England learn quarter-final opponent as Colombia face Jamaica

England will learn their quarter-final opponent at the Women’s World Cup as the knockout stages continue today, following the Lionesses’ dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria.

There are just two last-16 ties left to play, with Colombia facing Jamaica for a place in the quarter-finals and a meeting with England in Sydney on Saturday. Both teams caused huge shocks in making it out of the group stage, with Colombia stunning Germany to top Group H and Jamaica knocking out Brazil to reach the last-16 for the first time.

England survived a major scare to defeat Nigeria on penalties after having to play with 10 players in extra time following Lauren James’ red card. Sarina Wiegman must now wait to discover the extent of her star forward’s suspension, which is set to be decided by a disciplinary panel.

France and Morocco play in the final last-16 tie later today, with a place against Australia up for grabs after the co-hosts comfortably defeated Denmark on Monday.

Follow all the latest news and updates from the Women’s World Cup as the last-16 concludes:

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates from last-16

• The Women’s World Cup last-16 concludes in Australia and New Zealand

• Colombia face Jamaica in meeting of two surprise packages, with kick-off at 9am BST

• Winner will play England in the quarter-finals on Saturday, after Lionesses survive Nigeria scare

• Lauren James could miss rest of tournament after red card for stamping on Nigeria player

• France play Morocco in final tie of last-16, with the winner facing Australia in quarter-finals

• Sam Kerr returned for Australia as co-hosts cruised past Denmark at Olympic Stadium

Women’s World Cup: Colombia 0-0 Jamaica

09:04 , Mike Jones

3 mins: Chance! Chantelle Swaby launches a throw in into the box and finds Khadija Shaw who chests the ball down to Jody Kimone Brown.

Brown cuts to the left and shoots under pressure from a defender. She lifts her effort high over the top but that’s a good sign for Jamaica who are looking to get onto the front foot early in this match.

Women’s World Cup: Colombia 0-0 Jamaica

09:01 , Mike Jones

Kick off!

Jamaica get the match going and work the ball over to the right wing. They attempt to push forward through the wide ares but get closed out and retreat with a pass back to Allyson Swaby.

She sends it over to the opposite side of the pitch but, as a unit, Colombia shift across and recover the ball.

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica

08:56 , Mike Jones

Here come the teams.

This match is going to be physcial and toe-to-toe. Jamaica will look to defend deep and push forward when they can. Colombia should control more of possession but will need to find a way through Jamaica’s tough defence.

The national anthems are sung and kick off is up next…

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica

08:52 , Mike Jones

These two sides are the last remaining representatives from their respective federations (Colombia from Conmebol, Jamaica from Concacaf) at this World Cup.

The Reggae Girlz are only the third side from the Concacaf region to reach the Women’s World Cup knockouts, after USA and Canada.

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica

08:48 , Mike Jones

This is Colombia’s second time in the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup, having also made the first knockout round on debut in 2015.

Jamaica are the first Caribbean nation to play in the knockout stages of a Fifa World Cup – male or female – since Cuba in 1938.

Women’s World Cup LIVE

08:44 , Jamie Braidwood

Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie, the played stood on by Lauren James during yesterday’s clash, has responded to the incident.

“We are playing on the world’s stage,” she posted. “This game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments. All respect for Lauren James.”

Alozie added in another post: “Sill a red though.”

Women’s World Cup LIVE

08:37 , Mike Jones

Lucy Bronze on Lauren James: “Obviously she’s going to be disappointed in herself. I went straight off the pitch after the game to make sure she was OK.

“Obviously she was a little bit upset and rightfully so and more than anything she just feels bad for the team. I said to her, ‘We’ve made it through. It’s a team, it’s not just one player.’”

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica line-ups

08:32 , Mike Jones

Colombia are starting 18-year-old defender Ana Maria Guzman in place of the suspended Manuela Vanegas today. Guzman is the second teenager in Colombia’s line-up alongside Linda Caicedo.

“This is a great opportunity,” Guzman said. “To be in such a national team is a blessing, to give my best for national team and team mates.

“Yes, we are the youngest players, but on the pitch we are very skilled.”

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica line-ups

08:27 , Mike Jones

Colombia XI: Perez; Arias, Guzman, Arias, Ospina; Durango, Carabali; Caicedo, Usme, Santos; Ramirez

Jamaica XI: Spencer; Wiltshire, A. Swaby, C. Swaby, Blackwood; Carter, Spence, Sampson, Brown; Shaw, Van Zanten

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica

08:21 , Mike Jones

Jamaica head coach Lorne Donaldson says his team are prepared to match Colombia in this last 16 tie when the to surprise teams face off in Melbourne.

Jamaica progressed out of the groups at the expense of Brazil, while Colombia won Group H with Germany getting eliminated. Donaldson hopes his side will perform admirably as they attempt to set up a quarter-final against England.

“We won’t change much, but we will give it a good shot,” he said, “This is like a boxing match, someone will go down. We want to be standing when the game is over.”

However, Jamaica have struggled in front of goal. They have only scored once – in a 1-0 victory over Panama – and it has been their top notch defence which has propelled them to the knockout rounds. Goalless draws with France and Brazil left them on five points and ensured they are the only team left in the competition not to have conceded a goal.

“A lack of goals is not a major concern,” added Donaldson. “We have played some good teams, two of the top teams, we were supposed to lose by six or seven.

“We so have to try to score to win this game, so we will put our best foot forward.”

Women’s World Cup LIVE: James ‘upset’ after red card

08:16 , Jamie Braidwood

England defender Lucy Bronze revealed she made a post-match beeline to console “upset” Lauren James after the forward was shown what could be a World Cup-ending red card in the Lionesses’ nervy last 16 victory over Nigeria.

James will miss at least her side’s quarter-final clash with either Colombia or Jamaica after she was sent off late in Monday night’s knockout match in Brisbane for deliberately stepping on the back of Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie.

Bronze was one of the 10 Lionesses who doggedly defended their way through 30 minutes of extra time in the goalless draw before Bethany England, Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly wrapped up the 4-2 win on penalties.

Lauren James ‘upset’ as red card puts her World Cup in doubt

Women’s World Cup: Colombia vs Jamaica

08:01 , Jamie Braidwood

Jamaica face Colombia in today’s Women’s World Cup last-16 clash, but manager Lorne Donaldson revealed the teams have crossed paths before at the tournament…. at a Sydney nightclub.

“I was in Sydney, our first game … we went to a club that night. At the bottom was Colombia partying. And at the top, it was Jamaica,” he said.

“So we went down there, some Jamaicans trying to party with the Colombians and it was great. I think it makes it better that you have countries like this who enjoy life first.

“There are more important things in life than football.”

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Former England players react to James red card

07:46 , Jamie Braidwood

Anita Asante, via Radio 5 Live: “I’m really disappointed. One act has kind of tarnished all the good work that Lauren James has done up until this point. She is a superstar and hopefully she will grow from this experience.”

Alex Scott, on BBC One: “When you are having that frustration it is about controlling it. It is having that maturity and experience on this world stage, which she will get.”

Fara Williams: “It wasn’t aggressive, it was violent (conduct) but it was silly and immature. I think it is one of those moments when she hasn’t even thought about it. She’s given her a little touch thinking she could get away with it.”

Women’s World Cup: England players to rally around James

07:31 , Jamie Braidwood

England’s players will rally round Lauren James after her “Beckhamesque moment of madness” in the team’s penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria in the World Cup last 16.

Former men’s national team striker Gary Lineker likened the 21-year-old Chelsea forward’s red card for petulantly standing on Michelle Alozie as she lay on the floor to Beckham’s kick-out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone at the 1998 World Cup.

However, while the former Manchester United star’s sending-off contributed to the team’s difficulties, Sarina Wiegman’s side have progressed to the quarter-finals.

Criticism of James, receiving the side’s first red card since Millie Bright’s dismissal in the World Cup semi-final defeat to the United States in 2019, has been well short of what Beckham received and team-mate Lauren Hemp said she would receive the full support of the squad.

“It’s things that happen in football, it’s not nice to see a red card but I felt like going down to 10 players we dealt with it very well, we were super-resilient and didn’t let them score,” Hemp told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It’s one of those things. We will get around Lauren James in the coming days, she’s still very young.”

PA

Women’s World Cup LIVE

07:16 , Jamie Braidwood

“When Sarina Wiegman saw Lauren James after her red card against Nigeria, the first thing the manager said to her was ‘it happens’. There was absolutely no castigation, a stance made easier by the player’s immediate apology and the fact England got through.

“It has made the squad’s World Cup that bit more complicated, though, not least because of the curious regulation that James may not even know her full punishment until after the quarter-final. It is a definite one-game ban until Fifa’s disciplinary committee review the moment, which isn’t certain to happen before Saturday.

“One thing that probably is certain is that, for all the obvious comparisons, this was never going to be a David Beckham 1998 or Wayne Rooney 2006. That isn’t just because England won on penalties. We are a long way from “10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy”, particularly when it comes to women’s football.

“One of the most common responses after the game – beyond the question of what James was actually doing – was that she should be protected from the pitchforks that Rooney and Beckham faced.”

That is a good thing, writes Miguel Delaney

Why Lauren James must be protected, not vilified, after World Cup red

Women’s World Cup: Today’s fixtures

07:01 , Jamie Braidwood

The quarter-final stage of the Women’s World Cup is taking shape but there are still two more last-16 ties to play.

Tuesday 8 August

Match 56: Colombia vs Jamaica (09:00, Melbourne) – ITV 1

Match 55: France vs Morocco (12:00, Adelaide) – BBC One

Friday 11 August

QF1: Spain vs Netherlands (02:00, Wellington)

QF2: Japan vs Sweden (08:30, Auckland)

Saturday 12 August

QF3: Australia vs (France / Morocco) (08:00, Brisbane)

QF4: England vs (Colombia / Jamaica) (11:30, Sydney)

Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Nigeria exit with heads held high

06:46 , Jamie Braidwood

Nigeria suffered the heartbreak of a penalty shootout loss to England in their Women’s World Cup last 16 fixture in Brisbane on Monday, but there is plenty of evidence this is a team on the rise if they are allowed to continue to develop.

Through the competition they made a mockery of their world ranking of 40 with a blend of pace, power and organisation.

“They’ve been fantastic the whole tournament,” coach Randy Waldrum told reporters after the England loss. “I said to them after the match we’ve not lost a game realistically (outright).

“We’ve played against the Olympic gold medallists (Canada), the European champions and we kept a clean sheet in both of those games. We played the host nation (Australia) and Ireland, who are in the top 20, and we didn’t lose.

“I hope people have seen that there is talent there and that we have the ability, and with a little structure and a little organisation, and a commitment to provide the resources that we need, hopefully people see that we can be a major player on the world stage.”

Reuters

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Nigeria players slam lack of support

06:31 , Jamie Braidwood

Nigeria forward Ifeoma Onumonu criticised a lack of support from the country’s football federation after the Super Falcons were knocked out of the Women’s World Cup by England on penalties, revealing that players sometimes have to share beds at their training base back home due to insufficient resources.

Nigeria were eliminated from the World Cup after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to the Lionesses but were the better team in large spells against the European champions, who held on to a goalless draw following Lauren James’ red card late in normal time.

Nigeria’s build-up to the World Cup was disrupted by a pay dispute, with the team’s American manager Randy Waldrum revealing before the tournament that some players had not been paid in two years by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Onumonu went further after the defeat to the Lionesses and said that although Nigeria could take pride from competing against one of the best teams in the world, the Super Falcons were being held back by a lack of resources compared to their European counterparts.

Nigeria team forced to ‘share beds’ as players slam lack of support

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Sam Kerr relieved to return

06:16 , Jamie Braidwood

Australia captain Sam Kerr said finally getting onto the pitch at her home Women’s World Cup on Monday was a relief, but conceded that her team mates had probably not needed her contribution to reach the quarter-finals.

Kerr has spent much of Australia’s first four matches recovering from a calf injury sustained on the eve of their opener but finally made her tournament bow with the Matildas already 2-0 up against Denmark in their last 16 clash.

The 75,784 fans crammed into the stadium built for the 2000 Olympics rose as one to greet the entry of the world class striker as a substitute in the 78th minute.

“Me coming on, personally, it was big relief after a big three weeks,” she said. “It was amazing. Obviously it’s a big game for us. Bit nerve-racking. I’m not the best bench player in the world, I was nervous.

“The girls smashed it. They’ve done unbelievable this week. To put in that performance after a big game is amazing.”

Reuters

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Australia are contenders again

06:01 , Jamie Braidwood

Incredibly, there was another level of noise for the crowd of over 75,000 at the Olympic Stadium to reach. The loudest roar of the night came when Australia were already through. Leading Denmark by two goals, the Women’s World Cup and its co-hosts got the moment they had been waiting for. Sam Kerr, the face of the tournament, had finally arrived.

Ruled out of the group stages due to injury, Kerr got her first minutes of the World Cup as the Matildas stood with one foot already in the quarter-finals. With the game won and Denmark well beaten, Kerr’s touches were inconsequential; that her only shot from the angle flashed over the bar did not matter. But Australia have their star back, the final piece for a team who are delivering for their country and are growing with the competition.

Kerr’s introduction came moments after Hayley Raso had sent the home crowd into a frenzy, doubling Australia’s lead with a crisp finish from another clinical counter-attack. The crowd in Sydney had been electric when Australia attacked, a rolling wave of noise that grew from Caitlin Foord’s sublime opening goal. Nothing, though, could compare to the welcome Kerr received and what it represented for a team who are starting to believe they are contenders again.

Report from Australia 2-0 Denmark at Stadium Australia

The Sam Kerr mystery is over and Australia are World Cup contenders again

Women’s World Cup LIVE: England’s woman for the biggest occasion strikes again

05:46 , Jamie Braidwood

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.

By Adam Millington in Brisbane

Chloe Kelly: England’s woman for the biggest occasion strikes again

Women’s World Cup LIVE

05:37 , Jamie Braidwood

Sarina Wiegman: “I’m really proud of the team. We’ve had many setbacks. I think this (James red card) was a big one too.

“We had to reorganise and do something else on the pitch and we didn’t need any minute to do so.

“And of course players got really, really tired, but we really stuck together and showed a lot of resilience.”

Women’s World Cup LIVE: How many games will James miss?

05:30 , Jamie Braidwood

England are through to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup – but they will be without Lauren James when they play either Colombia or Jamaica in the last eight.

James was sent off for stamping on the back of Nigeria player Michelle Alozie during the Lionesses’ last-16 tie.

The 21-year-old, who has been England’s player of the tournament, was initially shown a yellow card by the referee, but VAR recommended a review and the yellow card was upgraded to red after the act of petulance.

After receiving a red card, James is automatically suspended for England’s next match, however her punishment will be reviewed by a Fifa disciplinary panel.

If the forward is deemed to have committed a serious act of foul play, the panel have the power to apply further sanctions.

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

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Who do England play next at the World Cup?

05:15 , Jamie Braidwood

After beating Nigeria on penalties, the Lionesses will play the winner of Colombia vs Jamaica in the quarter-finals. The quarter-final will be played on Saturday 12 August at 11:30am BST, at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.

Colombia will face Jamaica in Melbourne on Tuesday in the last-16. Colombia stunned Germany in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history to top Group H ahead of the two-time champions.

Jamaica, meanwhile, reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history after drawing with France and Brazil and beating Panama to finish runners-up in Group F.

The Lionesses will therefore need to be at their best, with both teams proving they are capable of upsetting the odds.

Women’s World Cup LIVE: Wiegman defends James red card

05:08 , Jamie Braidwood

England boss Sarina Wiegman admitted “sweetest person” Lauren James “lost her emotions” as she received a red card that could see the 21-year-old miss the remainder of the World Cup.

The Lionesses advanced to the quarter-finals after surviving James’ dismissal late in the second half to beat Nigeria on penalties, with Euro 2022 hero Chloe Kelly scoring the winning spot-kick in a 4-2 shoot-out success.

James’ brace and two assists earned her player-of-the-match honours against China, but this time she was sent off after it was ruled she had deliberately stepped on the back of Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie with three minutes of normal time remaining of a game that ended goalless after 120 minutes.

Wiegman, who had not watched the incident back, said: “She’s an inexperienced player on this stage and has done really well, and I think in a split second she just lost her emotions.

“And of course she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She’s the sweetest person I know, and things happen like that and you can’t change it anymore, so it’s a huge lesson for her to learn, but of course it’s not something that she really did on purpose.”

Women’s World Cup LIVE: England survive Nigeria scare

05:00 , Jamie Braidwood

If England are to win this World Cup, they will scarcely endure a game as testing or as tense as this. A positive spin on this penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria is that it could again be the making of them, adding to their resolve, with Chloe Kelly once more offering a decisive kick.

A negative is that this should bring a reconsideration about what is possible, especially with the likelihood that Lauren James will miss two games if not all three potential ties left. Her teammates did her a huge favour here.

This World Cup still remains as hard to work out as James’ decision to stand on Michelle Alozie in the second half, receiving a red card. England came very close to another surprise elimination as Nigeria proved to be their equals throughout the match. England should have been their superiors, really.

Read Miguel Delaney’s report from Brisbane

England survive penalty drama to reveal vital quality in World Cup dream