After three weeks, we’re down to the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup with a trio of European sides (Sweden, England and Spain) and cohost Australia as the teams left standing.

This weekend’s quarterfinals were thrilling, particularly the match between Australia and France, which was decided by a penalty shootout that was the longest in the history of the World Cup (men’s or women’s) as each team took 10 shots from the spot. With the win, Australia became the only Women’s World Cup host nation other than the United States to reach the semifinals.

The host nation has really rallied around the Matildas. The quarterfinal against France was watched by an estimated TV audience of 4.9 million people in Australia, a country of about 26 million. That’s the country’s largest television audience for any broadcast since Lleyton Hewitt’s loss in the final of the 2005 Australian Open (5.56 million).

The most impressive part of Australia’s run is that it has succeeded without any significant contributions from its best player, striker Sam Kerr. She injured her calf in training just before Australia’s first game of the tournament and did not appear at all in the group stage. She played 11 minutes at the end of Australia’s 2–0 win over Denmark in the round of 16 and came on in the 55th minute against France, playing a total of 66 minutes. In Kerr’s absence, the Aussie defense has carried the team, allowing just three goals all tournament (all in a 3–2 group stage loss to Nigeria). But the offense hasn’t completely sputtered, either, with midfielders Caitlin Foord (one goal and two assists) and Hayley Raso (three goals) leading the way.

Kerr passed a big test against France, playing significant minutes for the first time since her injury. If she’s able to be in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s semifinal against England, it would be a massive boost for Australia. Kerr declared after the quarterfinal that she’s “ready to go.”

Australia’s win and England’s victory over Colombia sets up a rivalry match in the semifinal Wednesday (6 a.m. ET on Fox). The Aussies won the last meeting between the two teams—a 2–0 win in a friendly April 11 in England. But England has looked excellent at this World Cup, allowing just two goals in five games. The trouble for the Lionesses, though, is that one of their key offensive players will be sidelined. Lauren James was handed a two-game suspension after a red card against Nigeria.

The other semifinal will feature Sweden against Spain (4 a.m. ET on Tuesday on Fox). Sweden earned an impressive 2–1 victory over a strong Japan team to earn its place in the final, while Spain prevailed in extra time against the Netherlands, 2–1. It’s an interesting clash between one of soccer’s historic powers and a country that only recently lived up to its potential. Sweden has long been one of the best women’s teams in the world, winning medals at four World Cups and two Olympics. But Spain, despite being one of the world’s top men’s soccer nations, has seen little success on the women’s side. It is playing in just its third World Cup and didn’t crack the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time until 2022.

Spain has been very impressive at this World Cup, though, scoring 15 goals in five games (tied with Japan for the most of any team). But the potent offense will have its work cut out for it against Sweden, which has allowed just two goals all tournament.

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The top five...

… things I saw yesterday:

5. Elly De La Cruz’s 442-foot homer to dead center.

4. Shohei Ohtani’s 41st homer of the season. (Braves slugger Matt Olson has taken over the MLB lead with 43, though.)

3. This very funky touchdown by the 49ers.

2. A very Patrick Mahomes–like scramble by Chiefs backup QB Shane Buechele.

1. Cedric Mullins’s game-winning plays for the Orioles. He robbed a home run in the bottom of the ninth. Then, after Baltimore gave up the lead, hit a homer in the top of the 10th.

SIQ

The U.S. beat Canada in the inaugural Olympic men’s basketball gold medal game on this day in 1936. It was a slog of a game that finished 19–8 and was played on what surface?

Dirt
Asphalt
Clay
Grass

Friday’s SIQ: On Aug. 11, 2010, Brewers pitcher Dave Bush joined Chase Wright and Paul Foytack as only the third pitcher in MLB history (until that point) to hold what dubious distinction?

Give up four straight home runs
Walk five consecutive batters
Give up 10 runs without recording an out
Give up three grand slams in a game

Answer: Give up four straight home runs. There are 11 instances in MLB history of a team hitting back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers, first by the Braves in 1961 and most recently by the Cardinals in 2022. Eight of the instances have occurred in the past 17 years, while it didn’t happen at all between when the Twins did it in 1964 and the Dodgers did it in 2006.

On July 31, 1963, Angels pitcher Paul Foytack gave up four straight homers to Cleveland hitters. No single pitcher was tagged for four straight dingers again until the Yankees’ Chase Wright did so April 22, 2007, against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. (That was a nationally televised Sunday night game on ESPN. I remember it clear as day 16 years later.)

The good news for Foytack, Wright and Bush is that their very bad days have since become less rare. Having been equaled by Michael Blazek (four in a row against the Nationals on July 27, 2017), Craig Stammen (June 9, 2019), Roel Ramírez (Aug. 16, 2020) and Kyle Gibson (July 2, 2022). Blazek’s outing was especially terrible. He gave up the four in a row, got the next batter to fly out and then promptly surrendered a fifth homer.

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