Australia advances to top four
Sets up showdown against England
BRISBANE, Australia — Mackenzie Arnold’s impact on Australia’s biggest Women’s World Cup moment was so immense that it’s hardly surprising it took vanquished France coach Herve Renard to describe it best.
“We came up against a Goliath of a goalie. What a game,” Renard said.
Australia won a penalty shootout 7-6 against Renard’s team after their quarterfinal ended 0-0 in regulation and extra time on Saturday.
Arnold was “the winning factor,” the French coach acknowledged, “both in normal time but also in extra time and then during the shootout.”
Indeed. Arnold was instrumental in Australia advancing to the semifinals for the first time and ending the so-called curse of the host nation.
Cortnee Vine, playing in her first World Cup and going on late as a substitute, was the 10th in a line of 11 penalty takers picked for Australia. She strode to the spot, aiming to finish off where two of her teammates couldn’t, and calmly converted to give the Matildas a famous victory.
The Australians became the only hosts other than the United States to win a quarterfinal in nine Women’s World Cups. Arnold kept the Matildas
the game in extra time
and made three clutch saves in the shootout — before and after missing with her own attempt that could have sealed the win.
“I will remember this night for the rest of my life,” she said. “That is the craziest game I’ve ever played, considering what was on the line.
“It’s going to take a long time to really realize what has happened and what I’ve done and what the team has done. I’m just super proud to be Australian right now.”
The Matildas’ opponent in the semifinals is England, as the Lionesses keep roaring.
Alessia Russo fired England into the semifinals with a second-half goal to beat Colombia 2-1 on Saturday in a game that showcased the resolve of Sarina Wiegman’s team and set up a clash with co-host Australia.
“We always find a way
through,” said Russo, whose goal completed a come-frombehind win after Leicy Santos had given Colombia a first-half lead. “One of the strongest things about this team is we never give up.”
England advanced to the last four for the third consecutive Women’s World Cup, despite going into the tournament with a host of key players out injured.
Keira Walsh was then sidelined after hurting her knee in the second game of the group stage and Lauren James is serving a two-game suspension for stepping on Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie in the round of 16.
Yet England keep coming up with answers.
“We’ve had lots of challenges, and we’ve got through these challenges,” Wiegman said. “It showed the resilience of the team.”
England will play the Matildas Wednesday for a spot in the final.