Australia’s ahead Sam Kerr on the finish of the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women’s World Cup spherical of 16 soccer match between Australia and Denmark at Stadium Australia in Sydney on August 7, 2023.| Photo Credit: AFP

Sam Kerr got here off the bench as Australia surged into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Denmark in entrance of almost 76,000 followers in Sydney on Monday.

The co-hosts will play France or Morocco on Saturday in Brisbane within the final eight after making pretty gentle work of a toothless Denmark.

To cap a very good evening’s work for the Matildas, talismanic striker and captain Kerr got here on with 10 minutes left to very large cheers for her first motion of the match after a calf damage.

The harmful Caitlin Foord terrorised Denmark all through and scored a tremendous first after being arrange by Mary Fowler on 29 minutes.

Hayley Raso grabbed a second to make the sport secure 20 minutes from time.

Denmark have been contesting their first knockout recreation on the World Cup since 1995 they usually had the primary sniff of objective, however Rikke Madsen simply failed to attach with the ball whereas sliding in at objective.

The Danes, ranked thirteenth on this planet to Australia’s 10, might have taken the lead on the quarter-hour at Stadium Australia however Pernille Harder shot straight at goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.

Australia have been on the again foot early on however took the lead in opposition to the run of play when Fowler threaded an excellent lengthy cross down the left to play in Foord.

The Arsenal ahead nonetheless had lots to do and she or he did it brilliantly, taking one contact along with her proper foot to information the ball into her path after which firing with the left by means of the legs of goalkeeper Lene Christensen.

Foord was all around the Denmark defence along with her tempo and motion down the left.

Minutes later she rampaged down the wing once more, chopped again inside and let fly along with her proper foot, the ball taking a giant deflection and whistling simply past the highest nook.

Into the second half and Foord appeared to be all over the place, sliding in to cease a Denmark counter-attack and incomes vigorous applause from Australia coach Tony Gustavsson.

Just previous the hour and Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard had seen sufficient, bringing on forwards Signe Bruun and Mille Gejl as they went in quest of the objective they wanted to maintain their World Cup alive.

Defender Janni Thomsen determined she had had sufficient of Foord and was booked for crudely pulling her down as she arrowed in direction of the Danish field.

The crowd sensed a second could possibly be coming and it duly did, Fowler once more enjoying a key half to arrange Emily van Egmond, who teed up Raso to fireplace into the underside nook.

But the largest cheer of the evening was but to come back as Australia’s Chelsea predator Kerr belatedly got here to the World Cup social gathering in its place.