The Final 4: Australia vs. Earth

08/14/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Australia Knocks Out France in Penalty Shootout (0-0, 7-6 PKs); England, Sweden & Spain Advance

And then there were four! The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is down to its last four squads after the weekend of quarterfinal thrillers. All four games were decided by one goal or less with three European teams and the hosts moving on. Spain, England and Sweden are the finalists alongside Australia after the Aussies survived a wild penalty shootout against France (0-0, 7-6 PKs). The host nation underdogs have knocked out three of the top-13 teams in competition — Canada (7th), Denmark (13th) and France (5th).

Spain won an extra-time duel with the Netherlands that featured a frenetic finish while England rallied to beat Colombia and Sweden owned Japan, all by a score of 2-1. Australia’s epic run is setting the stage for an exciting finish as we enter the last week of the World Cup from the Outback. Will it be a storybook homeland defense for the Matildas or one of Europe’s futbol royalty who win the World Cup?

Women’s World Cup Highlights (Quarterfinals)

Australia def. France (0-0, 7-6 PKs)

Spain def. Netherlands (2-1)

Sweden def. Japan (2-1)

England def. Colombia (2-1)

Semifinals Schedule

Spain vs. Sweden (Tues. 4:00 am ET)

Australia vs. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England (Wed. 6:00 am ET)

Reuters: England Relishing Partisan Atmosphere at World Cup Semi-Final

CBS Sports: Ranking 4 Potential Finals With England, Spain, Sweden & Australia Remaining

Photo: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images