Canada kept their FIFA Women’s World Cup title dream alive with a 1-0 win over Switzerland on Sunday to reach the last eight along with France and Australia, as star-studded Brazil were toppled.
A Josee Belanger second-half goal was enough to secure the hosts a quarter-final spot at the expense of newcomers Switzerland.
The 29-year-old from Quebec scored the winner after 52 minutes to the delight of a passionate home crowd of 53,855 at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium.
Photo: AFP
“Walking out onto the pitch with 50,000-plus people, who would have thought it for women’s football?” Canada coach John Herdman said. “It was one of those surreal things for staff and players.”
Olympic bronze medalists Canada next play either England or Norway at BC Place Stadium for a place in the semi-finals, but Englishman Herdman said he did not have a preference.
“I’m a Geordie first and foremost, we have our own Geordie nation in the northeast of England, and Canadian second, this is my country, this is my place. I’d love to see England or Norway, it makes no difference,” he said.
Photo: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA Today
In Moncton, New Brunswick, Kyah Simon’s second-half winner sent the Brazil of former five-time World Player of the Year Marta packing 1-0.
The Matildas next meet either defending champions Japan or the Netherlands.
In Montreal, Marie Laure Delie scored a brace and Elodie Thomis was also on target against South Korea to put third-ranked France through to a last-eight meeting with top-ranked Germany.
Photo: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA Today
Simon, 23, found the way through after 80 minutes of battle in wet and windy conditions in Moncton against the 2007 runners-up.
“I think exhilarating is the word for such a victory against a big, powerful football nation,” coach Alen Stajcic said of Australia’s first win in a knockout round at the World Cup.
“Being in the right place at the right time is what makes great players and Kyah Simon showed that today. A magic moment like that gets us through,” Stajcic said.
Australia must now travel 4,600km back across the country to Edmonton for the last eight as seventh-ranked Brazil return home still awaiting a maiden title.
Formiga, 37, had Brazil’s best chance of the first half, but her curling effort was tipped over by goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
The game then came to life at about the hour mark. Marta, 29, missed a chance to add to her World Cup record 15 goals when she fired wide and a Formiga header bounced off Williams’ near post.
Stajcic brought on Sydney player Simon after 64 minutes and it paid off with 10 minutes to go.
Captain Lisa de Vanna had her shot punched out by Brazil goalkeeper Luciana straight into the path of the onrushing Simon.
It is the third time that Australia have reached the quarter-finals after 2007 and 2011, but they had never won a knockout-round match before.
The tournament has a round-of-16 for the first time as it has been expanded to 24 teams.
France coach Philippe Bergeroo suggested his side had been restrained in their scoring against their outclassed 18th-ranked Asian opponents.
Delie scored just four minutes into the game at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, with Thomis adding the second four minutes later.
The second half was more of the same, with Delie picking up a Eugenie Le Sommer cross in front of goal three minutes after the break.
“It’s a good result, we got off to a good start while respecting this [South] Korean team,” Bergeroo said. “The girls made things easy for themselves. They had an extraordinary start to the game.”
Bergeroo’s France next meet Germany — the winners in 2003 and 2007 — who demolished Sweden 4-1 in their round-of-16 game on Saturday.
In yesterday’s action, 1995 winners Norway were due to face England in Ottawa, while Colombia were taking on the US in Edmonton.
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