FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Australia’s quarterfinal hero Arnold ready to step up again

Mackenzie Arnold has grow to be one in every of Australia’s favorite sportspeople since her heroics on the weekend however she is aware of her fame will probably be fleeting if she shouldn’t be on the high of her sport in Wednesday’s Women’s World Cup semifinal towards England.

Arnold was Player-of-the-Match in Australia’s quarterfinal towards France on Saturday, making a string of saves late within the sport and stopping three penalties in a shootout victory that captured the hearts of the host nation.

“I guess the last couple of days have been a pretty big whirlwind for me,” she instructed reporters on Tuesday.

“Obviously I have not received attention like that (before), but at the same time I just tend to block it out because I know if I play like shit tomorrow it could be a whole different attention on me.”

Arnold additionally took a penalty within the shootout, pinging Australia’s fifth try towards the put up when efficiently changing it could have despatched it into the semifinals with out the necessity for sudden dying.

Coach Tony Gustavsson mentioned he had chosen Arnold for the function due to her technical potential from the spot and her psychological power, which she amply illustrated by bouncing again from the miss to win the day.

Arnold, who has solely lately taken over as first-choice keeper for the Matildas, mentioned she would step up and take one other spot-kick on Wednesday if known as upon.

“I am ready if I have to take one tomorrow, hopefully I don’t,” the 29-year-old added.

“But, yeah, the penalty order was called upon with me in the fifth in the line, and I wanted to try and do my job for the team. Unfortunately, in that specific incident I didn’t, but I always want to do my job for the team. So if has to happen again, yes I will be ready.”