Soccer Women’s World Cup Australia after penalties against France in World Cup semifinals
The Australian team celebrates their entry into the World Cup semi-finals
© Tertius Pickard / DPA
The dream of winning the World Cup is alive for the Matildas from Australia. In a dramatic quarter-final they prevailed against the highly rated French women.
Co-hosts Australia celebrate their Matildas at the Women’s World Cup. After a dramatic 7:6 (0:0) on penalties against France, the team of head coach Tony Gustafsson made it into a World Cup semi-final for the first time. In front of almost 50,000 spectators in Brisbane, Cortnee Vine converted the last penalty against the unfortunate “Équipe Tricolore”, who, like in 2019, failed in the quarterfinals. No goals were scored in regular time and extra time.
France coach Hervé Renard replaced goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin with penalty specialist Solene Durand just before the end of extra time, but the move was of no use in the end.
The French were slightly superior in the first half and had their best chance with a low shot by Kadidiatou Diani (8th). Defender Elisa de Almeida made a spectacular move from going behind just before half-time when she blocked a close-range shot from Australia’s Mary Fowler on the goal-line.
Superstar Sam Kerr came on as a wild card after 55 minutes and strengthened their Australian selection. The 29-year-old Chelsea striker missed the first round due to a calf injury and came on for the first time in the round of 16 against Denmark (2-0).
Australia will now be fighting next Wednesday against the winners of the game between European champions England and Colombia, who will meet this Saturday (12.30 p.m. CEST/ZDF) for a place in the final. In the other semi-final, Spain and Sweden will meet in Auckland on Tuesday (10:00 a.m. CEST).
Sweden kicks out the last world champion with Japan
Reached the semi-finals of the World Cup: Sweden’s Filippa Angeldal celebrates her penalty kick
© Abbie Parr/DPA
The Japanese national team, which has been so convincing so far, was surprisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. In the 1: 2 (0: 1) against Sweden on Friday, Honoka Hayashi’s goal came too late (87th minute) after Riko Ueki had previously put a penalty on the crossbar (76th). Amanda Ilestedt (32′) and Filippa Angeldal (51’/penalty) scored for the overall better Swedes in front of 43,217 spectators in Auckland. In the semifinals next Tuesday, coach Peter Gerhardsson’s team will also meet Spain in Auckland (10 a.m. CEST). With the elimination of the Japanese, the last team that was world champion at least once was eliminated.
From the start, the Swedes gave the Japanese hardly any room for their dreaded combinations. While the 2011 world champion had little offensive ideas, Sweden’s attacks seemed more compelling. Stina Blackstenius missed the first good chance after a long ball, Ilestedt did better just before the break. After a free kick, the defender hit the lead from the crowd. Her fourth tournament goal was the first she scored with a foot. Kosovare Asllani missed the 2-0 before the break, her shot only hitting the inside post of the Japanese goal.
Another solid shot from Rytting Kaneryd was well parried by Ayaka Yamashita, but the following corner resulted in a hand penalty for Sweden. Angeldal converted safely. At the other end, Ueki, who was fouled, missed a flattering penalty for Japan, who came back with power in the closing stages. Kiko Seike circled a free kick to the crossbar, seconds later substitute Haysashi reduced it to 1:2. But the equalizer didn’t want to fall anymore.
Spain beats Netherlands and reaches World Cup semi-finals
Salma Paralluelo celebrates after scoring the extra-time goal that secured Spain a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup
© Alessandra Tarantino / AP / DPA
Spain’s footballers are in the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time after beating the Netherlands 2-1 (1-1, 0-0) after extra time. Salma Paralluelo scored the decisive goal in the second half of extra time in Wellington with a precise shot into the far corner (111th minute). Maria Caldentey had previously given Spain the lead in New Zealand with a converted penalty kick in the 81st minute. Captain Stefanie van de Gragt, who conceded the penalty against the Netherlands, made it 1-1 ten minutes later. Opponents in the semifinals are either the favored Japanese or the Swedes.
Spain was the dominant team for long stretches of the game, but were also very lucky in some scenes, such as a penalty taken back when the score was 0-0 in the second half. Referee Stephanie Frappart looked at the scene on the monitor after a tip from the VAR team around Tatiana Guzman (Nicaragua) and Germany’s Marco Fritz and surprisingly canceled her penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Lineth Beerensteyn was bumped into by Irene Paredes after a through ball.
Women’s World Cup 2023 The one with the mascot – Klara Bühl has created a secret star of the World Cup with her koala
02.08.2023
In the 17th minute, a double chance gave Spain the first really good opportunity to take the lead. Alba Redondo’s header deflected Daphne van Domselaar into the post in the Netherlands’ goal, and the follow-up shot from close range was also stopped by the post.
The supposed lead for Spain after 37 minutes by Esther Redondo was not counted by Frappart from France because of a narrow offside position. The next good chance came right after the break, but it was the penalty late in the second half that made the lead possible.
mad/kng DPA
#Subjects
