Jillaroos Secure Spot in Semis
The Jillaroos have made their way into the semi-finals of the Junior World Cup after defeating Belgium in Chile this morning 7-2.
Western Australian athletes Aleisha Power and Karri Somerville both played a part in the victory, with Somerville brought into the game as a substitution.
The first two quarters saw Madison Fitzpatrick and Rio Olympian Grace Stewart contribute to the scoreboard for Australia, whilst equalizing goals were scored by Belgium’s Joanne Peeters and Lien Hillewaert.
Australian coach, Tim White said “We were definitely on the back foot for periods of the first half. Belgium pressed us well and we were sloppy with our ball handling, which resulted in turnovers.”
“At half time, we reminded the group about how we play best, and to their credit they raised their game to another level. In the end, we were rewarded with some great team goals.”
Following their shaky first half, the Jillaroos pulled together in the second to stamp their authority and pull away from their competitors.
2016 Olympian Ambrosia Malone came out firing, scoring the first goal for the side after the main break, acting as a catalyst to spur on the Australian’s to push harder.
Just three minutes after this, Grace Stewart scored her second goal for the match, making the score line 4-2.
The last ten minutes saw a flurry of goals from the Jillaroos.
Savannah Fitzpatrick put her name on the score board after chasing down and converting a loose ball.
This was closely followed by a strike from Michaela Spano, taking the Australian’s to a four goal lead.
Malone sealed the game in the final minute, lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper after receiving a pass from Savannah Fitzpatrick.
This final score saw Malone finish with two goals and the team with seven, defeating the Belgian side by five goals.
The win means that the Jillaroos now advance into the semi-finals where they will take on Argentina.
White said ” We will enjoy the victory but also recover well and prepare thoroughly for our semi-final against Argentina.”
The Jillaroos have not made their way into the semi-finals since the 2005 Junior World Cup, where they finished fourth.
Their best previous results saw them with a silver medal finish in 1993 and 1997, whilst also winning a bronze in 2001.
In the last World Cup, held in Germany, they finished in sixth place.
The Jillaroos are scheduled to take on Argentina this Saturday morning (AWST), where a win will put them through to the grand final.