It’s Vine Time, but not as you know it.
Cortnee Vine came off the bench in the 104th minute at Suncorp Stadium and then wrote her name into Australian sporting folklore.
The 25-year-old was the 10th penalty taker on Tony Gustavsson’s list when Saturday’s Women’s World Cup quarter-final against France went down to a shootout.
After France’s Vicki Becho hit the post at 6-6, with goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold having previously made three saves, Vine stepped up.
She coolly drilled her penalty into the bottom corner to end the longest shootout in Women’s World Cup history.
It might just be the biggest penalty in Australian sporting history, too.
“I just knew where I was going to put my pen,” Vine told reporters.
“In those moments you just need to be confident in what you’ve practised and in that moment I feel like Macca did the job before I had to.
“She’s the one that saved it and I just had to put it away.
“And I was fortunate enough to be that last penalty kick-taker that now has secured our spot to the semi-finals.
“It’s just something that I’d never dreamed of happening and it’s just crazy that it happened.
“I did it. I didn’t think I would have to do it. I didn’t think it was gonna get to the 10th penalty taker.
“I was willing to do whatever the team wanted me to do and Tony picked me as 10th – so I stood up.”
When asked if that gave a new definition to “Vine Time” – coined two years ago when she broke through at Sydney FC, Vine laughed: “Yeah, if you want.
“Pen time. Pen Vine Time”.
Arnold had one thought going through her mind: ‘Please get it in.’
“I was so done with it, I was like ‘please, please’ – but I couldn’t say too much because I (missed) mine as well,” the goalkeeper said.
“But I was just praying that she got it in and I was honestly so proud of her, the way she stepped up.”
Coach Tony Gustavsson hailed the 25-year-old’s composure.
“Imagine standing there in the centre circle as a World Cup debutant and you’re listed as the 10th taker out of 11 and it goes to that,” he said.
“And then she just walks up and buries that PK – and you look at her body language. It looks like she wasn’t even disturbed by the moment – she just walks up and buries it.
“It’s just a very, very impressive moment, but also what you can do with preparation, because when you are prepared, you are confident.”
