Gone were the ghosts of France 2019. The nightmare in Nice of four years ago – when the Matildas departed the last World Cup after a penalty shootout – a distant memory. This time around, Australia’s performance may have summoned demons for the French themselves, with the host nation keeping their World Cup dream alive for another game after a dramatic 20-penalty shootout.
You would have been forgiven for thinking this was a summer World Cup in balmy Brisbane, and even when the sun went down the heat did not dissipate for a second as Australia and France fought for a spot in the semi-finals over more than three hours. The game teetered back and forth. Regulation time ended goalless, as did 30 minutes of extra-time, and an epic penalty shootout was required to separate these two sides.
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