SYDNEY - Mackenzie Arnold wasn't even Australia's first-choice goalkeeper until recently, but is now being hailed as a national hero and stands in England's way in their Women's World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Arnold played a central role in the penalty drama on Saturday which sent co-hosts Australia into the last four of the World Cup for the first time.
She saved three penalty kicks -- and missed one of her own -- to help propel the Matildas to a thrilling 7-6 shootout win over France in the quarter-finals.
It has been a whirlwind few months for the 29-year-old.
The West Ham United stopper has been part of the Matildas set-up for more than a decade but she was third choice for much of the time, spending the 2015 and 2019 World Cups on the bench.
It is only this year that Arnold finally became coach Tony Gustavsson's first-choice between the posts.
Cortnee Vine held her nerve to score the winning penalty in front of 50,000 in Brisbane on Saturday and set up a date with European champions England in Sydney.
But it was Arnold who scooped the player of the match award and shared the headlines with Vine in Australia, where the team's exploits are now daily front- and back-page news.
National broadcaster ABC called Arnold "a cult hero" and The Sydney Morning Herald said she was "a national hero".
Reflecting her sudden rise to national acclaim, the newspaper ran a story headlined, "Who is Mackenzie Arnold? Meet the goalkeeper with nerves of steel who sent the Matildas to the semi-finals."
The Australian players sang Arnold's name in the dressing room afterwards and vice-skipper Steph Catley said: "She's incredible. She did something so special tonight."