Never two without three. As in the last two editions of the Women’s World Cup, Les Bleues took the door in the quarter-finals. They were eliminated by Australia this Saturday (0-0 ap, 6-7 on tab) in Brisbane. An endless and mythical session by the way. The Australians will challenge England or Colombia in the semi-finals of “their” World Cup, a stage of the competition that France has only reached once, in 2011, finishing in fourth place.
In Brisbane, it was the French who started the match the best, less tense than the Australians. Diani lit a first fuse (8th) and a few minutes later, Lakrar missed a huge opportunity, a few meters from goal, following a cross shot from Le Sommer (12th). Le Sommer kept up the pressure in stride (28th) and Lakrar still offered himself a golden opportunity (31st) just before the Blues disappeared for more than thirty minutes. Until then timorous, the Australians stuck out before the break. Following a disagreement between Karchaoui and Peyraud-Magnin, Fowler thought to open the scoring but it was without counting on a magnificent save on his line from De Almeida (41st).
That kicked off the Matildas game. Back from the locker room, the Australians accelerated and asphyxiated Les Bleues for a good quarter of an hour and many hot situations on the goal of Peyraud-Magnin. Fowler (50th, 60th) made the Habs shiver again before the meeting fell into a false rhythm until extra time.
Thirty extra minutes therefore and thirty lively minutes with a goal disallowed for the Blues (100th). A non-existent corner, taken by Bacha, was given to the French and converted … by Kennedy in his own goal but the Australians were finally saved by a foul from Renard on Foord. A turning point. In the process, Vine was dangerous (105th). Becho reacted (107, 110th) without success. The decision was therefore going to be made on penalties and for the exercise, Hervé Renard made the choice to change goalkeeper. Exit Pauline Peyraud-Magnin and make way for Solène Durand.
A tense penalty shootout with no less than ten shooters on each side. And twice, Durand kept Les Bleues alive during the first Australian match points but the French missed the target too many times (Bacha, Perisset, Dali) and the young Becho, tenth shooter, sent her attempt on the post of Arnold, the Australian keeper. And this time around, Vine didn’t miss the third match point, sending Australia into the final four for the very first time.