Thu | Mar 28, 2024

France edge Brazil in extra time

Published:Monday | June 24, 2019 | 12:26 AM
France’s Amandine Henry (second left) scores her side’s second goal during the FIFA Women’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Brazil at the Oceane Stadium in Le Havre, France, yesterday.
France’s Amandine Henry (second left) scores her side’s second goal during the FIFA Women’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Brazil at the Oceane Stadium in Le Havre, France, yesterday.

(AP):

France survived a tense extra-time knockout match against Brazil and advanced to the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finals when captain Amandine Henry redirected Amel Majri’s free kick for a tiebreaking goal in the 107th minute of a 2-1 victory in Le Havre yesterday.

The World Cup hosts, in the quarter-finals for the third straight time, will play defending champions United States or Spain in Paris on Friday.

Valérie Gauvin, whose first-half goal was disallowed in a video review, put fourth-ranked France ahead in the 52nd minute, but Thaisa levelled the score 11 minutes later for No. 10-ranked Brazil.

With the prospect of a penalty kick shoot-out growing, Henry scored on a left-footed shot for her 13th goal in 86 international appearances, her second goal of the tournament.

Goal at the death

Brazil had a chance to go ahead near the end of the first half of extra time when Debinha broke in alone and beat goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi, but her shot, headed towards goal, was blocked in front of the line by defender Griedge Mbock Bathy.

This marked perhaps the final World Cup game for 33-year-old Brazilian star Marta, who scored a record 17 goals in five tournaments. And it likely was the last game in the showcase for 41-year-old Formiga, who appeared in a record seven World Cups.

The other game on the day saw England blanking Cameroon 3-0 through goals from Steph Houghton, Ellen White, and Alex Greenwood.