went to look at the VAR screen before brandishing her red card in James’ direction.
      The Chelsea star will now be suspended, but for how long?
      Women’s World Cup
      How many games will Lauren James miss at the World Cup?
      As it stands, James will miss just the quarter-finals, which will be against Colombia or Jamaica.
      James would be a huge miss for the game, having scored three times this tournament for England so far.
      She’s also registered three assists, proving herself to be a creator as well.
      But things could get worse for James and England, as she may miss more than just one game.
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      As James was sent off for violent conduct, FIFA could impose a further ban on her.
      Her ban could extend to two or even three games, like the suspension given to Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun, who was sent off in their opening game with Canada.
      Abiodun went on to miss the next two group games and the loss to England in the quarter-finals. More

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      Fuming World Cup fans demand BBC ‘sort it out’ as supporters bemoan ‘annoying’ technical issue for England vs Nigeria

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      FUMING fans were demanding that the BBC “sort it out” after an “annoying” technical issue during England’s crunch World Cup match.Sarina Wiegman’s side are currently taking on Nigeria in the quarter-final this morning.
      Fans were left fuming at the BBC’s coverage of England versus NigeriaCredit: Getty
      A time-lapse meant that the commentary was a few seconds ahead of the actionCredit: BBC
      The Lionesses roared into the last 16 with a stunning 6-1 win over China in their final game in Group D.
      And now the nation is tuning in to BBC One to see whether they can build on that incredible victory and advance to the semi finals.
      However, an annoying time-lapse meant that the commentary on the game was actually a couple of seconds AHEAD of the action.
      And fans quickly took to Twitter to vent their fury as they urged the Beeb to get it sorted as quickly as possible.
      READ MORE ON ENGLAND
      One asked: “Anyone else’s BBC commentary out of sync with the pictures?
      “Knew that shot had hit the bar and Mary Earps had made a save about a second before they happened.”

      Another raged: “If I have to pay a license fee the BBC could at least make sure their pictures and commentary are in sync.”
      A fellow viewer fumed: “The BBC commentary being a couple of seconds ahead of the cameras is really killing the suspense of #ENGNGA, to be honest.”
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      Another viewer tweeted: “BBC commentary is in front of the game and it’s SO annoying. Basically telling me what’s going to happen before it actually does…”
      While a fellow fan demanded: “Why is the commentary out?! Sort it BBC.”
      It was a major own goal for BBC – especially after viewers had earlier declared that they could not “get enough” of Alex Scott ahead of England’s crunch showdown.
      The Lionesses’ legend appeared on screen to provide the pre-match coverage as she rocked a trendy black outfit.
      And fans quickly took to social media to hail the 38-year-old former England and Arsenal right-back on Twitter.

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      England vs Nigeria LIVE SCORE: Lionesses THROUGH to World Cup quarter-final on penalties – latest updates

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      ENGLAND are THROUGH to the World Cup quarter-finals after beating Nigeria on penalties. Top scorer Lauren James was sent off in normal time for a STAMP to leave the Lionesses in trouble with the game heading to extra-time.
      But they rode out the additional 30 minutes to reach a penalty shootout, where they beat the African side 4-2 thanks to Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty.

      Kick-off time: 8.30am BST
      Stream FREE: BBC One/iPlayer
      England XI: Earps, Bronze, Walsh, Greenwood, Brighton, James, Stanway, Daly, Hemp, Carter, Russo
      Nigeria XI: Nnadozie, Plumptre, Ohale, Demehin, Alozie, Onumonu, Payne, Ucheibe, Ajibade, Ayinde, Kanu

      England vs Nigeria: Betting tips, best odds and preview for Women’s World Cup clash
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      Follow all the action with our live blog below…
      That’s all from the Brisbane Stadium
      England book their place in the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion with a 4-2 win on penalties following a 0-0 draw with Nigeria.
      It was far from their best performance, but the Lionesses battled hard to overcome a very well-organised team.
      They now face either Jamaica or Columbia in the next round, which is set to take place this Saturday at 11:30am BST.
      Until then, thank you for reading!
      More worry for Walsh
      Keira Walsh was accompanied by two England physios as she left the pitch towards the end of the match.
      The midfielder has only just recovered from her knee injury, so there are now some potential doubts surrounding her availability for the next match.
      Credit: PA
      Wiegman reacts to James’ red card
      “It was a moment of a split second. It was later in the game so players get tired.
      “She’s inexperienced on this stage and had done well but she lost her emotions. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She’s the sweetest person I know.
      “Things happen like that and you can’t change it anymore. It’s a huge lesson to learn but it’s not something she really did on purpose. I’ve spoken to her. I just said, ‘That happens sometimes with human beings’.
      “You’re in such an intense game, such an emotional game and in a split second she lost her emotions. Of course, she apologised and feels really, really bad. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone.”
      Credit: Getty
      ‘Lauren is magic’
      We all know Lauren is magic, she is our weapon and it’s a big loss for us but we can’t change that now.
      We have an unbelievable squad and players who can fill in in that position and hopefully we can see her again in the tournament.”Bethany Englandon James’ red card
      Sarina Wiegman reacts
      Speaking to BBC Sport, the England boss said: “We stuck together as a team. It was a very, very hard game and we had a red card.
      “We made it through to extra-time and won the penalties. We did that as a team. We kept going. I’m so proud of them.
      “It’s a game where emotions are really high, the intensity is so high and it happened in a split second.
      “She [Lauren James] got a red card but I haven’t seen it back yet. Those things are also [down to] experience.
      “It says so much about the character of our team [to hold on and win on pens]. I’m so proud of them.
      “We said before it would not be an easy game, they’re very physical, and tactically difficult. That’s what we saw. We made it through and I’m so happy.”
      Credit: Getty
      Ice Cold
      Chloe Kelly’s penalty clocked at 110.79km/h – which would’ve been the fastest goal of the tournament so far, but those in penalty shootouts do not count towards the official standings.
      Credit: Getty
      England set to miss James
      Lauren James is set to miss at least one match due to the red card she received today.
      The Chelsea star was sent off for stepping on the back of Michelle Alozie in the 87 minute.
      The challenge is now expected to be reviewed by FIFA officials, who could choose to extend the suspension to two or three games due to violent conduct.
      Credit: Getty
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      Read SunSport’s match report HERE.

      Mary Earps reacts
      “Obviously I’m just happy that we got the job done in the end, and yeah, onto the next.
      “I think all the wins are significant, it’s just obviously about trying to get as far in the competition as you possibly can.
      “I think Nigeria played really, really well. I don’t think we were at our best and then we went down to 10 and it was a really tough game for us.
      “But I’m just buzzing that we got the job done.”
      Credit: PA
      Chloe Kelly reacts
      Speaking to BBC Sport, England’s match winner said: “It’s amazing. Anything that’s thrown at us, we show what we’re capable of.
      “We dig deep as a group and we believe in our ability.
      “We’ve been practising penalties a lot and, yeah, it’s working! When I walk up to take a penalty, I think, ‘I’m gonna score’. That’s how I look at it.”
      “Once I win that mental battle, we’re good.”
      On scoring another winning goal, she added: “Nah, [it’s] definitely not [about me]. It’s the team.
      “We did in the Euros, we did it in the Finalissima and we did it again here. We keep pushing forward.
      “There’s more to come from this special team.”
      Credit: Getty
      Full Time – England 4-2 Nigeria (0-0 AET)
      Nigeria must be commended for their outstanding performance today.
      The Super Falcons executed their game plan to perfection, limiting England’s attacking trio of Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Lauren James when each of them were on the ball.
      Their player-to-player approach saw England create just 12 attempts at goal – only four of which were on target.
      Randy Waldrum and his side can be very proud of that display against the European champions.
      Full Time – England 4-2 Nigeria (0-0 AET)
      Wow! WHAT. A. GAME.
      It wasn’t pretty, but England have secured their place in the next round.
      They had to dig deep, but the Lionesses got over the line in the end in the most dramatic fashion!
      Credit: Getty
      Full Time – England 4-2 Nigeria (0-0 AET)
      England are through to the quarter-finals!
      Chloe Kelly is the hero of the hour once again!
      Credit: Getty
      Penalties – England 4-2 Nigeria
      Kelly scores!
      ENGLAND WIN IT!!!!
      Penalties – England 3-2 Nigeria
      Ucheibe sends Earps the wrong way!
      Penalties – England 3-1 Nigeria
      Greenwood scores!
      Penalties – England 2-1 Nigeria
      Ajibade gets Nigeria on the scoreboard!
      Penalties – England 2-0 Nigeria
      Daly fires her shot into the roof of the net!
      Penalties – England 1-0 Nigeria
      Alozie blasts her shot over the bar!
      England LEAD!
      Penalties – England 1-0 Nigeria
      England fires her shot into the top-left corner!
      Penalties – England 0-0 Nigeria
      Desire first her shot wide as well!
      We’re STILL level!
      Penalties – England 0-0 Nigeria
      Stanway misses!
      Extra Time Full Time – England 0-0 Nigeria
      And… breathe.
      We’re going to penalties!
      Credit: Reuters
      120. England 0-0 Nigeria
      The Lionesses make another change.
      Walsh makes her way off the pitch while accompanied by the physios.
      She is replaced by Zelem.
      Three minutes have been added on.
      119. England 0-0 Nigeria
      Huge chance for England!
      Greenwood sends a long free kick into the Nigeria penalty area from the halfway line.
      The Lionesses have almost every player in the box, but Beth England rises to head the ball towards goal.
      Her effort flies towards the target, but narrowly misses and runs out for a goal kick.
      Load more entries… More

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      Watch narrowest VAR call in history knock USA out of Women’s World Cup after bizarre Sweden penalty

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      THE US Women’s National Team were eliminated from the Women’s World Cup following one of the narrowest VAR calls you are likely to see.An entire 120 minutes of action was not enough to separate the former world champions and Sweden, leading them to a penalty shootout.
      USA were knocked after the ball narrowly went over the line
      Alyssa Naeher attempted to claw the ball out before it spun into the netCredit: Reuters
      But Lina Hurtig’s strike was deemed to be over the lineCredit: Reuters
      And this turned out to be a thrilling back-and-forth encounter, with the pendulum swinging both ways.
      But it was Sweden who scored the killing blow in the most dramatic of circumstances.
      After Kelly O’Hara had missed the USA’s seventh kick off the shootout, Lina Hurtig stepped up to try and put Sweden into the quarter finals.
      The 27-year-old shot towards her left, but US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher appeared equal to it as she dived to her right.
      However, Naeher only managed to palm the ball upwards and crucially not over the bar.
      As gravity brought the ball down to earth, the backspin saw the ball tumble towards the goal.
      Naeher scrambled to claw the ball out of net. And the 35-year-old appeared to have succeeded.
      But Hurtig was adamant the ball had crossed the line and could be seen asking the ref to check.
      Most read in Football
      Megan Rapinoe was left in tears after the USA’s eliminationCredit: Getty
      Defeat means it is the USWNT’s worst-ever performance at a World Cup.Credit: Getty
      Sweden were ecstatic with their 6-5 shootout winCredit: Reuters
      Swedish players crowded around a phone in the dressing room to see the decisionCredit: Getty
      And following a goal-line technology check, the ref declared the ball had crossed the line, sending the Swedish players into pandemonium as they won 6-5 on penalties.
      VAR images shown after the shootout showed how incredibly tight the call was, with the ball going over the line by the finest of margins.

      And Swedish players were seen checking out the narrow decision in the dressing room after the game, crowding around a mobile phone which displayed the decision.
      Being knocked out left Megan Rapinoe in tears after blazing her penalty over the crossbar.
      It means USA will not be champions for the first time since 2011, with the Stars and Stripes winning in both 2015 and 2019.
      And defeat makes this the USWNT’s worst-ever World Cup appearance, having never failed to make the semi-final stage.
      USA captain Lindsey Horan gave an emotional interview following the game, which ended hopes of a third-straight title.
      She told FOX: “A lot went into this performance. It was about being confident, patient. We played some beautiful football today.
      “This is part of the game. Penalties suck. They are cruel. I’m proud of every player who took a penalty today. It’s courageous.”
      And soccer fans could barely believe the VAR drama they had witnessed, taking to social media.
      One gasped: “That was the craziest shootout I’ve ever seen.”
      Another wrote: “How was that so close??”
      While a third said: “I’m so happy for them. Big win for Sweden.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Of the nations left, the only former World Cup winner remaining is Japan – who will face Sweden in the quarter-finals.
      More to follow…For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at Sun Online.The-sun.com is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheUSSun. More

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      England given World Cup knockout clash boost with Keira Walsh’s return to team training following injury

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      KEIRA WALSH has given England a fitness boost by returning to team training earlier today before their World Cup clash with Nigeria on Monday. This comes two days after the Barcelona midfielder was spotted training alone for the first time since her injury scare last Friday.
      Keira Walsh was all smiles at England’s training session ahead of their World Cup last-16 clash with NigeriaCredit: Getty
      Walsh returned to training with her team-mates for the first time since being stretchered off after injuring her knee during England’s defeat of DenmarkCredit: PA
      Her ongoing recovery will come as welcome news to Lionesses fans with her side aiming to claim a quarter final spot in the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. 
      Walsh, 28, has stepped up her rehab since damaging her knee during the Lionesses’ World Cup group stage defeat of Denmark 
      The England ace has been out of match action since being stretchered close to half time of that match on July 28. 
      Earlier this week the FA revealed the midfielder, who missed her side’s 6-1 demolition of China on Tuesday, had been put on an individual training programme. 
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      And she was seen at the Lionesses’ Central Coast Stadium training base on Friday for the first time since officials confirmed she had not sustained an ACL injury. 
      It is not yet known whether Walsh will feature for England in their last-16 duel against Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium at 08:30 UK time. 
      Their clash with the 11-time Women’s African Cup of Nations champs will be one of the sternest tests they have faced this year. 
      The Super Falcons have already proven they are a match for teams inside Fifa’s top ten.
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      Their group stage run saw them beat tournament co-hosts Australia and snatch a draw with Canada. 
      Nigeria aces Ashleigh Plumptre and Glory Ogbonna will be aiming to help the Super Falcons reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time everCredit: Getty
      Following Germany’s shock exit the Lionesses’ will be wary of becoming the latest football giants undone at the tournament. 
      Wiegman’s side, who conceded just once in the World Cup’s group stages, have emerged as firm contenders to lift the trophy. 
      On Friday forecasting research firm Nielsen revealed England have now overtaken the USA as favourites to go all the way in this year’s contest. More