FIFA Women's World Cup Finals co-hosts Australia advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition in front of a sell-out 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia, overcoming Denmark 2-0 to advance to the last eight for the fourth time since switching confederation from Oceania to Asia in 2006. "The Matildas" certainly didn't have it all their own way in this encounter, with Mackenzie Arnold forced to smother a twenty-five yard grasscutter from Katrina Veje just thirty seconds into the contest, as Denmark set out their stall. After good work down the left by Steph Catley in the fourth minute had foundered on Danish defensive numbers, the European contenders went about silencing the crowd as best they could, led by their inspirational striker Pernille Harder. She it was who somehow failed to score in the eighth minute, the ball seeming to roll between her legs as Kathrine Kuhl and Janni Thomsen combined to open up the Australian defence. Two minutes later, Harder went solo, charging through from deep until being forced away from goal by Alanna Kennedy, by which time she'd reached the edge of the penalty area, a line which prompted the striker to pull the trigger. Arnold watched the ball fly past her post, but was more interested in Harder's next goal threat six minutes later. Latching onto a Karen Holmgaard pass, the Danish captain gave Clare Hunt the runaround before drilling a shot straight at the goalkeeper. Halfway through the first half, further Danish pressure resulted in a corner, which Thomsen drilled into the danger zone. The ball struck Arnold near her near post and was somehow scrambled to safety by "The Matildas", who had yet to threaten their opponents' goal. That changed when Hayley Raso pounced on a poor clearance by Lene Christensen in the 25th minute. Denmark survived that scare, but were less successful four minutes later when caught on the counter-attack. A wayward cross from Rikki Madsen found its way to Caitlin Foord, who laid the ball off to Mary Fowler. After evading a challenge, the young striker delivered an absolute gem of a through ball into the stride of Foord, who raced through the inside left channel and into the penalty area before rifling a shot through the legs of Christensen into the bottom far corner of the net to open the scoring. The goal came very much against the run of play, but do you think any "Matildas" fan in Stadium Australia cared at that moment? There was no Danish delight in this neck of the woods - this was "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!" in all its unrefined glory. Denmark took a while to recover from this blow, and nearly conceded a second goal in the 37th minute. Raso and Fowler teamed up with Emily Van Egmond for the benefit of Foord, the goalscorer scything inside past an opponent before unleashing a shot which ricocheted off Rikke Sevecke and only just past the far angle. English referee Rebecca Welch awarded a goal kick, to the amazement of all wearing green and gold.

After this let-off, the Danes got back into the contest, but either side of the half-time whistle came across an Australian defence in "Thou shalt not pass" mode, Katrina Gorry, Kennedy and Hunt particularly impressing as they repelled everything Lars Sondegaard's team threw at them. They had to be wary of the odd Australian counter-attack, too, such as that led by Raso in the 52nd minute which forced Christensen to dash out to the edge of her penalty area to avert the danger. After the charging figure of Harder hadn't lived up to her surname with the power of her shot, much to Arnold's relief, a rare Australian corner on the hour saw Kyra Cooney-Cross' delivery headed across the face of her own goal by Simone Boye. Four minutes later, another "Matildas" raid saw Fowler and Gorry combining for the benefit of Foord, who swept past an opponent before slipping the ball inside to Van Egmond. Her back-heeled flick nearly caught out Christensen, who was definitely caught out when Australia launched their game-clinching raid twenty minutes from time. Fowler worked a one-two with Gorry on the left before whipping a cross into the near post. Van Egmond was the beneficiary, this time opting to turn the ball into the stride of Raso. An unerring ten yard finish arrowed into the bottom far corner of the net before Christensen could react to the danger - 2-0, and the crowd went nuts in response! They roared all the louder ten minutes from time as Australia's talisman - taliswoman? - entered the fray, Sam Kerr's World Cup campaign having been dealt an injury blow in the final training session before the competition got under way. Her return was a huge boost for the natives, both on and off the park. Denmark sought to get a goal back in the dying minutes of the contest, Veje lobbing the ball in from deep in the 86th minute. Signe Bruun was beaten in the air by Kennedy, but the sphere sat up perfectly for Harder to hammer a volley towards the target. Alas for Denmark's destroyer-in-chief, the sight of the ball flying past the far post all but ended her team's hopes of a late fightback. Kerr showed what she was about from the resulting goal kick, taking on and beating three opponents before battering a shot over the bar. And in stoppage time, Gorry drilled a shot past the post after Foord had cut in off the left and let fly, only for the ball to ricochet off Holmgaard to "The Matildas"' diminutive midfielder. The final whistle brought delight to the masses in the sold-out ground, the crowd figure exactly matching that which saw a new record set for a women's football match in Australia on the opening night of the Finals less than three weeks ago. Australia:     Arnold; Carpenter, Hunt, Kennedy, Catley; Raso (Vine, 80), Gorry, Cooney-Cross, Foord (Yallop, 90); Van Egmond (Kerr, 80), Fowler (Polkinghorne, 90) Denmark:     Christensen; Sevecke (Bruun, 63), Ballisager, Boye, Veje; Thomsen (booked, 66), Kuhl (Hasbo, 73), Holmgaard (Troelsgaard, 82), Madsen (Gejl, 63); Vangsgaard (Snerle, 82), Harder Referee:     Rebecca Welch (England)