Australia booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup 2023 with a comfortable 2-0 win over Denmark.
Arsenal forward Caitlin Foord set the tournament co-hosts on their way with a clinical finish with just under half-an-hour gone at Stadium Australia.
With 20 minutes left to play, Hayley Raso scored another goal, extending the Matildas’ lead. The team received an extra boost of positivity when Sam Kerr, who had been recovering from a calf injury since the beginning of the tournament, joined the action in the final 10 minutes.
Thanks to this impressive performance, Tony Gustavsson’s squad has secured their spot in the quarter-finals. Their next challenge will be against either France or Morocco.
Hosts Australia secure safe passage to last eight
In the early stages of the game, Denmark applied pressure and launched attacks, with Pernille Harder posing a threat with her runs and a shot at Mackenzie Arnold after 15 minutes.
However, around the 30-minute mark, Australia managed to take the lead. Mary Fowler delivered a fantastic pass to Caitlin Foord on the left, who skillfully outplayed goalkeeper Lene Christiansen and slotted the ball into the net with a precise low finish.
Foord came close to scoring her second goal shortly after, as she skillfully controlled a seemingly lost ball on the left, maneuvered past Rikke Sevecke, and unleashed a shot that narrowly missed the target after taking a deflection.
In the second half, the Danish team persisted in their efforts to stage a comeback, but their attacking moves lacked real determination. With 20 minutes remaining on the clock, any hopes of a Danish resurgence were dashed for good.
Mary Fowler played a precise pass to Emily van Egmond, who received the ball with her back to the goal and then swiftly set up Hayley Raso. Despite being off-balance, Raso brilliantly placed the ball into the bottom left corner, leaving the Danish goalkeeper with no chance.
And with the game all but wrapped up, Gustavsson took the chance to hand Chelsea forward Kerr her first minutes of the tournament to round off a wholly positive day in Sydney.