GERMANY BREAK FRENCH HEARTS

Top-ranked Germany kept their bid for a record third title on track Friday when they won a dramatic penalty shoot-out 5-4 to break French hearts and advance to the semi-finals at the Women’s World Cup. The thrilling quarter-final game at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium went to a nail-biting penalty shoot-out after the two teams were locked 1-1 after 30 minutes of extra time. Louisa Necib, dubbed the “Female Zidane” of the French women’s game, could only rue a missed chance to score after just 49 seconds, before she finally nailed the opener on 64 minutes. Celia Sasic levelled for Germany with a penalty six minutes from time, and in a tense half hour of extra-time substitute Gaetane Thiney wasted a late chance to put France into the last four for the second straight time. PTI