Women’s World Cup as it happened: Australia defeats Denmark 2-0 in Sydney as Sam Kerr gets first World Cup minutes, England beat Nigeria in penalty shootout
Well, that’s all from me today - what a crazy Monday night!
That England v Nigeria game will go down in the history books, and now coach Sarina Weigman will have to fill the Lauren James shaped hole in her side after James was slapped with a red card.
But really, tonight is all about the Matildas, what can’t they do?
Australia equal their best World Cup result after progressing to the quarterfinals, and let’s hope the good luck doesn’t end there.
Thanks for following along! If you’re on a train home...good luck to you, and let’s do it all again tomorrow for the last of the round of 16 games - Colombia v Jamaica and France v Morocco.
Fans celebrate after the Matildas 2-0 victory. Getty
11.36pm on Aug 7, 2023
Matildas ‘find a way to win’: Gustavsson
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11.35pm on Aug 7, 2023
The Grim Reaper has come for a few World Cup favourites - not the Matildas
By Emma Kemp
The Grim Reaper has walked the earth this past week, a berobed skeleton on the move in Australia, collecting the souls of tournament favourites before they were ready.
She (Death is a woman - this is a Women’s World Cup) has spent a lot of time in Melbourne, stopping for a coffee en route to AAMI Park and then, perked up by caffeine, sharpening her scythe and gliding ominously up the tunnel.
Matildas celebrated after 2-0 victory.Edwina Pickles
Seagulls circled for blood as the cloaked figure retired the greatest international goalscorer in history in Christine Sinclair. Then demi-god Marta, and after that Megan Rapinoe.
The 2019 golden boot and golden ball winner thought her back-to-back champions’ first-ever exit before the semi-finals was “like a sick joke”. She should have known that time devours all things.
Transport chaos at Olympic Park as supporters struggle to get home
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Thousands of Australian fans are stranded at Olympic Park station with a signal failure bringing trains to a halt.
Fans on the ground told this masthead that the original issue was at Olympic Park, but after 15 minutes of waiting the problem with the signal had been resolved.
Just when punters thought they could board trains to get home, they were told that a new issue had arisen at the Lidcombe end of the line.
Sydney Trains have flagged that there are urgent equipment repairs at Flemington station which is causing delays to the T1 and T2 lines.
11.12pm on Aug 7, 2023
Matildas player ratings
By Adam Pengilly
Sam Kerr’s back, Caitlin Foord shone and the Matildas are through to a World Cup quarter-final carrying the weight of a nation.
Here’s how Tony Gustavsson’s players fared in the 2-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16 match at Stadium Australia on Monday night.
Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.Getty
Mackenzie Arnold - 7/10
Australia’s ever reliable custodian, who had surprisingly little to do in the first half-hour despite the Danish dominance.
Ellie Carpenter - 6.5
The Energizer Bunny down the right flank had limited opportunities in attack, but covered endless kilometres.
Clare Hunt - 7
A revelation for the Matildas in the last 12 months and has looked every bit at home alongside Alanna Kennedy at the heart of the defence.
Alanna Kennedy - 7.5
Minister for defence. Australia’s veteran centre back was as composed as ever and even looked dangerous in attack from a couple of set pieces.
Steph Catley - 7
Another captain’s knock from the Arsenal defender. Needed medical attention after 17 minutes, but her telepathic understanding with clubmate Caitlin Foord has been crucial to the Matildas’ charge into the quarter-finals.
Hayley Raso celebrates after scoring her goal.Getty
Hayley Raso - 7
The golden girl from Melbourne again found herself on the scoresheet with another opportune strike mid-way through the second half. Watch where she was a minute earlier defending near the opposite corner flag.
Katrina Gorry - 6.5
Felt the nerves of the occasion in the first half, wasteful in possession on several occasions and struggling to get a stranglehold in the middle of the park. But showed exactly why her coach trusts her so much, making a crucial interception and seeing out the second half with all her guile and experience.
Kyra Cooney-Cross - 7
With Ian Wright the No.1 ticket holder in the fan club, how can you go wrong? Like Gorry, really struggled to get a grip on Denmark’s main threat Pernille Harder in the opening exchanges, but her technical ability shone as the Matildas became more comfortable. Star on the rise.
Caitlin Foord - 9
Cometh the hour, cometh the queen of the mountain. Brilliantly settled the nerves of a nation with a stunning finish for Australia’s first goal from a counter attack, and was a constant menace to the Danish all night.
Mary Fowler - 8
Is there anything she can’t do? The pass to release Foord for the first goal will be replayed for generations to come, and played her part in driving Australia forward for the sequence which produced the second.
Emily van Egmond - 8
Imagine being Sam Kerr’s replacement in the starting XI. Well, she’s done it and exceeded expectations. Worked creatively between the lines and showed all her class and composure to set up Raso’s sealer when it would have been easy to snap a shot herself. Given a leave pass for the last 11 minutes.
It’s absolute party scenes at Tumbalong Park now after full-time with a DJ taking over the screens at Sydney’s live site.
As we near towards 11pm, fans are still out in the hundreds, dancing away as the Australian flags fly in full force.
Matilda fans Zali Wood, Koby Wood, and Renee Wood celebrate the Matildas victory.Dion Georgopoulos
Mum Renee Wood and her kids Zali and Koby said they had goosebumps after Sam Kerr finally made her way onto the pitch.
“I loved it, it is my first time watching a World Cup and I’ve absolutely loved it,” Zali said.
Meanwhile, Matildas fan Ahmed Fadel made a public proposal to Sam Kerr at full-time.
“Marry me Sammy Kerr!” he screamed at full-time. “[The game] was just amazing. A beautiful game,” he said.
Matilda fan Ahmed Fadel makes a very public proposal to Sam Kerr.Dion Georgopoulos
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10.53pm on Aug 7, 2023
Fans at Fed Square lap up Matildas victory
By Ashleigh McMillan
It’s been celebration central at Fed Square as the thousands donning the green and gold lapped up the Matildas 2-0 win over Denmark.
The crowd danced, chanted and let off air horns once the final siren rang out.
While the crowd was generally well-behaved, police hauled at least one man away after a flare was let off following Caitlin Foord’s goal.
Melbourne man Stephen Thomas has watched many Women’s World Cup games in Fed Square this year. The success of Australia’s team tonight left him elated, and he predicted the crowd is only going grow for the Matildas’ next match.
“The standard [of soccer] has been unbelievable - this is going to be a massive shot in the arm for the women’s side of the game here,” Thomas said.
10.50pm on Aug 7, 2023
‘If we play like that I’m confident we can beat anyone’: Foord
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10.46pm on Aug 7, 2023
Kerr returns as two beautiful goals propel magic Matildas into quarter-finals
By Vince Rugari
One day in the future, when Australian football finally sets up a museum to honour its remarkable stories and house its most precious artefacts, there will be a small theatre room in which that pass is played on a loop, for eternity.
Caitlin Foord celebrates after scoring the first Australian goal.Edwina Pickles
Mary Fowler has shown flashes of brilliance in her five-year Matildas career, but none more brilliant than this. The ball that helped put Australia into the World Cup quarter-finals. The play that took a nation’s breath away.
It was almost half an hour until the 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia on Monday night saw the team construct a meaningful attack against Denmark. It was both worth the wait, and over before they knew it.
Fowler collected possession in the middle of the Matildas’ defensive half, shrugged off one opponent, jinked onto her left foot, and spotted Caitlin Foord’s hurtling run down the left. Then she unleashed her with a simply perfect pass, weighted with almost surgical precision, putting the Arsenal star into open space.
Foord still had plenty to do, but she did it incredibly well, maintaining her rapid speed while keeping control of the ball, winding up and sliding her angled shot between the legs of Danish goalkeeper Lene Christensen. The roar that followed was perhaps one of the loudest ever at this famous venue, where the beautiful game in Australia wrote yet another gripping chapter.