Mackenzie Arnold won the battle of the goalkeepers in a gripping penalty shootout as Australia became the first hosts since the USA in 2003 to make it to the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup. They will now play England in the last four, after the European champions bounced back from a goal down to beat a spirited Colombia 2-1.
After France and Australia had failed to find a way to goal in 90 minutes of regulation and half an hour of extra time, the focus was squarely on the goalkeepers as Australia edged it 7-6 in a shootout marked by twists that even a fiction writer couldn’t have thought up.
Arnold had the chance to win it with the fifth penalty kick, having saved superbly from Eve Perisset to set up her moment of glory. But she smashed her kick against the bar, and the near-50,000 crowd in Brisbane was momentarily silenced.
France had given the shootout added drama after Herve Renard, the coach, took off Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, his first-choice goalkeeper who had been nervous and fallible all night, and replaced her with Solene Durand.
Durand made the save of the night, a brilliant left-hand stop from Clare Hunt’s penalty after she had dived past the ball, but was helpless to stop Cortnee Vine’s effort that settled it and sent the crowd into delirium.
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France will look back on golden opportunities squandered as they fell in the last eight yet again. Maelle Lakrar, who had replaced Perisset in the starting XI, shinned the ball over from right in front of the goal after Eugenie le Sommer had miskicked a shot.
Yet again, Sam Kerr, Australia’s captain and star striker, started on the bench. But her introduction 10 minutes into the second half swung the pendulum Australia’s way though it was France that had two chances hacked off the lying as the game wound to its thrilling conclusion.
As for England, who have rarely been at their best in this tournament, they were indebted to a fabulous angled finish from Alessia Russo for a hard-fought win against a Colombia team that kept pushing till the end. Leicy Santos had given the South Americans a shock 44th-minute lead, lobbing Mary Earps from a tight angle.
Had Colombia managed to get to the break a goal up, the result could have been different. Instead, with six minutes added on at the end of the half, Lauren Hemp slid in an equaliser after Catalina Perez, the Colombia goalkeeper, fumbled a routine save near her six-yard box.
The crowd of over 75,000 in Sydney rooted largely for the underdog, but after Russo struck in the 63rd minute, England had enough big-game nous to hold off Colombia. It still needed a tremendous save from Earps to keep out Lorena Bedoya’s effort, as Colombia – conquerors of Germany, two-time champions, in the group stage – left the stage with heads held high.
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