First-time winner of Women’s World Cup guaranteed

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP):

THERE WILL be a first-time winner of the Women’s World Cup this year, and maybe, just maybe, it will be host country Australia.

The Matildas, serving as co-hosts of the tournament with New Zealand, became the first home team since the United States in 1999 to win a quarter-final in nine Women’s World Cups. Australia has reached its first semi-final in team history and faces England on Wednesday for a chance to play for the title.

“I genuinely really believe that this team can do great history in so many ways,” Australia coach Tony Gustavsson said, “not just winning football games, but the way that they can inspire the next generation, how they can unite the nation, how they can leave a legacy that is much bigger than football.”

England, the European champions, advanced with a 2-1 victory over upstart Colombia. England also reached the semi-finals in 2015 and 2019, only to finish third and fourth and never reach the Women’s World Cup final.

But before the Australia and England showdown, first-time semi-finalist Spain takes on powerhouse Sweden on Tuesday in Auckland.

Aside from a 4-0 loss to Japan in group play, Spain has been a force throughout the tournament. It even tuned out an earthquake roughly an hour before its quarter-final win over 2019 runner-up Netherlands.

The earthquake Friday in New Zealand’s capital of Wellington measured 5.6 on the Richter scale and created minor shaking in and around the stadium.

“We were so concentrated on the game that we didn’t feel it, although we felt some shakes at the hotel the day before,” Spain coach Jorge Vilda said. “The victory of Spain was the earthquake.”

Sweden, meanwhile, are the highest ranked team still in the tournament at second in the world, according to FIFA. The Swedes got into the semifinals by knocking off previously undefeated Japan, the 2011 winners and last remaining champions in the tournament after so many early eliminations of the best teams in women’s football.

“I think we have the team to go all the way,” left back Jonna Andersson said, “and now we are one step closer.”

PENALTY SHOOTOUT

The Matildas advanced after a tense – and electric – penalty shootout 7-6 over France in front of a sold-out crowd in Brisbane, Australia.

It took 20 penalties to decide the winner in the longest shootout in the history of the tournament. It was the game of a lifetime for goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, who stepped up to take a penalty with the score at 3-3 but hit the post.

Arnold then managed to twice save shots from French midfielder Kenza Dali, the first being waved off after Arnold was ruled to have come off her line for the first save. Arnold said she was “incredibly disappointed” to have missed her shot on goal and thanked her teammates for keeping the Matildas in the game.

Australia, at 12th in the world, are the lowest-ranked team remaining in the tournament.

Sam Kerr, the injured superstar who missed all of group play, came off the bench against France but ended up playing nearly a full game when the match went to extra time. Kerr converted her penalty kick. And the Australians have also been boosted by the play of 20-year-old Mary Fowler, who has stepped in to fill Kerr’s void in this tournament.

Arnold said the Matildas need a day to regroup before focusing on England.

“I don’t want to ever get ahead of myself, and we’re all the same in that aspect,” she said. “We just take one game at a time, one half at a time, whatever that is, and we just keep getting to the next step every time. So now that we’ve made the semi-final for the first time, we’ll take a moment to process what we’ve actually done.”