England won without star Lauren James, who was sent off with a straight red card, to beat Nigeria on penalty kicks Monday and advance to the quarter-finals at the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
The round of 16 match ended 0-0 after regulation and extra time, giving Nigeria a chance to win a knockout match at the Women’s World Cup for the first time in nine trips to the global tournament.
But European champion England won the shootout 4-2, missing only one attempt.
England became the title favorite after the defending champion US team were eliminated Sunday in a penalty shootout loss to Sweden. But England struggled to create opportunities against Nigeria’s defence.
Matters were made worse for England five minutes from regulation time when James was ejected, after a VAR review, for violent conduct after stomping on a Nigeria defender.