Australia secure Women's World Cup quarter-final spot

Posted : 07 August 2023

Co-hosts Australia secured their spot in the Women's World Cup quarter-finals with a precise victory over Denmark in the round of 16, amidst a packed Stadium Australia.

Caitlin Foord broke the deadlock for the Matildas in the 29th minute, skillfully converting from a tight angle after receiving an excellent pass from Mary Fowler.

In the 70th minute, Hayley Raso extended Australia's lead with a well-executed shot, following impressive teamwork involving Emily van Egmond.

The upcoming quarter-final clash for Australia will be against either France or Morocco, scheduled for Saturday.

Historically, Australia had only reached the World Cup quarter-finals once before, in 2015, having experienced defeats in their four other knockout matches throughout various years.

While they began the match against Denmark somewhat slowly, the atmosphere at Sydney's Stadium Australia became electric when Fowler's brilliant maneuver and pass set up Foord's opening goal during a counter-attack.

Buoyed by this achievement, the Matildas took control of the first half, and another attempt from Foord narrowly missed the target after deflecting off Denmark's Rikke Sevecke.

As the Danes sought to rally after halftime, Foord initiated a play down the left, leading to Van Egmond providing an assist that allowed Real Madrid's Raso to calmly net her third goal of the tournament.

With victory seemingly secured, Australia's head coach Tony Gustavsson introduced captain Sam Kerr, who received a standing ovation upon substituting Raso with slightly over 10 minutes remaining.

Kerr, the Matildas' all-time top scorer, played her first minutes of the tournament due to recovering from a calf injury sustained during training on the eve of the competition. She left an impact in the final moments, launching a powerful shot over the crossbar after a dynamic run down the right flank.

The game attracted a crowd of 75,784 spectators, a figure equalling the record for attendance at a women's football match in Australia.

Denmark, participating in their first World Cup since 2007, reached the round of 16 for the first time in 28 years. Despite a stronger start, including former Chelsea midfielder Pernille Harder's attempt on target in the 16th minute, they were unable to generate substantial scoring opportunities after conceding.

Although Harder's late volley went wide, Denmark's chances of advancing to the quarter-finals had already diminished.

Australia will soon ascertain their quarter-final opponent once France faces Morocco on Tuesday.

Australia secure Women's World Cup quarter-final spot

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