Goalkeepers steal the show at Women's World Cup

SYDNEY : Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold surely won a legion of fans with her steely-eyed heroics in Saturday's quarter-final penalty shootout victory at the Women's World Cup.

Once the target of criticism in the women's game, goalkeepers have been show-stoppers Down Under with umpteen theatrical game-salvaging saves.

Arnold - known affectionately as "Macca" - saved three spot-kicks against France on Saturday, despite pinging her own penalty kick off the post.

Calling it the "craziest game" she had ever played in, the 29-year-old West Ham keeper had to stop Kenza Dali's spot-kick twice after the referee whistled Arnold had moved off her line.

"For Macca, missing that penalty and then staying in the game and being that player that wins the game for us, it's unheard of," raved Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson. "I mean, that mental strength of hers."

Of the 60 games played through three rounds, goalkeepers have been named player of the match in nine of them, including Arnold.

Netherlands coach Andries Jonker was full of praise for Daphne van Domselaar after the Aston Villa keeper's string of saves against South Africa helped secure the Dutch a spot in the quarter-finals.

"Four years ago, there were goalkeepers that could not deal with the ball just under the bar and now we've got a whole generation of very athletic goalkeepers, who don't let in that kind of ball," Jonker said.

"Daphne is one of that new generation," the coach added. "They're athletic, they're in good shape, they've got good positioning, so the developments in that area are incredible and the Netherlands are right along there."

Nadine Angerer, who kept goal for Germany in their World Cup triumphs of 2003 and 2007, said there were clear signs of improved