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Posted: 2023-08-12 05:26:17

The Matildas have beaten France 7-6 in a dramatic sudden-death penalty shootout in Brisbane, with Mackenzie Arnold and Courtnee Vine the heroes. 

Australian keeper Arnold saved three French spotkicks, while missing one of her own in a 20-penalty spectacular that had 49,461 fans in Brisbane Stadium on tenterhooks.

Australia's tenth-choice penalty taker Vine slotted the deciding kick to send the Matildas into the World Cup semifinals for the first time in their history.

The Australians will face England in the semifinal on Wednesday in Sydney, who came from behind to beat Colombia 2-1.

Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo scored either side of half time after Leicy Santos opened the scoring with a worldy minutes before the break in front of 75,184 fans at Stadium Australia.

The Lionesses were, once again, far from their best, missing the suspended Lauren James — who will also miss the semifinal against the hosts due to her red card from the Round of 16 — but did enough to end Colombia's record-breaking run in which they reached the quarterfinals for the first time.

Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.

England vs Colombia

Australia will play England in the semifinal

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Mouthwatering, huh?

That match is set for Wednesday evening, with Spain vs Sweden in Auckland on Tuesday.

I reckon we should get ourselves ready for that so we'll leave it there I think.

Thanks to everyone for being a part of our coverage this evening - it's been a wild ride over the duration, hasn't it?

There's plenty of content on the ABC Sport website right now, with more to come in the morning.

We'll be back with live coverage of Sweden vs Spain on Tuesday and then the big one, Australia vs England on Wednesday.

I can't wait.

From Jon Healy and myself, Simon Smale, good evening.

Heartache for Colombia

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They have lit up the tournament and maybe deserved more.

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But they have certainly won plenty of hearts and will take a lot of pride from their tournament with a team full of young stars.

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(Getty Images)

Full time: England 2-1 Colombia

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England complete the job to set up a massive contest against Australia in the semifinals!

They had to do it the hard way and were not at all convincing - again - but they have got the job done.

Sure, they were better in the second half and deserved their second goal, but

Rachel Daly was down at full time and looked in a spot of bother - we'll keep our eyes on that ahead of a massive clash on Wednesday.

90+7' Chance Colombia!

Another one, a lovely switch from left to right after Lucy Bronze has her pocket picked, the ball finding its way to Linda Caceras, who fires a shot in but well over the bar.

90+6' Chance Colombia!

Another patient build up from Colombia, England sitting back and giving Colombia space outside the penalty area.

The ball eventually falls to Mayra Ramírez, who blasts a fearsome shot wide.

90+4' Chance Colombia

Long range effort from Manuela Vanegas.

Always ambitious but just a lack of clear thought process there for the Colombians as time runs out.

90+1' Chance Colombia!

It's a long ball that England don't handle well - two defenders bumping into each other as they look to clear the ball.

That clearance did fall at the feet of Ivonne Chacón, who slices a shot into the defender, Mary Earps does well to deny Colombia a corner.

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There are eight additional minutes to play at the end of this match.

86' Chance Colombia!

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Leicy Santos does brilliantly down the left side to stretch England again.

However both her attempts at putting the ball into the penalty area were denied by England defenders Millie Bright and Kiera Walsh.

Colombia are still threatening.

82' Chance Colombia!

Ivonne Chacón has come on and really livened things up for Colombia.

She races onto a through ball and has two stabs at getting a shot on goal - denied twice by England defenders.

Millie Bright with the first challenge, Alex Greenwood with the second to give away the corner.

It could have been more.

Great move from Colombia - Chacón has made a difference.

78' Chance Colombia

Two chances really.

A really good opportunity for Mayra Ramírez, who cuts into the penalty area after a bit of casual possession out of their own box by England, but she tried to cut onto her right foot and England managed to swarm around and clear the danger.

A touch earlier, Linda Caicedo latched onto a clearance from a corner to race away and tear down on the English penalty area.

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England though, again, managed to get the players back in time to snuff out the danger.

It was a tremendous run though and shows the pace of the teenager even at this late stage of the match.

Attendance is 75,184

71' BRILLIANT SAVE EARPS!

Oh my what a shot! And what a save!

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That has flown off the boot of Lorena Bedoya Durango - it almost looked as though it picked up pace through the air such was the ferocity of the strike.

But Mary Earps got her hand up, shuffling across nicely to her left and palming it over the bar to give Colombia their first corner of the game.

67' Chance England

England put together another flowing move - coming into the quarterfinals they had more passing moves of 10 or more than any other team left in the competition - and it showed.

Lucy Bronze was trying to get on the end of this but she wasn't able to stretch long enough.

There is an issue though for Catalina Pérez and she might have to come off.

The eye of Pérez has been injured I think, and as a result she can't continue.

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20-year-old Natalia Giraldo will come into the fray wearing the number 13 shirt.

Huge pressure on the youngster.

63' ENGLAND TAKES THE LEAD!

Alessia Russo! A lovely through ball from Georgia Stanway - a bit of fortune in the way the ball has fallen to her - but a sublime finish across the face of goal into the far corner.

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The defender could have done better.

She should have done better really.

But in the end it matters not because England have taken the lead.

There has been some nice passing moves in the last 10 minutes or so from England as they grow in confidence.

Has the goal been coming? A bit.

There are a lot of Colombia fans in the house tonight

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

And they are making for a tremendous atmosphere.

58' Chance England

A free kick is awarded on the edge of the penalty area for a foul on Russo.

There are four England players around the ball, a four-player Colombia wall waits.

Greenwood peeled off and had the ball played to her on the byline and Catalina Pérez did really well, at full stretch, to stop the ball going through to Rachel Daly, who was arriving at pace to nod the ball home.

She might have injured herself a little bit here and is getting a bit of treatment.

51' Chance England

Rachel Daly heads the ball straight at Catalina Pérez, who saves comfortably.

A half chance if anything.

46' Chance Colombia

Colombia comes forward again before Mayra Ramírez fires towards goal from an acute angle.

Great start from the Colombians.

46' We're back underway

Colombia straight on the attack as Leicy Santos goes straight down the middle and is only thwarted at the end by the England defence.

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