A 75th minute goal by Cristiane gave Brazil a 3-2 win over Australia yesterday and the first berth in the semi-finals of the women's World Cup.
Cristiane swiveled onto a right-foot shot that rocketed into the top right corner of the net -- off passes from Marta and Daniela -- for her fourth goal in this World Cup.
Other goals by Formiga and Marta saw Brazil set up a semi-final with the US in Hangzhou on Thursday.
Brazil led 2-0 early in the match, but Australia rallied to level the score with goals by Lisa De Vanna and Lauren Colthorpe, setting the stage for Cristiane's winner.
Brazil took the lead in the fourth minute when Formiga placed a long-range shot precisely over Australian goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri.
Kate McShea had only come on when she gave away a foul on Renata Costa that was adjudged a penalty. TV replays showed initial contact between the pair was well outside the penalty area.
Marta converted the spotkick to score her fifth goal of the tournament.
Brazil were in total control, but gifted Australia a way back into the match when an errant backpass in the 36th minute was easily intercepted by Lisa De Vanna, who rounded the goalkeeper and rolled the ball into an empty net for 2-1.
After a slow start to the second half, Australia equalized in the 68th. A long freekick from the left was floated into the penalty area where rightback Lauren Colthorpe got in a glancing header ahead of Brazil 'keeper Andreia, who charged off her line but did not reach the ball.
Brazil restored their lead in the 75th minute, on Cristiane's winner.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set