England captain Millie Bright says that the Super Falcons pushed the Lionesses to the limit in their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup round of 16 clash in Brisbane on Monday.
Sarina Wiegman’s ladies triumphed 4-2 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes and had star forward Lauren James sent off for stamping Michelle Alozie on her buttocks.
Bright asserted that England winning with a player less is a sign of their strong mentality.
“Yeah, unbelievable. I said it from day one. The character of this team, the mentality is second to none. I have never been a part of a group with such determination,” Bright said after the match.
“Whatever is thrown our way – we adapt, we stick together. And, again, (in) a game (against Nigeria) where we are challenged and we are pushed to our limits, going (down) to 10 men (after Lauren James’ red card), but we are ready to face absolutely any team and anything.”
"Blood, sweat and tears. We never give in."@Mdawg1bright the team's performance today. ???? pic.twitter.com/gYlVBQzutm
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 7, 2023
Manchester City forward Lauren Hemp also commented about the Super Falcons being a big test for the Lionesses who have suffered only one defeat since Sarina Wiegman took charge in 2021.
“They (Nigeria) were a massive test for us, very strong and obviously quite good on the ball as well. I felt like we matched them at times as well and we managed to get the job done even with 10 men at the end (after Lauren James’ red card), which was great,” she said.
England will face the winner of the round of 16 clash between Jamaica and Colombia on Tuesday in the quarter-finals while James is potentially ruled out for the rest of the tournament should England reach the final as she serves a three-match ban.
