Resilient Matildas chasing World Cup glory one game at a time | Kieran Pender

Having banished the ghosts of the past, Australia are stronger than ever. Will it be enough to send them past England and into the World Cup final?

Of course it had to end with penalties. It would have been hard to script a more fitting ending to the Matildas’ quarter-final clash with France. Four years on from the nightmare in Nice, when the Matildas exited the last World Cup on penalties to Norway, the ghosts of that heart-wrenching defeat could be found at every turn at Brisbane Stadium on Saturday.

Just like Norway, France won the toss to shoot first – history shows that the team taking the opening spot-kick has a considerable advantage, statistically and psychologically. On both occasions, captain Sam Kerr was called upon in a clutch moment – four years ago with Australia’s first attempt, after Norway had converted theirs; this time as penalty taker number three, after the advantage had seesawed from Australia and then back to the French.

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