It took 20 penalties, multiple posts and French agony.
It took the longest and wildest shootout in World Cup history, men’s or women’s.
But at the end of a quarterfinal marathon, with 49,000 fans standing in Brisbane, Australia stormed into the 2023 Women’s World Cup semifinals in ecstasy.
LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS TO AUSTRALIA ud83cudde6ud83cuddfa pic.twitter.com/kuozXZxkWf
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 12, 2023
For 120 minutes on a Saturday evening, the nation had risen and fell with a back-and-forth game. After goal-line clearances and stunning saves somehow kept it scoreless, a penalty shootout offered up a lifetime of drama.