Australia advances to quarters after shocking Brazil
MONCTON, N.B. — Substitute Kyah Simon put herself in the perfect spot to make a winning shot.
She got it done in the 80th minute, tapping in a rebound to lead Australia to a 1-0 win over Brazil to advance to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
A well-placed ball from substitute Katrina Gorry found Lisa De Vanna charging down the right side of the field. De Vanna’s shot was blocked by Brazilian goalkeeper Luciana, but the rebound went right to Simon, who scored the first goal conceded by Brazil in the tournament.
“All that was going through my head was to be there in case (the goalkeeper) fumbled it,” said Simon, who had been substituted into the game just 16 minutes before the goal. “It just so happened that the ball fell at my feet and I got the tap-in.”
It was also a bit of deja-vu for the Aussie, who scored her very first international goal against another team from Brazil.
“It kind of brought back flashbacks,” she said. “I was only 16 years at that age, and it was kind of ironic going on the field. I fell back to that moment and felt what an amazing moment it would be if I could do that again.”
Australia moves on to Edmonton, where they will play the winner of Tuesday’s game in Vancouver between Japan and the Netherlands.
In Sunday’s other matchup, the third-ranked French team scored two early goals and never looked back en route to a 3-0 victory over South Korea. France will now play Germany in the quarter-final on Friday in Montreal.
The French (3-1-0) scored twice within eight minutes of kickoff and gave the South Koreans (1-2-1) little hope for a comeback from thereon.
Forward Marie Laure Delie scored in the fourth minute of play and midfielder Elodie Thomis padded France’s lead in the eighth. Delie added another shortly after halftime.
“There was pressure on us, for sure,” said Thomis, who was France’s most dangerous player. “We knew that if we lost this game, we’d be going home tomorrow.”