It was tight, it was intense, and the penalty shootout immense, as Australia overcame France 7-6 on spot-kicks in front of 49,461 fans at Suncorp Stadium on 12 August to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals for the first time ever, after two hours of scoreless action which was anything but boring. There was virtually nothing between these teams in the more than two hours they fought for a semi-final berth - it was akin to a high stakes boxing bout in which first one fighter then the other enjoys a spell of dominance, neither ever quite able to land the knockout blow despite having their opponent on the ropes at various times. This was international knockout football at its very best, and ultimately these titans were separated by the width of a post - that was the difference between "The Matildas" and "Les Bleus", just as it was for Australia's fellow co-hosts, New Zealand, with the post ultimately all that denied them a place in the last sixteen of this standard-setting Women's World Cup Finals. France settled the quicker of the two, with Alanna Kennedy compounding her sliced seventh minute clearance by hauling back Kadidiatou Diani as she burst past the defender. The French striker still managed to fire her shot across the face of goal, then fired both barrels at Chilean referee Maria Carbajal, who, to be perfectly blunt, wasn't up to the job in this match - she had a shocker! This first incident set the standard - shirt-pulling is an automatic yellow card offence, no question. On this occasion, nothing was given. At all. Not even a free-kick. That non-decision sent a message to the players - anything goes. Thankfully they got on with things in spite of the referee and, by and large, refereed themselves very well. Five minutes later, the French were guilty of an unbelievable miss, one they'll doubtless look back on in the aftermath of this encounter and think, "If only …". Selma Bacha fired in a corner which Wendie Renard headed back to Eugenie Le Sommer. Her angled drive flew towards the far post where Maelle Lakrar was still lurking following the corner. Her reactions weren't sharp enough, and from three yards out, with the goal gaping in front of her, she directed the ball over the bar. Having survived those scares, "The Matildas" gradually fought their way back into contention, and in the 23rd minute carved out their first chance via a corner from the immaculately performed Steph Catley - what a fabulous tournament Australia's captain has had! Her delivery on this occasion was headed skywards by Renard, the ball eventually sent flying past the post by Katrina Gorry after France failed to clear their lines. Cue another burst of French pressure, Le Sommer latching onto a loose ball in the 28th minute then getting the better of Kennedy before seeing her deflected shot parried to safety by Mackenzie Arnold, who punched out another Bacha corner four minutes later. The ball fell to Kenza Dali, whose shot was blocked, with Lakrar lashing the rebound goalwards, forcing Arnold to tip her effort round the post. Another Bacha set-piece gave Australia cause for concern in the 34th minute, this time a free-kick which wasn't cleared until Dali intervened, her volley flying over the far angle to maintain the scoreless scoreline. Four minutes before half-time, Ellie Carpenter played the ball down the line for Hayley Raso in the penalty area. Her presence lured Pauline Peyraud-Magnin out of goal, and after Renard blocked Raso's pullback, Emily Van Egmond swooped on the loose ball and set up Mary Fowler, who simply couldn't miss from eight yards, but did thanks to some fabulous defensive work by Elisa De Almeida - her best game of the Finals by far. On the stroke of half-time, Gorry played a scrumptious pass through the French rearguard to leave Fowler one-on-one with Peyraud-Magnin, who responded with a terrific denial to ensure the teams went to the dressing rooms with the scoreboard reading 0-0. France's goalkeeper was guilty of a poor clearance five minutes after play resumed, directing the ball straight to Fowler, who evaded a challenge before letting fly. De Almeida was again her nemesis, diverting the shot for a corner. Catley delivered quality, as usual, prompting Peyraud-Magnin to punch the ball out. It landed perfectly for Fowler to unleash a volley which was blocked by Dali, prompting "Les Bleus" to respond with an attack of their own, Le Sommer just failing to turn home Bacha's cross to the far post. Australia responded by unleashing their not-so-secret weapon upon proceedings in the 56th minute - the roar around the nation in response to the sight of Sam Kerr entering the fray would surely have registered on the sonic equivalent of the Richter scale! Aussies are naturally loud, but this was "beyond greatness" loud! Straight away, she was into the action, tearing through the inside left channel before switching play to Raso, who unleashed a rocket which the flying figure of Peyraud-Magnin tipped over the bar. Four minutes later, a Carpenter cross was headed out to the far post, where Fowler was lurking with intent. Sure enough, she let fly once more, and once more she was thwarted by Peyraud-Magnin, this time saving with her legs to keep her team on level

terms. Having staved off "The Matildas"' assault, France worked their way back into the contest, but for the bulk of the rest of regulation time, Australia's defence stood firm in the face of waves of "Les Bleus" attacks, the pick of them materialising in the 71st minute. Grace Geyoro spread play wide to substitute Vicki Becho, who had been introduced minutes earlier. The newcomer took on Catley and managed to deliver a cross which found its way to Le Sommer. Kennedy thwarted her in the six yard box. Three minutes from time, the French cleared their lines after a cleared Gorry corner found its way to Fowler, who let fly once more, and once more had no joy in her quest to clinch victory for "The Matildas" in regulation time. To extra time we went, the first ten minutes of which were fairly uneventful. Then the fun started! Becho broke down the right and, under pressure, took the ball beyond the by-line before firing in a cross. This incident summed up referee Carbajal's night - she awarded a corner! Puhleeeez!! Needless to say, "The Matildas" were spitting tacks, and things were about to get worse, albeit briefly. For Bacha's corner arced into the zone, and Kennedy headed it into her own net - 1-0 France! But the referee rather conveniently found reason to award a defensive free-kick, thus ruling out the goal - a let-off for the co-hosts! Miffed, the French attacked again, Bacha buccaneered down the left before firing in a cross to the far post, Diani her target. But Kennedy did brilliantly to deny her - any error would have been an own goal which, this time, would have counted. On the stroke of half-time in extra time, Caitlin Foord careered down the left, leaving De Almeida in her slipstream. Her cross to the far post was unable to be directed on target by Cortnee Vine, who had just been introduced to the fray. Back came France after the teams changed ends, Diani seeing her 107th minute shot blocked, with the rebound falling to Becho. Her twenty yard drive was top corner-bound until Arnold turned it round the post. Two minutes later, Catley saved the day for "The Matildas" with a timely intervention, thwarting Becho as she was poised to pull the trigger after Bacha had dashed down the left and set up Geyoro, whose shot was parried by Arnold. Referee Carbajal was well placed to turn down French penalty claims seven minutes from time as Bacha went down in the area under Foord's challenge, while the same player thrashed a twenty-yarder past the post in the 119th minute as "Les Bleus" piled on the pressure. In stoppage time in extra time, France thrice went close to breaking Australian hearts. Becho got the better of Carpenter before shooting straight at Arnold, who turned a Le Sommer shot round the post after the striker raced in off the right to latch onto Geyoro's through ball. The final whistle followed soon after, meaning penalties would decide the outcome of this thrilling showdown between these leading women's footballing nations of the northern and southern hemispheres. France won the tosses for both choice of ends and who fired first, only for Arnold to save Bacha's effort - advantage Australia, one Foord enforced by potting their opener with aplomb. Diani levelled the scores, before Catley saw her spot kick saved by French substitute goalkeeper Solene Durand, a penalty specialist who was introduced just before the final whistle - 1-1. 2-2 - Renard and Kerr, 3-3 - Le Sommer and Fowler, then up stepped another late French substitute, Eve Perisset, who saw Arnold tip her effort onto the post. All eyes turned to "The Matildas"' 'keeper - if she scored, Australia would be through. But she hit the post! Into sudden death, Geyoro and Gorry exchanging spot kicks before Sakina Karchaoui netted via the crossbar - 5-4. Tameka Yallop made it 5-5. Lakrar - 6-5. Carpenter - 6-6, via the post. Up stepped Dali, but Arnold saved her attempt, only for the Video Assistant Referee to intervene - she'd moved off her line before the kick was taken! A reprieve for Dali, but she failed to exploit it, Arnold's save this time a carbon copy of the original effort, minus the forward movement prior. On Clare Hunt's shoulders lay the responsibility of firing Australia into the semi-finals … only for Durand to come up with a huge one-handed denial to keep France in contention - 6-6 it remained. Becho's turn, but she hit the post - advantage Australia once more. And at the fourth time of asking, they finally made it count, Vine vanquishing French dreams with an unerring spot-kick to clinch a 7-6 shootout win - and history - for the semi-finals-bound "Matildas". Australia:     Arnold; Carpenter, Hunt, Kennedy, Catley; Raso (Vine, 104), Gorry (booked, 91), Cooney-Cross (Yallop, 116), Foord; Fowler, Van Egmond (Kerr, 55) France:          Peyraud-Magnin (Durand, 120); Lakrar, Renard, De Almeida (Perisset, 120), Karchaoui; Dali, Geyoro, Toletti (Becho, 64), Bacha; Le Sommer, Diani Referee:     Maria Carbajal (Chile)