Matildas vs. Les Bleues: Australia into the Semi-Finals

A thrilling match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup comes to a chance end with the Matildas of Australia stealing a spot in the Semi-final ahead of Les Bleues of France.

Talk about keeping the game balanced and evened out, then you have this game to tell tales on for years to come as the Les Bleues duked it out with the Matildas on equal level of possession of the ball as well as an equal level of intensity from both sides.

The quarter-final fixture dragged out a 0-0 stalemate that saw equal chances gifted both times on goal from both halves of the pitch and the game, with neither managing to find the back of the net.

For Australia, forward Mary Fowler saw multiple chances on target saved by the stringent defense of the Les Bleues, who had goalkeeper, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin and defender Wendie Therese Renard pull off defensive displays to keep the Matildas at bay.

On their end, France forward, Eugenie Le Sommer also tested a few chances at Australia’s goal with Mackenzie Arnold and her defensive partnerships keeping things level in all 4 halves of the game to force in ‘chance’ as the game’s ultimate decider.

The chance decider was a penalty shootout that had Mackenzie Arnold and Pauline Peyraud Magnin come through as heroes to keep their sides in the game despite the luxury of 20 spot-kicks for both teams in the shootout.

Ultimately, a winner had to be decided, with the Matildas’ Cortnee Vine emerging as the needed hero for Australia, while Vicki Becho became France’s penalty villain when chance called for glory.

The Matildas of Australia are into the Semi-final after nabbing a 7-6 victory on penalties against the Les Bleues of France in the quarter-final to await the winner of England vs. Colombia.