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 Australia advance to Women's World Cup semi-finals after dramatic penalty shoot-out win over France

Women's World Cup 2023: live scores, fixtures, results, standings and top scorers

Australia reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup for the first time, seeing a sold-out crowd in Brisbane ecstatic, with an incredible penalty shoot-out victory over France.

The co-host had made the quarter-finals three times but never made it past the last eight. At home, the Matildas' fortunes changed and history was written in a heated conclusion to the game.

Cortnee Vine, the 20th penalty shooter, sealed the win, securing a 7-6 victory on penalties and a draw against either England or Colombia.

France had a goal rightly disallowed in extra time, and neither side could break the deadlock in 120 minutes, so this entertaining quarter-final had to be decided on penalties.

Both teams missed in the shootout – but it was France's four misses who proved to be the most rewarded, giving Vine the chance to end a tense shootout and warrant wild celebrations among the players Australians in front of nearly 50,000 equally jubilant fans.

As the Matildas took a lap of honor around the field, fans danced, waved flags and cheered for a team that captured the imagination in this sports-loving country.

It was a cruel way for France to lose, especially as Les Bleues had plenty of chances to score in a match where the dynamics shifted from team to team throughout.

In the end, Vicki Bècho's miss - the 19-year-old hit the post to offer Vine the opportunity to send her country into a frenzy - was the costliest of them all.

But the role of Mackenzie Arnold should not be forgotten either. Having herself missed a chance to seal Australia's progress in the shootout, the Australian keeper bounced back to save Kenza Dali's kick. With the initial penalty having to be retaken as the goalkeeper was deemed to have left her goal line early, Arnold kept his composure to save Dali's second effort.

France head coach Herve Renard told reporters that "fate has chosen" a winner. "Tonight we have to be proud of these girls who played an exceptional game," he said. “It went right to left, left to right – it's hard to say who deserved it more.

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