"That was such a rollercoaster of emotions, but I'm just glad I could do my job and get the girls over the line," Arnold said. But Arnold steeled herself and saved Kenza Dali's penalty twice - after it had to be retaken because the Australian goalkeeper had stepped off her line too early - to give the decisive momentum swing back to her teammates. Lesser humans would have crumbled after such a setback. Arnold herself had a chance to seal victory with Australia's fifth, after the hosts' goalkeeper had saved Eve Perisset's effort, but it cannoned back off the post. The shootout was tense, with every single French on-field player taking a penalty as it went 10 rounds. She's unbelievable at penalties, and she's had an amazing tournament so far." We always know she's going to come up big for us in those moments. "One word for Mackenzie: MVP," Emily van Egmond told DW as she searched for words to express what she had witnessed. "We always know she's going to come up big for us" It's up to the players on the pitch to take the control and responsibility themselves.Īnd in the end, one piece needed to step up to make the difference as the match went to penalties and extended far beyond what anyone's nerves could handle.Įnter Mackenzie Arnold, who stepped forward as the Matildas' queen on the chessboard, her goalkeeping heroics sealing a first-ever World Cup semifinal for Australian football. The two coaches attempted to coax and cajole the pieces on the board to their liking, the momentum exchanging furiously in a tight match of fine margins played at a breathtaking pace.īut, by this point in knockout football, a coach's job is largely done. Tony Gustavsson in black, baseball cap fixed firmly to his scalp. Herve Renard in white, shirt unbuttoned down to his chest.
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