Co-hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023 have advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating France on penalties. Australia, ranked 10th in the FIFA rankings, beat FIFA fifth-ranked France 7-6 on penalties after 120 minutes of stalemate to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament at Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, on 12 December. The Socceroos made history by reaching the semi-finals for the first time in their history at the tournament, having previously reached the quarter-finals three times in 2007, 2011 and 2015.France, who finished fourth at the 2011 tournament and reached the quarter-finals in 2015 and 2019, suffered their third consecutive quarter-final exit. France pushed hard from the start against Australia, who had the lopsided support of their home crowd behind them. In the first 20 minutes, France had three shots on target, while Australia failed to get a single shot on target. France’s star, Éugenie Le Sommer, who was making her 21st appearance at a World Cup, was unlucky in the 28th minute when she drove the ball forward from midfield and her hard shot from the edge of the box was saved by the goalkeeper. Australia took the lead in the 41st minute when Emily Van Egmond, who had the ball in possession, overlapped the goalkeeper near the right goal line and slotted an exquisite cut-back pass into the box, where Mary Fowler wasted no time in unleashing a right-footed shot into the empty net, only to be denied by the onrushing French defender Elisa de Almeida with a thigh-breaking save .Both France and Australia had a number of chances to score the decisive goal, but both goalkeepers made brilliant saves to ensure the half ended fruitlessly .Australia’s biggest star, Sam Kerr, who first took to the field against Denmark in the Round of 16 due to a calf injury, came onto the field in the 10th minute wearing the captain’s armband to a roar from the crowd of around 50,000 at Brisbane Stadium .Neither team could find the back of the net in the second half, sending the match into extra time .Five minutes into the extra period, it looked like Australia had scored an own goal from a French corner on the right, but the goal had already been disallowed for a foul in a scuffle earlier in the match. After 120 goalless minutes of extra time, the match went to penalty kicks .France had Selma Bacha and Eve Perisse through the fifth spot-kick, while Australia had Stephanie Catley and Mackenzie Arnold both missed. After a clean sweep through the eighth kick, both teams missed the ninth, making it 6-6.France’s Vicky Bechot missed her tenth kick, while Australia’s Courtney Vine converted cleanly to send the Aussies into the last four .At Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, England (FIFA Ranking 4) came from behind to beat Colombia (FIFA Ranking 25) 2-1 to reach the last four .Having beaten Nigeria on penalties in the Round of 16, the ‘favourites’ were outclassed by Colombia in the quarter-finals. Having reached the quarter-finals or better in all six of their previous appearances at the tournament, England will be looking to reach the final for the third time in a row, following the 2015 and 2019 tournaments. Colombia reached the quarter-finals 카지노사이트킹 after beating Jamaica in the round of 16, their best ever result, but fell to their knees before England. Colombia took the lead in the 44th minute through Lacey Santos .In response, England equalised just before half-time when Lauren Hemp distracted the Colombian goalkeeper with a poor clearance in the goal area and slotted the ball home with her left foot .England took the lead 18 minutes into the second half when Alessia Russo rattled the opposite post with a strong right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area. Australia and England will meet in the final on 16 June .Sweden-Spain (15th) and Australia-England (15th) will round out the tournament’s four quarter-final matches.