The Matildas have reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup after a 2-0 victory over Denmark overnight.
A sell-out crowd at Stadium Australia witnessed a Caitlin Foord masterclass as she scored a goal and took home player of the match honours.
Doubt lingered around the Australian camp prior to kick-off as captain Sam Kerr failed to warm up with the team. Concerns were raised after the Chelsea striker declared herself fit to play in the lead up to the round of 16 match.
Denmark’s high defence put Australia under pressure from the outset, failing to give the host nation the same luxury on the counterattack as they had against Canada. However, a controversial break in play at the expense of stand-in skipper Steph Catley would give the Aussies an opportunity to regroup.
Almost 15 minutes later, Foord found the back of the net after a perfectly weighted ball from Mary Fowler gave the Arsenal forward the opportunity to score.
Real Madrid winger Hayley Raso solidified the win in the second half after she scored her third goal of the tournament from close range.
With the win secured, Kerr played her first minutes of the World Cup campaign, when she was subbed on in the 80th minute.
Australia will now take on the winner of France and Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said that despite being nervy in the opening stages of the match, their response exemplifies the character the team has.
“We were under a lot of pressure in that first half. Denmark came out with a new shape, 4-4-2, pressed us high, but we didn’t get rattled,” he said.
“This team is very mature in playing tournament football and they found a way to win.”
Photo: Caitlin Foord 20181009 by EL Loko available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.
