Australia reached the Women’s World Cup semifinals for the first time, sending a sell-out crowd in Brisbane into ecstasy, with an incredible penalty shootout victory over France.
The co-host had played in the quarterfinals on three previous occasions but had never made it beyond the last eight. On home soil, the Matildas’ fortunes changed and history was made in a thrilling conclusion to the match.
In a country where for so long "soccer" has struggled to make a major impact on mainstream consciousness, Australia's victory over France in the Women's World Cup quarter-finals feels like a watershed moment.
Even before the game, the shift in public perception was notable. The Australian Football League - which runs Aussie rules - made the surprise decision to show the quarter-final on the big screen at Melbourne Cricket Ground before the huge AFL match between Carlton and Melbourne.
Channel 7, which normally shunts sports on to a secondary channel at 6pm to make way for its flagship news show, delayed its bulletin in order to show the game in an unprecedented move.
It shows how much the Matildas have captured national imagination - and if they were popular before, that fervour will now reach fever pitch after a penalty shootout win scarcely believable in its twists and turns.
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.
Extra time was need with neither side able to break the deadlock, and in due course penalties. A Kennedy own goal, correctly ruled out for a shirt pull off the ball, was the closest either side came to winning the match in the extra 30 minutes.
A come-from-behind victory over Panama saw the side qualify first out of their group, with a 6-3 win at Sydney Football Stadium.
The side then took on tournament debutants Morocco in their Round of 16 clash, putting away three goals in quick succession to take a 3-0 lead going into the break.
Le Sommer rounded out the scoring in the second half to see the side book their spot in the quarter-finals.
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Sarah H
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