Australia head into the semi-finals
The Matildas’ quarter final against France ended without goals and was decided from the spot. Cortnee Vine hit the decisive kick in a dramatic shootout.
Australia’s World Cup campaign continues. The Matildas had to suffer to eliminate one of the candidates to lift the trophy. France simply could not find a way past Mackenzie Arnold who stopped, blocked and parried everything in her path to the delight of a 50,000-strong partisan home crowd. Tony Gustavsson’s team were spurred on from the stands and that encouragement helped them to put in one of their best performances of the tournament. The game was settled from the penalty spot but even the shootout seemed endless. Two players from each team missed during the best-of-five round - including the irrepressible Arnold... taking it to the dreaded sudden death. Both teams had taken 10 penalties each before a winner was determined, with France bowing out at the Last 8 stage for the third edition running.
After a difficult start to the tournament, the Matildas came good just when it mattered most and despite not having the talismanic Sam Kerr in the starting XI, they showed no fear against their French rivals, starting the game with great intensity. However, France channelled much of their attacks down the left, where Selma Bacha and Kadidiatou Diani gave the hosts all kinds of problems. The new Olympique Lyon player fired the first warning with a cross-come-shot, which fizzed just wide. Australia tried to press and take control of the ball, but all of the chances on goal were French.
Hervé Renard’s side won all of the individual battles in a match which quickly turned into a one-on-one contest. Lakra wasted a clear opportunity to open the scoring from close range and as the minutes went by, Australia began gaining ground and seeking out Raso out on the right. Ellie Carpenter attempted to beat Pauline Peyraud-Magnin but the keeper dealt with all of Australia’s early forays in and around the box. Le Sommer, the most dangerous for the French, forced Arnold’s first intervention. Shortly after, the Matildas keeper was called on again to keep out Lakra’s shot.
The best chance of all during the first-half fell to Mary Fowler - the Manchester City player was first to a loose ball and facing an empty net but could only watch in disbelief as her effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by De Almeida.
After the restart, Fowler went close again as the Matildas stepped up the intensity. Sam Kerr came on to give extra firepower but she still lacks rhythm after being out with a calf injury. Raso tesred Peyraud-Magnin again with a shot from outside the area and the French keeper was alert to deny another effort from Fowler. That 15-minute period at the start of the second half was the hosts’ brightest spell of the game.
Renard’s players struggled to deal with the pressure and could not find Le Sommer or Diani. As full-time neared, both teams started to hold back in an attempt to avoid any mistakes that could cost the match. The 90 minutes were completed without goals and the game sent to extra-time. France had the ball in the back of the net on 98 minutes from a corner kick, but the goal was ruled out by the Chilean referee due to a foul by Renard in the build-up. For Australia, the recently introduced Vine answered with a great chance that went wide while Arnold superbly denied Becho as the minutes ticked down.
After two hours of open play and still no goals, penalties beckoned. French coach Renard decided to switch goalkeepers for the shootout, replacing Peyraud-Magnin with Solène Durand.
The shootout started off well enough for Australia as Arnold detained Bacha’s effort to put them 1-0 up; but both teams were instantly back level when Stephanie Catley missed her spot-kick and Diani converted. The tension got to Arnold and Ève Périsset who both missed the fifth kick, as it ended 3-3 going into sudden death. Dali missed hers, the ninth kick, but so did Hunt. Becho was the next to step up, her effort crashed against the post, which left Cortnee Vine the chance to make history and send a whole nation into ecstacy.
- 18 Mackenzie Arnold
- 21 Ellie Carpenter
- 14 Alanna Kennedy
- 7 Steph Catley
- 15 Clare Hunt
- 23 Kyra Cooney-Cross (115')
- 9 Caitlin Foord
- 19 Katrina Gorry
- 16 Hayley Raso (103')
- 10 Emily van Egmond (54')
- 11 Mary Fowler
- Substitutes
- 4 Clare Polkinghorne
- 8 Alex Chidiac
- 17 Kyah Simon
- 2 Courtney Nevin
- 20 Sam Kerr (54')
- 3 Aivi Luik
- 12 Teagan Micah
- 5 Cortnee Vine (103')
- 13 Tameka Yallop (115')
- 1 Lydia Williams
- 6 Clare Wheeler
- 22 Charlotte Grant
- 16 Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (122')
- 3 Wendie Renard
- 5 Élisa de Almeida (122')
- 7 Sakina Karchaoui
- 2 Maëlle Lakrar
- 6 Sandie Toletti (63')
- 15 Kenza Dali
- 8 Grace Geyoro
- 13 Selma Bacha
- 9 Eugénie Le Sommer
- 11 Kadidiatou Diani
- Substitutes
- 17 Léa Le Garrec
- 14 Aïssatou Tounkara
- 10 Amel Majri
- 18 Viviane Asseyi
- 4 Laurina Fazer
- 23 Vicki Bècho (63')
- 1 Solène Durand (122')
- 21 Constance Picaud
- 22 Ève Périsset (122')
- 12 Clara Matéo
- 19 Naomie Feller
- 20 Estelle Cascarino
Substitutions
Sam Kerr (54', Emily van Egmond), Vicki Bècho (63', Sandie Toletti), Cortnee Vine (103', Hayley Raso), Tameka Yallop (115', Kyra Cooney-Cross), Solène Durand (122', Pauline Peyraud-Magnin), Ève Périsset (122', Élisa de Almeida)
Cards
Referee: María Carvajal
VAR Referee: Nicolás Gallo Barragán, Juan Soto Arévalo
Katrina Gorry (91',Yellow)