emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

That looked clumsy.

Here we go.

Our English analyst is saying it's the same as the penalty challenge in the 1st half.

And she's right.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

I'm not kidding, but could this turn into one of those Rugby situations when a team reduced to 14 starts to concentrate and end up playing better than they did with a full complement?

Just a thought.

Not going so badly so far.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

And with a dramatic flourish, one of England's best players is gone.

Now down to 10, does England park the bus?

"In the modern game there are eyes everywhere."

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

Oh my!

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

Yup - it's got frantic.

Last 10 minutes will be fabulous.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

How the heck didn't these go in?

image/png

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

OK. I think this game has started to tilt towards frantic.

The Swedes came for their penalties and got them.

I don't think either side can rely on their opponents not to try and win this in normal time.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

So. if ENG is the better team - the odds say so and they are the tournament favourites - why aren't they demolishing their opponents like the NED, JPN and ESP teams do?

I know the answer. Just curious.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

Half time stats.

England owning the ball but NGR getting the better chances and ahead on xG.

That said, I think most of the Nigerian xG happened in a 10 second phase early on.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

NZ panel on the penalty says the English player dived into ground - good sell but no penalty.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

For the English supporters, Tim Vine has given his thoughts on the penalty decision.

Via Tim Vine @realtimvine

Looked like a penalty to me.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

At the moment it feels a lot like the USA v SWE game - except NGR is accumulating chances.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

I can't work out if this is going to turn into an arm-wrestle - or an end-to-end barn-burner.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

Mistake from the Nigerian defender magnificently stopped by her GK.

image/png

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

On FIFA's International feed we have the same English woman who was absolutely dying when the Danes had the ball in the attacking penalty box in an earlier match.

I think she could write a Wikipedia page on each England player.

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

A screamer off the cross bar and a great save to keep Nigeria out.

"A terrific spell from Nigeria."

image/png

emarktaylor, 10 months ago to soccer

⚽ #FIFAWWC #WWC2023 #MastodonFC #Soccer @wwc #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #NGR 🇳🇬

The original tournament favourite was knocked out yesterday - will the new one meet the same fate tonight?

image/png