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England inched closer to the knockout round thanks to this epic goal from James
England inched closer to the knockout round of the Women’s World Cup with their second 1-0 victory of the tournament, this time over Denmark.
That lone goal came courtesy of Lauren James, on an absolutely sublime strike.
England broke through in the early going, with James — who was making her first World Cup Start — scored in the seventh minute. She took in a pass outside of the box, skipped around one defender and then launched a rocket that split two more defenders and curled just out of reach past goalie Lene Christensen:
Fox Soccer put together this cut-up of the goal, showing it from every possible angle:
The goal also earned a shoutout from James’s brother, Reece. Reece is a defender for Chelsea, and the siblings are the first in the history of the English National Team to represent the nation at the senior level in the modern era:
James’s goal would prove decisive, as while Denmark threatened on a few different occasions, the Lionesses held on for the 1-0 win. They will be guaranteed a spot in the knockout round if Haiti wins against China, or that match ends in a draw. The match between Haiti and China starts at 7:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday.
However, England’s win was bittersweet, as standout midfielder Keira Walsh was taken off the pitch on a stretcher just before halftime. According to The Guardian, Walsh was spotted telling medical staff: “I’ve done my knee.”
England suffered a rash of injuries in the build-up to the tournament as three members of their squad — Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby — suffered knee injuries.
