10:25 AM BST
90+4 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Bang to rights.
10:24 AM BST
90+2 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England, paradoxically, have calmed down since the red card and are exerting some control as they head for the relative safe harbour of extra-time if they can survive the danger of the last few minutes when they would be unlikely to have time to answer a Nigeria goal.
10:20 AM BST
90 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
We’ll have six minutes of stoppage time.
Luke Edwards reports from Brisbane
Oh dear oh dear, complete moment of madness from James who knew what she was doing there. Correct decision to give her a red card to putting her studs into the back of the Nigeria player lying on the floor. England are in real trouble now
10:19 AM BST
88 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
The red card twists Wiegman’s arm: Kelly replaces Russo as England switch to 4-4-1.
10:16 AM BST
James sent off for violent conduct
Not the first time an England No7 has been sent off at the World Cup. She stood on Alozie’s buttocks seemingly deliberately after they went down. She was yellow carded initially but that was amended to red after Var told the referee to take another look.
10:15 AM BST
Var possible red card for James
She stood on Alozie’s buttocks seemingly deliberately after they went down. She was yellow carded initially but red seems certain now.
10:14 AM BST
83 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
The tide is all with Nigeria. It feels like a goal for them is imminent. England can’t find a moment to put their foot on the ball.
Luke Edwards reports from Brisbane
We have raved about Lauren James at this tournament but her lack of movement in this game has been a problem. Far too many slow, sideways and backward passes from the England team tonight. This is starting to get really nervous now. Quite why Wiegman has not changed any personnel, with less than ten minutes of the game remaining, I have no idea
10:12 AM BST
81 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Skin of the teeth stuff from England who are again beaten down the wing. Payne floods into the space between Daly and Greenwood and stands up a cross towards the penalty spot that Alozie can’t reach but no’ but just.
Ordega replaces Kanu for Nigeria while Wiegman keeps her subs benched.
10:09 AM BST
79 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
First real intervention from Osahola when Hemp’s pass is picked off and Kanu is sent down the right. Her deep cross loops over Earps and is headed back to the Barcelona striker from the back post but she blazes her right-foot half-volley heavenwards.
10:06 AM BST
77 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Good, reflex save from Nnadozie low but straight when Daly meets Greenwood’s corner with a near-post glancing header. Nigeria get enough bodies in the way to stop any sniff for England from the rebound.
10:04 AM BST
75 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Earps drinks deep then moistens the palms of her gloves with the water. She’s OK to continue now. England link some passes together and Hemp, James and Stanway combine to win a corner on the right.
10:03 AM BST
73 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Payne takes the corner and sticks it on Kanu’s head and she fires it wide even though there was barely a challenge on her. Stanway had it covered on the posy anyway. Earps needs treatment. I know not why.
10:00 AM BST
70 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England can’t find a moment’s peace, a time to breathe when Nigeria push on and keep piling on the pressure. It’s wave after waver this past few minutes and now Nigeria have another corner.
09:59 AM BST
68 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Nigeria enjoy a spell of possession, shifting England from side to side but Bright stands in the middle to head the cross from the left away when it comes.
Tom Garry reports from Brisbane
Nobody has been sent out to warm-up, from the England substitutes bench, for at least 15 minutes. It doesn’t seem like any changes are imminent.
09:56 AM BST
65 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
More vital work from Carter, this time pushing high to keep nipping at Ajibade and win a throw. England work it through Stanway to the left of the box and Hemp shimmies inside to open her body and shoot with her left. Nigeria block the shot out for a corner which Stanway sticks on the roof of the net.
09:53 AM BST
Luke Edwards reports from Brisbane
England are finding a semblance of control but they are not really creating anything in open play. Russo and Hemp are struggling and surely one of them will need to come off soon? I’ve been really, really disappointed with Russo’s performance. She looks flat footed and isn’t timing her runs properly. The distance between her and strike partner Hemp is making too easy to defend against.
09:53 AM BST
63 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
James stands up Plumptre, jiggles her shoulders to try to sell her a dummy but the full-back isn’t buying, watches the ball and takes it away when James drives at her.
09:52 AM BST
62 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
All the talk of England winning the World Cup after one good performance in three could be biting some very prominent pundits on the behind unless they find a higher gear.
09:50 AM BST
60 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Chance for Daly, arriving at the back post to meet a well-drilled corner routine. Stanway fizzed over the cross and Daly snuck in behind James to meet it with a right-foot volley that she skewed wide.
09:48 AM BST
58 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Nigeria send on their best player, the Barcelona goal machine Oshaola for Onumonu. Oh, joy.
09:47 AM BST
56 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Better: England have a free-kick on the left and Greenwood places it with precision on to the head of Russo who thumps her header wide. Should have scored.
09:46 AM BST
54 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Kanu flashes a right-wing cross through the six-yard box after burning past Greenwood. Bright juts manages to hold off Onumonu. England are being run ragged. Has uncomfortable echoes of watching both men’s and women’s teams in the past, an inability to think on their feet and adapt to the tactical shoeing they’re taking. That’s not to say they won’t get out of jail but it’s looking ominous at the moment.
09:42 AM BST
52 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Bright heads a left-wing cross behind. Walsh is a class act but maybe England need a fully fit Zelem’s bite now in midfield. They can’t keep letting Nigeria get in down the left.
Kanu can’t keep the ball in at the back post from the corner.
09:40 AM BST
50 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Wiegman has told Stanway to push up and Daly to trust her instincts and Greenwood to join in the attacks more. James still can’t shake off Ayinde, though, even if she just managed to take the ball in a tight space and lay it off. England need her to get free and push up.
09:38 AM BST
48 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Daly hesitates then thinks, ‘Why not?’ and storms down the left to the byline to belt over a cross through the six-yard box that only needed an attacking touch.
09:37 AM BST
46 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Nigeria have started like a train and get in down the left again, in the space behind Bronze. Ajibade crosses and Kanu, under pressure from Daly, can’t keep her header down and it clips the bar.
09:26 AM BST
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09:25 AM BST
Luke Edwards’ half-time verdict
England finished the first half a hell of a lot better than they started it. They probably should have had a penalty too given there was not a clear and obvious error by the referee on the field when Daly was barged in the back with force. Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh have started to find little pockets of space and Nigeria have not been able to keep up the same frenetic pace they started the match in.
But this is a really stiff test for Sarina Wiegman’s side who need more from centre-forward Alessia Russo. Lauren Hemp has been the better of the two strikers but England’s fear of Nigeria’s pace on the counter means wing backs Rachel Daly and Lucy Bronze are wary of venturing too far forward. That is forcing the Lionesses to try to play through the middle too often. Big half time team talk for Wiegman and her coaching staff.
09:23 AM BST
The panel agrees it was a soft penalty
The more you see it, the more you see Rachel (Tom) Daly flop at the first brush.
09:22 AM BST
Half-time: England 0 Nigeria 0
Nigeria have dominated the match. England have been out-generalled by Randy Waldrum and England seem disjointed and rattled. I didn’t think it was a clear-cut penalty but I’m doubtlessly in a minority. England need to get a grip and try to break the stranglehold of Nigeria’s woman-to-woman marking that is nullifying James.
09:19 AM BST
45+3 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Hemp is penalised for a foul on Ohale. Nigeria steal about 10 yards for the free-kick but the referee blows for half-time as soon as it’s taken.
09:18 AM BST
45+1 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Stanway pushes higher up the right and plays a one-two with Bronze that the England wing-back’s heavy touch knocks out for a goal-kick as she entered the box.
09:17 AM BST
45 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Fantastic sliding tackle by Alozie on Daly stops a thrust up the left.
09:16 AM BST
Luke Edwards on the ‘penalty’
That is a penalty all day long… It is an utterly ridiculous decision from the Var officials to get the referee to overturn her decision. It is also the latest in a long list of highly dubious Var interventions against England at this World Cup. That was not a clear and obvious error from the referee. After so many decisions went against England in the game with China – when they did not matter – this feels like it could far more costly.
09:15 AM BST
43 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Jess Carter, England’s best player so far, times her tackle on Ajibade perfectly then earns England a free-kick by getting in front from the throw-in.
09:13 AM BST
41 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England have another corner on the right. Greenwood bends the inswinger to the back post where it’s headed out to the 18-yard line. James, lurking for just that opportunity, pumps a right-foot volley over the bar. Speaking of hitting the bar:
09:10 AM BST
Tom Garry reports from Brisbane
The vast majority of the crowd here roared with approval when that VAR decision went Nigeria’s way. It’s clear the largest chunk of supporters here are backing Nigeria. They seem to have the local Australians’ support.
09:09 AM BST
38 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Hemp has the beating of Demehin on the outside but when she cuts inside to enter the box to centre from teh right. Demehin muscles back past her on her left shoulder and nips it behind.
Nnadozie punches Greenwood’s corner clear.
09:07 AM BST
35 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
I think it was the right decision and gives Nigeria the fillip to bomb forward and Bright needs to stand tall to block Ajibade’s shot from 12 yards. The ball runs to Uchiebe who looks nailed on to score … until Carter throws herself in front of the shot to turn it behind. Under the cosh here.
09:05 AM BST
No penalty
We don’t know why, other than it started outside the box and was pretty soft anyway. Daly bought the foul by stepping back into Ajibade.
09:03 AM BST
VAR check
The referee is sent to the screen to check whether the foul was initiated and largely committed outside the box.
09:02 AM BST
England penalty!
Daly goes down with Ajibade’s forearm at the top of her spine. A soft one as they jostled for a free-kick but a foul nonetheless.
09:01 AM BST
28 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Greenwood whips in the corner that is bundled out towards the spot where Daly meets it with the sweetest of volleys. Nnadozie saves low to her left. Had she scuffed it, it would possibly have gone in. Football cliches alert: ‘She hit it too well.’
08:59 AM BST
25 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England looking to reassert some element of control and Carter’s deep cross from the right, which set up a James goal against China, reaches the Chelsea forward again who tries a roundhouse volley that clips Ayinde and goes out for a corner.
08:55 AM BST
23 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Apologies for a mistake – Earps saved Plumptre’s second effort. The BBC commentary is out of synch with the pictures, adding to some confusion.
Chance for Russo after a slip by Demehin. Arsenal’s new signing races on to the loose ball by the D and tries to arrow a shot into the bottom left corner but Nnadozie has it covered. Russo needed to go for more bend and send it out wider (initially).
08:51 AM BST
Luke Edwards reports from Brisbane
It’s fair to say that Nigeria are looking dangerous and England are not looking entirely comfortable when they have to defend. As we expected, the Lionesses will not be able to bully Nigeria physically and are going to have to rely purely on their football ability. Sarina Wiegman will not be very happy with the opening 15 minutes I don’t think. England have lacked any sort of goal threat and are being outplayed in midfield. Ashleigh Plumptre has hit the crossbar and been denied by a good save from Mary Earps. That woke the crowd up. England are struggling to get going here
08:51 AM BST
20 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
For all the hype about James … she’s had seven touches, struggling to find pockets and be found by her team-mates when she loses her dogged marker, Uchiebe.
08:49 AM BST
18 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
All Nigeria now. England totally under siege, unable for now to live with Nigeria’s hard running and clever movement, dropping into space and unafraid to use their array of feints to buy space after their tenacious midfield easily wins the ball back.
Kanu drifts out to the right to beat Daly then centres for Plumptre and the former Leicester full-back thunders a shot that beats Earps but crashes on to the bar. After more scrambled defending, the ball is worked back for Plumptre who flashes a shot that Earps saves well They’re getting closer by the minute.
08:45 AM BST
15 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England look susceptible to the counter and need Greenwood to be on high alert to chase Onumonu down to concede a corner/ Nigeria bend over a pinpoint cross for Alozie’s late run from outside the box and she bullets a goalbound header that smacks Russo flush in the chops. England needed that block.
08:43 AM BST
Luke Edwards reports from Brisbane
Sorry for my late introduction to the live blog but I’ve been on crowd watch again. It’s largely an England supporting crowd and although there are lots of empty seats, the stadium filled up rapidly just before kick off. There are plenty of bars around Suncorp Stadium which means fans can stroll in just before the start. In fact, they are still arriving now.
The atmosphere, though, is largely non-existent. It’s very very quiet most of the time!
08:42 AM BST
13 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England defend the scorner solidly through Bronze and Stanway then try to break quickly with Bright’s long pass up the inside right. England are unlikely to do Nigeria’s defenders for pace in the way they made China’s look like carth-horses.
08:41 AM BST
11 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Ajibade gets in behind Bronze again. She’s got genuine wheels on her. The Atletico winger hangs over a deep cross that was arcing beyond the back post but Earps takes no risks, back-pedalling herself to palm it behind for a corner.
08:39 AM BST
9 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Carter shows her pace and strength when Ajibade slides the ball ahead and tries to pelt past, then Bright heads out the cross from the resulting throw-in.
08:38 AM BST
7 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Daly gives Hemp a ball over the top to chase into the left corner. Ohale stands strong and gets away with a shove in the small of the back to earn Nigeria a throw.
08:36 AM BST
5 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Greenwood whips the corner deep from the right with her left. Nnadozie back-pedals and claws it away from Bromze and Bright’s back-post runs. Good, commanding decision.
08:34 AM BST
3 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
Nigeria, by the way, are in lime green, as shade that Thom Gibbs judged worthy of only 45th out of 64. I fear for that boy’s taste. England have a throw on the right. Passes not quite crisp enough yet. Bronze catapults it up the line for Hemp. Demehin heads it our for another which Nigeria see out for a corner rather than letting Hemp turn and cross.
08:31 AM BST
1 min: England 0 Nigeria 0
England kick off, playing from left to right in white shirts and royal blue shorts. Stanway is fouled while dribbling forward and England have the opportunity to sling a 45-yard free-kick into the box. Up go the centre-backs but Nigeria defend the tepid chip well.
08:28 AM BST
And speaking of Wiegman
08:25 AM BST
The teams are out
Time for the national anthems, starting with England’s (sic).
08:25 AM BST
Wiegman’s final thoughts
We know [Keira is] an exceptional player so we’re happy to have her tonight. We didn’t talk about an ACL injury straight after. You all did. We said wait and 24 hours later we knew. It was good news. In rehab she has gone well and now she can start.
[Lauren] is very calm and grounded. We are in our bubble so we are talking about football all the time, our plans and how we want toe execute it.
08:14 AM BST
Tom Garry reports from Brisbane
The shooting practice for the England forwards down in front of us is seeing a much higher success rate than in the previous games, when there were a lot of wayward efforts in the warm-ups and the strikers hadn’t scored yet. Since the 6-1 win over China, confidence appears to have soared. Alessia Russo has just hit the bottom corner with three first-time strikes from the edge of the box in a row.
08:12 AM BST
Wiegman on complacency
What we have seen in this tournament is that nothing is easy. The growth of the game has shown in this tournament. We’ve not had an easy game at all and that’s what we expect [from Nigeria] – that it will be very competitive and we need to be at our best.
Everyone who plays us wants to beat us. That’s nothing new. What we have seen in this tournament is game is developing really quickly. The games have been very competitive. Nobody can be complacent because that’s inappropriate. It’s very tight.
07:54 AM BST
How to make an entrance
07:53 AM BST
Tom Garry reports from Brisbane
The FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham and head of women’s football Baroness Sue Campbell are both here in Brisbane, among the senior FA staff attending this match. They, and the fans, have arrived at a stadium that is currently receiving a bit of a downpour of rain, but spirits remain high.
07:52 AM BST
Team news
England Earps; Carter, Bright, Greenwood; Bronze, Walsh, Stanway, Daly; James; Hemp, Russo.
Substitutes Hampton, Roebuck,Charles, Toone, Nobbs, Wubben-Moy, Morgan, Coombs, Kelly,England, Zelem, Robinson.
Nigeria Nnadozie, Alozie, Ohale, Demehin, Plumptre; Ucheibe, Ayinde; Ajibade, Payne, Onumonu; Kanu.
Substitutes Oluehi, Balogun,Ogbonna, Ebi, Oshoala, Oparanozie, Monday, Ordega, Echegini,Imuran, Okoronkwo.
Referee Melissa Borjas (Honduras).
07:47 AM BST
On Walsh’s rapid return
07:42 AM BST
Preview: Walsh returns
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the Round of 16 match from the Women’s World Cup between England and Nigeria, which starts with the news that Keira Walsh, who missed the thumping victory over China with a knee ligament injury, is fit and has been recalled to the starting XI by Sarina Wiegman, replacing Katie Zelem in the only change.
It is encouraging to see that the coach has stuck with her new formation, 3-5-2, proving that the best pure coaches of the Dutch school, or Cruyffian disciples – Van Gaal (though he and Cruyff fell out), Guardiola etc – can twist the template of 4-3-3 as and when circumstances demand. They looked far better with Russo and Hemp up front so it makes sense that Wiegman pushes ahead rather than drifting back to the comfort blanket of the tried and trusted.
Much of the build-up has had echoes of the men’s 1990 World Cup quarter-final against Cameroon and the lessons of pre-match complacency learnt on that day. England will certainly not be underestimating Nigeria who came through a very tough group at the expense of the Olympic champions Canada with draws against the Canucks and the Republic of Ireland and a startling, thrilling victory over the hosts, Australia.
Randy Waldrum, their campaigning head coach believes Nigeria, with star forward Asisat Oshoala “fit and ready to go” and Desire Oparanozie healthy to return after injury, is capable of reproducing the kind of game that shocked the Matildas at the same venue 11 days ago.
“You can see the talent is there,” Waldrum said. “I think Nigeria could become a world power if we start to do things properly and invest more in women’s football … like so many other nations need to be doing as well.”
“I have to give credit to the players. It’s something that’s inside them. It’s inside their DNA to compete,” he said. “Overcoming obstacles is what they’ve done for their careers. It’s a challenge – we know what the top teams in the world have, and we’re aspiring to have those same things. But in the moment, we are where we are. It really comes down to trying to get the team organized and get the maximum out of each individual player and the talent they bring to the table.”