Matildas keep World Cup dream alive with epic penalty shootout win over France | Women’s World Cup 2023
Gone have been the ghosts of France 2019. The nightmare in Nice of 4 years in the past – when the Matildas departed the final World Cup after a penalty shootout – a distant reminiscence. This time round, Australia’s efficiency could have summoned demons for the French themselves, with the host nation maintaining their World Cup dream alive for one more recreation after a dramatic 20-penalty shootout.
You would have been forgiven for pondering this was a summer season World Cup in balmy Brisbane, and even when the solar went down the warmth didn’t dissipate for a second as Australia and France fought for a spot within the semi-finals over greater than three hours. The recreation teetered forwards and backwards. Regulation time ended goalless, as did 30 minutes of extra-time, and an epic penalty shootout was required to separate these two sides.
In her first World Cup, substitute Cortnee Vine stepped up as Australia’s 10th penalty-taker to change into the Matildas’ hero as she despatched them by to the semi-finals for the primary time within the workforce’s historical past – and because the first host nation to make the final 4 since 2003. In Sydney on Wednesday they are going to face England, 2-1 victors towards Colombia.
With the gang on their toes, Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold raised the roof at Brisbane Stadium by saving the primary penalty of the shootout from Selma Bacha. Caitlin Foord scored hers, and Australia have been tangibly in entrance for the primary time. But it was short-lived, with the following from Steph Catley saved. The drama of the shootout was simply starting.
Arnold saved a second, smacked her personal spot-kick into the upright, then saved a 3rd – twice, as the primary needed to be retaken after she left her line too early. Knowing a objective would win the sport, one other World Cup debutant, Clare Hunt, who was most likely not anticipating to be referred to as on to take a penalty, had her shot saved. But after France’s Vicki Becho hit the publish, Vine sealed the deal with a nerveless effort.
The heart-stopping, historic victory got here after a hard-fought 120 minutes of soccer. France rapidly showcased their sharp attacking prowess and the hits got here quick down the left flank. The tempo with which France stormed out of the blocks despatched a nervous hush across the stadium and there have been indicators of nervousness on the pitch too.
France ahead Kadidiatou Diani almost took benefit of early nerves in simply the seventh minute when she pounced on a botched clearance from Alanna Kennedy however despatched her shot throughout the face of objective. The defence regarded rattled and it was an early hand-in-mouth second that might be repeated for each side all through the more and more tense and chaotic recreation.
For a lot of the remainder of the primary half the inexperienced and gold crowd hummed alongside with occasional outbursts for lengthy balls ahead, footage on the large display of Sam Kerr on the bench, and any contact from Mary Fowler, who donned her black gloves regardless of the afternoon temperature reaching greater than 20C.
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As the sunshine pale, the noise stage within the stadium ratcheted up a number of notches, and so too did the power on the pitch. And it was Fowler who simply earlier than the top of the half was supplied one of the best probabilities to interrupt the impasse. After being stored pretty quiet, Hayley Raso thundered down the precise and received a low cross previous the imperious Wendie Renard in direction of the close to publish. Goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin got here out however Emily van Egmond received there first and tapped it again to Fowler on the sting of the six-yard field.
With Peyraud-Magnin off her line, it appeared a sure objective, just for Élisa De Almeida to make an important intervention with her thigh to deflect the ball large. A couple of minutes later, it was Fowler once more, working on to a superbly weighted cross from Katrina Gorry. But this time the goalkeeper timed her run higher and was capable of stop Fowler pulling the set off.
Kerr once more began on the bench as Tony Gustavsson opted to stay with a successful beginning XI, however it took simply 10 minutes of the second half for the coach to play his trump card. The striker took to the pitch instead of Van Egmond to the loudest ovation of the evening to that time. Kerr’s first motion was to catch her boot within the turf and stumble, however it was adopted rapidly by a blistering run with the ball to the sting of the world earlier than a reduce to Raso whose belter pressured a flying save from Peyraud-Magnin. The power had shifted right away, however nonetheless probabilities weren’t transformed.
Still goalless with solely 10 minutes of regulation time remaining, frustrations appeared to achieve boiling level on the pitch and sideline. Tackles late, shirts tugged at, coaches fuming from behind their white-dashed strains. The desperation got here to naught, sending the sport into further time.
With almost 50,000 folks on the sting of their seats, issues took a wierd flip within the first half of extra-time when French substitute Becho appeared to take the ball nicely over the goalline, just for it to go unnoticed, a lot to the displeasure of the gang behind the objective.
In a flash of gold shirts, the next nook resulted within the ball discovering the again of the online off Kennedy’s head, just for the referee to rule she was dragged down by Renard. The look on Kennedy’s face advised the story of simply how shut Australia got here to packing up their camp at that time.
But it was penalties in the long run, not an personal objective, that decided this seesawing match. Against England in Wednesday’s semi-finalin Sydney, the Matildas will hope to journey the excessive of Brisbane, and absolutely now, the considered enjoying in a World Cup last on dwelling soil is changing into a tantalisingly actual chance.
