Co-hosts Australia are celebrating their Matildas at the Women’s World Cup and are now hoping for the next coup against European champions England.
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 the second quarter-final, the Lionesses struggled against Germany-Schreck Colombia to a 2-1 (1-1) win.
Possible national holiday if you win the World Cup
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese even wants to ensure that there should be a one-off holiday if the Matildas win the World Cup on August 20th. The 60-year-old Labor politician is encountering resistance from industry and from former national goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri. “Albanese keeps talking about this damn holiday. How about you properly fund our sport?” Barbieri wrote on the online platform X, previously known as Twitter.
“I’m so incredibly proud of my team,” said Australia coach Gustafsson after the nerve-wracking, shaking victory. “The courage, the courage that everyone has shown is unbelievable.” He said to his players beforehand: “This isn’t about the medal, it’s about the heart that beats.” His selection fought passionately to advance and will now play against England next Wednesday (12:00 p.m. CEST/ARD) in Sydney for a place in the final. In the other semi-final, Spain and Sweden will play against each other on Tuesday in Auckland (10:00 a.m. CEST/ZDF).
Longest penalty shootout at a World Cup
Almost 50,000 in the Brisbane stadium and many millions in front of the televisions experienced the longest penalty shoot-out in World Cup history with 20 shooters. In between, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold could have made everything clear as a shooter, but missed. In the end it was Cortnee Vine who was the last to score from the spot and jubilantly turned away. No goals were scored in regular time and extra time. In the end, the unfortunate “Équipe Tricolore” failed as in 2019 in their home tournament in the quarterfinals.
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. “Cheer up and think about the Olympics!” said Renard in view of next year’s summer games in Paris.
Kerr with Jocker roll
Superstar Sam Kerr came on as a wild card after 55 minutes and strengthened their Australian selection. “She turned the game around,” Gustafsson later praised. The 29-year-old Chelsea striker missed the preliminary round with a calf injury and made her debut as a substitute in the round of 16 against Denmark (2-0).
England in the semifinals
England are in a World Cup semi-final for the second time since 2015. Leicy Santos put the strong-willed and strong-willed Colombians ahead (44′). Lauren Hemp equalized just before the break for England (45′) before Alessia Russo struck the winning goal (63′). In the 2-1 group win against Germany, Colombia helped ensure the early end of the DFB women.
The English women struggled against the South American runners-up for a long time. “It was a home game for Colombia,” said Netherlands’ Sarina Wiegman, the last remaining coach in the tournament, in front of the clamoring fans of the cafeteras. “Obviously I’m very, very happy to be here for another week. And I’m really proud of the team. The players did a great job.”
Santos fooled world goalkeeper Mary Earps with a long ball to make it 1-0. When equalizing, Catalina Perez, who will play for Werder Bremen next season, blundered between the posts of Colombia: Hemp poked the ball into the goal. Colombia’s young star Linda Caicedo was mostly in good hands with the experienced Lucy Bronze. But the English team lacked ideas on the offensive for a long time – until Bayern professional Georgia Stanway served Russo and the Arsenal striker scored the 2-1.
