Matildas shock France to storm into World Cup semi final – By Trevine Rodrigo (eLanka Sports editor – Melbourne)
The stakes were high, and the spotlight was on a home team daring to dream, and when it’s Australia, nothing seems be beyond achievable.
And accordingly, the Matildas put Australia on the world map as a team not to be underestimated.
In true fashion, Australia withstood and overcame a clearly overskilled France to snatch a history making semi final of the Women’s World Cup after an exhausting 7-6 penalty shoot out which broke a stalemate through normal time, extra time and the final decider.
Titanic would best describe the fantastic tussel for a semi final berth, and Australia and France provided just that in an epic quarter final of the Women’s World Cup in front of a mammoth crowd in Brisbane.
In a frenetic game that ebbed and flowed with no quarter given and none got, it was a game that announced Australia’s Matildas as a serious challenger to the best in the world.
Yes, home ground conditions and massive crowd backing counts for a lot, but the Matildas have sounded the world that they have arrived, and can take on and overcome the best.
The French were dominant for most of the game with superior skill and flair but did not have the edge to penetrate a stolid Matildas defence and press home their advantage. France peppered the Matildas goal with no result as the Aussies held on grimly in true spirit.
The Aussies were more physical and made up for their inability to counter the French strength with fearless counters to the sometimes relentless waves of attacks from the French that would have undone a lesser team.
France had several opportunities of putting the result to bed, but poor execution with their shots at goal kept the Matildas in contention.
The Matildas for their part had their chances of scoring particularly a simple Mary Fowler effort directly in front meters from goal which was spoiled by a desperate De Almeida French defence to deny them of a semi final berth.
Extra time saw a fiercely contested duel with no break to the deadlock.
A penalty shoot out certainly did no justice to a great contest. But the reward clearly suggested that the host nation was a winner either way. It keeps the dream of an unlikely World Cup triumph well in focus.
