Matildas v France: Australia advances to first ever FIFA World Cup semi-final after epic 7-6 penalty shootout win over France
The Matildas are through to a home World Cup semi-final after a game that will be remembered as long as football is played, writes ADAM PEACOCK.
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The greatest evening in the history of Australian football was also its most dramatic.
The Matildas are through after the longest ever penalty shootout in a women’s World Cup.
A date with destiny on Wednesday awaits.
And it all came down to a match that will be remembered for as long as football is played, at a stadium of 50,000 that sounded like a million, on a stage where every player emptied her soul in search of greatness.
Nothing has ever come easily for a football nation a hemisphere away from the game’s power base so, like John Aloisi’s golden moment against Uruguay 18 years ago, a penalty shootout against the world No. 5 France seemed a somehow fitting finale for the Matildas.
Exquisite, excruciating footballing torture.
Mackenzie Arnold, heroic all game, saved Selma Bachar’s first shot. Australia on top. Then Steph Catley’s shot was repelled by Solene Durand. Honours even. Eve Perisset missed. Australia ahead again. Arnold off the post! Level.
Arnold blocked Kenza Ali’s shot, only for VAR to intervene and award her a second shot, which Arnold, astonishingly, saved again. Clare Hunt had a chance to win it only for Durand to intervene again.
Vicki Becho missed.
Cortnee Vine nailed it.
Australia 7-6.
Ecstasy.
The Matildas have now advanced further than any Australian team at a FIFA World Cup. It is further than anyone outside of the late, great Johnny Warren dared to dream of until now.
And it is far, far from over.
The Australians are now just two wins away from lifting the greatest prize in sport. Of all the wonderful world champions, gold medallists and sporting legends this country has gifted to the world, the Matildas are now firmly on the top shelf and might yet occupy a place all their own.
An inspiration to the world. An outpost no more.
It was a day for football fans rusted on and newly converted.
Bleary-eyed old timers, attached to football from birth, used to watching occasions like this in the dead of night from the other side of the planet, still disbelieving this is happening. And newcomers, who wouldn’t know their counter press from a sandwich press, on the bandwagon and loving every second of this magical ride.
This had everything, and more.
*****
The first half played out like a game of chess.
France let Australia have the ball but blocked the midsection, which took Mary Fowler out of the game for large stretches. She went drifting into wide areas to try to get on the ball. No dice. The French plan was clever and effective.
France bombarded Australia from corners early and threatened on several occasions. Fortunately, Mackenzie Arnold was up to the task, repelling misjudgements from Alanna Kennedy, who started shakily and was lucky not to bring down Kadidiatou Diani in the tenth minute.
Australia’s resilience in defence was rewarded with a loosening of France’s plan late in the first half.
And then, out of nowhere, one of those game- and life-altering moments.
Fowler finally wriggled free of attention and let rip with her right boot. She struck cleanly and all that was left was the net to blow out. Yet somehow, incredibly, Elisa De Almeida got in the way and blocked the shot.
Fowler had another chance on the edge of halftime, repelled by the keeper.
A ripple of hope, that became a surging tidal wave after the break.
The Matildas started the second half brightly. The French appeared struck by uncertainty while, in stark contrast, the hosts charged forward with the energy of an entire nation at their backs.
Fowler got free again.
She shot, and shot again, but France’s defence withheld.
Then the joint exploded.
Kerr, who warmed up for just ten minutes at the end of halftime, was thrown in. The noise. The noise! Only Cathy Freeman busting across a finish line could lay claim to inspiring such a joyful, passionate cacophony.
Kerr had not warmed up pre-game again; her only role before halftime was having the last word in team huddles. The plan for the night was to do the same on the pitch.
It started encouragingly. The energy from Kerr’s introduction fuelled a chaotic ten minutes as the Matildas thrust forward at every chance. Kerr went straight into her central role, occupying the two centre backs Maelle Larkra and the Wendie Renard. The French backline, meanwhile, communicated instructions to each other in vain, lost in the din of the home crowd.
Eventually, the French responded in kind and created problems for Australia. Nineteen-year-old replacement Vicki Becho, who came to the World Cup uncapped, started blazing a trail down their right hand side. Grace Geyoro, their beautifully balanced midfielder, tipped the Matildas off their axis for critical moments, averted by the powerhouse duo at the back, Kennedy and Clare Hunt.
Hunt had never played for the Matildas before 2023 due to seven surgeries.
Yet here she was, thriving on football’s greatest stage.
With Kerr threatening, surely Australia would find the winner before 90 minutes. She played a brilliant blind pass expecting Hayley Raso to be there, but Raso’ tank was empty. In all, Australia had 13 shots on goal before extra time, five of them to Fowler, but on every occasion the French stood firm.
Gustavsson didn’t look to his bench for new energy, something of a habit this tournament.
Full-time came and went and still no changes into extra time.
Then, in the 100th minute, a horrific moment was averted when the French won a corner that should never have been given and the resultant cross went in off Kennedy. The referee blew for a foul. Justice restored.
Momentum continued to switch. A Courtnee Vine chance was closely followed by two brilliant, athletic Arnold saves. France pushed and pushed but could find no way through.
And then another twist. Just after halftime in extra-time, Kyah Simon was sent out to warm up. Simon, yet to set foot on a playing field since blowing out her ACL last October, limbered up, without the fanfare of Kerr, but with equal significance. Surely not! She stayed off, though France did do a Socceroos-Andrew Redmayne trick by bringing on reserve keeper Solene Durand.
To penalties we went.
It took ten attempts.
Australia advances.
Originally published as Matildas v France: Australia advances to first ever FIFA World Cup semi-final after epic 7-6 penalty shootout win over France
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