OneFootball
Alex Mott·23 June 2019
OneFootball
Alex Mott·23 June 2019
England have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup after a controversial, VAR-inspired, win over Cameroon.
Phil Neville’s side took control of the game almost from kick off and it didn’t take them long to make that domination show on the scoreboard.
The referee awarded an indirect free-kick following a back-pass, and from just six yards out Steph Houghton rifled into the bottom corner.
The Lionesses looked more confident on the ball and were exploiting the spaces left by the African side – and they made that count right on the strike of half time as Ellen White ghosted past the defence and fired in a second.
There was some contention as the goal was originally given as offside, but after a VAR review it was eventually given by the referee.
That though, enraged Cameroon, who staged a protest against the decision and refused to restart the game for five minutes.
Eventually the match did get going again and in the second half there was, amazingly, yet more controversy.
This time Cameroon had a goal of their own disallowed for offside after a VAR check, sending the side into complete disarray.
It was marginal, at best, and saw Alain Djeumfa’s team go into meltdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they then conceded a third soon after – Alex Greenwood thumping in first time from a corner.
And that’s how it ended with England now ready to face Norway on June 27.
With Nikita Parris not at her best, it was left to Ellen White to take the reins of the England attack and fire England into the quarter-finals. She did exactly that.