BREAKING: Australia #Matildas Defeat France To Qualify For #FIFAWWC Semi-Finals—-The Genius Media Nigeria reports that The Matildas make it into the semis for the first time ever after Mackenzie Arnold’s heroics and Cortnee Vine’s winning goal at the ongoing 2023 IFA Women World Cup.
Australia have made history after reaching a first ever Women’s World Cup semi-final after beating France on penalties. A tense match saw neither side able to break the deadlock over the course of 90 minutes and the additional half an hour of extra time. A topsy-turvy shootout eventually went the way of the Matildas when Cortnee Vine converted the winning spot kick.
Australia beat France 7-6 in an epic penalty shootout at the end of a tense and goalless Women’s World Cup quarter-final.
Cortnee Vine scored the decisive spot kick, after Mackenzie Arnold had saved multiple French efforts but also missed when she herself had the chance to win it.
Australia are into the semi-finals for the first time and will play either England or Colombia next.
France had started the match strongly through Kadidiatou Diani, who drilled a shot wide when had she gone down, Alanna Kennedy perhaps would have been facing a red card.
Maelle Lakrar stabbed over from inside the six-yard box when it looked easier to score, but Australia did end the first half better and it required a great Elisa De Almeida block to stop Mary Fowler opening the scoring.
Sam Kerr’s arrival as a 55th-minute substitute woke up the 49,000 spectators in attendance in Brisbane. It was Fowler again who had Australia’s best chance soon after, but she shot straight at Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.
A Kennedy own goal, correctly ruled out for a shirt pull off the ball, was the closest France game to winning the match.
Extra time was need with neither side able to break the deadlock, and in due course penalties.
Vine had Australia’s best chance of extra time, diverting a cross into the side netting, while France’s lone replacement, Vicki Becho twice tested Arnold.
For the third World Cup in a row France depart at the quarter-final stage. Les Bleues enjoyed the better of the 120-minutes, especially the first half, then towards the end of extra time, but they failed to find a way beyond Mackenzie Arnold.
