‘The one I missed’: How 2019 heartbreak sparked Aussies’ greatest moment — Talking Points
The Matildas have written their names into the pages of Australian sporting history with an incredible penalty shootout win over France in the World Cup quarterfinals.
The result is revenge, in a way, for the Matildas’ penalty shootout defeat at the last Women’s World Cup, in 2019 on French soil.
HISTORY MAKERS! Matildas into World Cup semis after EPIC 20-penalty shootout
MATILDAS END CURSE AND GET PENALTY REVENGE
It’s been four long years since one of the most heartbreaking moments in Matildas history.
It was 2019, in France, the previous edition of the Women’s World Cup.
On that day, the Matildas were locked at 1-1 with Norway after extra time. Sam Kerr stepped up for Australia’s first penalty after Caroline Graham Hansen nailed hers – and missed.
Guro Reiten made it 2-0 to Norway – and Emily Gielnik missed. Norway scored twice more, making Steph Catley’s goal just a consolation.
4-1. What had been viewed as Australia’s best chance of World Cup glory – until this year, that is – had ended in a dismal Round of 16 defeat.
This time around, Sam Kerr wasn’t going to make the same mistakes.
She said after the game: “The only penalty I was thinking about was the one I missed at the last World Cup. It went away from my routine and what I normally did, so this time it was all about self-belief and just putting it where I normally do.
“It was all about routine, about focus, and sticking to my plan.”
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Speaking on Optus Sport tonight,
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