There wasn’t to be any tearing off of shirts in jubilation on this occasion but England’s footballing history has a new Chloe Kelly routine that will seize space in highlight reels for years to come. Kelly hadn’t been entrusted with a starting role but knew she had the chance to steal the show – and as she skipped towards the penalty spot in the shootout, it was clear she was going to do just that.
Chiamaka Nnadozie guessed correctly but didn’t stand a chance. Kelly pranced with the chance to rescue her nation’s hopes from tatters and unleashed a rocket.
And while her actions may not have won England a trophy this time around it didn’t feel too dissimilar.
The wayward passing no longer mattered; the fact England were toothless could be forgotten about; Lauren James’ rash foul and subsequent sending off was something to be dealt with at a later date. It may have been ugly but the Lionesses refused to let their World Cup hopes die this early.
England are lucky that they are not planning their flights home but they’re unlikely to dwell on that fact. It, too, is likely to be wiped from history. All that is going to be remembered is that when it was needed the most it was Kelly who was there once again – first she won her country the Euros, now she’s given them a fighting chance at success on the world stage.
How, then, does a player react after something like that? What do they say when they know the magnitude of what they’ve just accomplished? If your name is Chloe Kelly it seems that you act quickly to divert any attention. “It’s the team, this team is special,” she said. “We did it at the Euros, we did it at the Finalissima, there’s more to come from this team.”
There were no shirt round the head celebrations but Chloe Kelly’s goal was just as important
(PA)
Kelly’s modesty is ever-present. The team – for the most part at least – hadn’t done what was needed. They were lacking in creativity and handed Nigeria the opportunity to send them packing. The fact that this game had even got to a penalty shootout showed a failure to perform but that hadn’t crossed Kelly’s mind.
It may be cliché but it is of course the results that matter and Kelly made sure the result went her team’s way. She didn’t even muster a touch in Nigeria’s box after being brought on as an 87th-minute substitute but, once again, that is now immaterial. When this game is remembered in years to come Kelly will be remembered for one solitary moment, and she will be remembered as England’s saviour.
And if one thing is certain it’s that England needed saving. They started nervously and that became the theme of the match. Their freewheeling demolition of China was a distant memory in the face of a Nigeria side who seemed to be outclassing them in nearly every area of the pitch.
England gave the ball away; Nigeria saw that they were there for the taking. By the time the whistle blew for the break Sarina Wiegman’s side had already had to face nine shots, the most in any opening 45 minutes while she’s been in charge – they had been sluggish and borderline beleaguered.
Things weren’t going well in the middle of the park and it wasn’t any better up top. Alessia Russo hit straight at the keeper when gifted the ball on the edge of the box, Rachel Daly saw two efforts saved from corners, but apart from that they produced little of note.
Had Nigeria been more clinical the game wouldn’t have even seen extra time, never mind penalties. Ashleigh Plumptre thundered an early effort against the crossbar and, after that, the woodwork was her side’s greatest adversary; when they managed to find ways to wrong-foot the English defence it was there to do the Lionesses’ bidding.
Ashleigh Plumtre hit the bar for Nigeria
(Getty Images)
It looked to be yet another of those nights that English supporters have got used to feeling at major tournaments: just as any hint of positivity arises a calamity ensues and so too does an early exit. When James made the immature decision to stamp on Michelle Alozie’s back and was sent off after a VAR review it only compounded the sense that all hope was lost.
When it became apparent that penalties were a certainty things didn’t feel much better; the sizable English support in Brisbane couldn’t muster any atmosphere as they awaited what felt so likely to be yet another crushing tournament defeat.
The United States had exited the tournament after a shootout a day prior and England’s record – defeat in both of theirs in major tournaments – made for grim reading. Their path towards the final looked to have opened up, Keira Walsh had made a miraculous recovery to return from injury in time to take on Nigeria, but they were on their way to being victims of their own errors.
Kelly’s heroics made sure that eventuality was avoided and rescued her country from the jaws of defeat. Now they’ve booked a spot in the quarter-finals, against either Colombia or Jamaica on Saturday, and are just three wins from lifting the World Cup. The fact they once again managed an unlikely win should boost their confidence.
Winning teams need times like these in tournaments; it won’t always be plain sailing. The best have their character tested but find a way to come out on top – just as England did when they narrowly edged past Spain in added time at the Euros last summer.
They’re going to have to play the rest of this tournament without the dynamism of James but they’re still in with a shout. The players will know it could take just 270 more minutes for them to achieve their goal – and they’ll know that they owe it to Kelly.
Even if she doesn’t get many more chances to play this summer and remains a bench player, she will forever be remembered for providing the needed miracle in Brisbane. English success would be nothing without her.
