COACH Tony Gustavsson has hailed the Matildas’ maturity after they charged into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals with an imperious 2-0 win over Denmark yesterday (Monday, August 7).<\/p>\n
Caitlin Foord’s goal in the 29th minute, brilliantly teed up by Mary Fowler, sent the Matildas on their way before Hayley Raso added a second in the 70th minute in front of 75,784 screaming fans at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.<\/p>\n
Superstar captain Sam Kerr also returned off the bench late as Australia closed out a comprehensive, professional win.<\/p>\n
“I’m very proud of the players’ maturity tonight,” said Gustavsson.<\/p>\n
“Denmark, they surprised us and we knew we’d have problems between the midfield and the backline, but the maturity showed tonight.<\/p>\n
“We found our way into the game and with some individual brilliance on the break that was enough to get away with the win tonight.”<\/p>\n
After originally being named on the bench as coach Tony Gustavsson stuck with an unchanged starting line-up, Kerr entered the field to a standing ovation in the 80th minute.<\/p>\n
They were her first minutes of the tournament, after overcoming a calf injury suffered on the eve of Australia’s opening game.<\/p>\n
“Sam coming back now could be a good thing in the sense that we don’t need to look to her to carry everything on her shoulders,” Gustavsson said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a team effort and a team tournament and (having her back) is like the icing on the cake.”<\/p>\n
Australia will next play either France or Morocco, who face off in Adelaide tonight, at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n
It is just their second time in the final eight of the World Cup, after previously reaching the marker in Canada in 2015.<\/p>\n
The magnificent Foord gave Denmark right-back Janni Thomsen nightmares all night while Fowler’s sublime passing range unlocked both goals.<\/p>\n
Centre-back Alanna Kennedy was dominant in the air and consistently thwarted Danish attacks as the Matildas sealed a professional victory.<\/p>\n
The Australians looked nervous early and were given some troubles by a determined Danish outfit.<\/p>\n
Danish star Pernille Harder caused headaches and spurned chances after superb bursting runs in the 10th and 17th minutes.<\/p>\n
Stand-in skipper Steph Catley went down and received treatment on her lower leg in the 18th minute.<\/p>\n
The break gave the Matildas the breathing room they needed.<\/p>\n
Nine minutes later, Australia took the lead.<\/p>\n
Fowler cut past a defender in midfield, then neatly turned on the ball and switched onto her left foot, before launching a precise ball into the path of a charging Foord out wide.<\/p>\n
Foord took a touch, steadied then buried a cool shot through goalkeeper Lene Christensen’s legs before wheeling away to her home crowd, cupping her ear in celebration.<\/p>\n
Australia never looked challenged from there and earned a deserved second goal after Fowler whipped a ball into Kyra Cooney-Cross on the left wing, then burst forward to receive it back.<\/p>\n
Fowler slipped through to Emily van Egmond, who had the presence of mind to knock it back for Raso to drive home her third goal of the tournament..<\/p>\n
When Kerr entered the fray with 10 minutes of regular time remaining, the skipper sent the crowd into raptures.<\/p>\n
She had them on their feet when she burst forward and shot off target in the 87th minute, in an exciting sign of things yet to come.<\/p>\n
“I feel good. I was a bit rusty,” Kerr told Channel Seven.<\/p>\n
“No, I felt great. Such relief. I’ll sleep better tonight than I have the last three weeks.”<\/p>\n
SNAPSHOT OF AUSTRALIA’S WORLD CUP GAME AGAINST DENMARK<\/p>\n