Everton Women’s World Cup Roundup - Quarter-finals

Four highly competitive fixtures determined how the last four of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup would look as a quartet of Everton Women stars looked to book their nation’s spot in the semi-finals.

With half of the fixtures requiring extra time and one needing matters to be settled from the spot, which Blues made it to the next round of the competition, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and which of our stars would be heading home?

Let’s find out.

Photo by Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Extra time heartbreak for Netherlands

Teenage winger Salma Paralluelo came off the bench to break Dutch hearts as her 111th-minute strike was enough to book a semi-final date with Sweden.

Katja Snoeijs was introduced five minutes before the end of normal time with the Netherlands already a goal down in a match largely dominated by their opponents.

The 2019 runners-up kept plugging away, though, and got their reward when Stefanie van der Gragt equalised in stoppage time, going from villain to a hero after her handball led to the penalty to give the Spaniards the lead.

But it was Paralluelo who had the last word when her inch-perfect drive ensured progression for her country and saw the 19-year-old become her country’s youngest scorer to date at the World Cup.

Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images

Swedes surge to last four

Amanda Ilestedt’s goal and a Filippa Angeldahl penalty proved to be just about enough to thwart a late onslaught from Japan.

West Ham’s Honoka Hayashi pulled a goal back in the 87th minute, but this could have been the equaliser had Riko Ueki’s spot-kick not cannoned off the crossbar ten minutes earlier.

Anything other than a Sweden victory would have been harsh on Peter Gerhardsson’s side, who produced a stunning display to book their place in the last four and a mouth-watering clash with Spain.

Nathalie Bjorn completed another 90 minutes with a typically assured display while Hanna Bennison was introduced six minutes before the end to combat an attempted Japanese comeback.

Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Shootout victory for hosts

A last four fixture with European champions England is Australia’s reward after the hosts bested France 7-6 on penalties following 120 minutes of goalless football.

Clare Wheeler could again only watch from the sideline as Cortnee Vine scored the winning spot-kick for Australia, following Vicki Becho’s miss.

Matildas’ keeper Mackenzie Arnold was the hero and headline grabber, making a total of four saves in the shootout, including twice from Kenza Dali, having moved off the line for the first stop which led to a retake.

The stopper was also her country’s no.5 taker in the dramatic shootout, but saw her penalty come back off the post. This proved incidental though as the co-hosts march onto their first ever World Cup semi-final.