Norway v Australia: Women's World Cup last 16 – live!

63 min: Our Russian refereeing friend is in touch again: “The longer that this game goes on this way, the more I am reminded of the Australian men’s Footballing Kangaroos game against Japan in Germany in 2006, despite the lack of two clear hand balls in that game. As a neutral I hope that it doesn’t take until the 86th minute for there to be an evening of the scores. I would like to see penalties decide this game due to the Australians being denied two penalties on my book.”

61 min: Yallop collects the ball on the right and fires a shot towards Hjelmseth, but it goes wide. End to end stuff at the moment – entertaining football.

60 min: Last-ditch defending from Catley prevents a certain Norwegian goal, as her out-stretched leg pokes the ball away from an on-rushing forward.

59 min: Goalllllllllll….. or not. Sam Kerr collects a nice pass and fires past Hjelmseth, but the celebrations are quickly ended when the goal is ruled out for offside.

58 min: Kerr’s head connects to the corner but the ball spirals straight into the arms of Hjelmseth.

57 min: Australia regain control and move the ball around the centre of the Stade de Nice. They try going left, then switch central, before Kennedy launches a long ball forward. Foord finds herself in space and fires a shot, but it is deflected for a corner.

54 min: Kellond-Knight’s free-kick slams into the wall and eventually the Norwegians clear. Norway are looking compact and organised defensively, just as expected. Can Australia break them down in the remaining 35-odd minutes?

52 min: Australia win a free-kick on the edge of the area after Raso is brought down by Minde – who receives a yellow card for her efforts. Great run, that, by Raso.

51 min: Carpenter is keen to make up for her error and she sends a long throw forward for Logarzo, but Foord can’t quite send the resulting cross goal-bound.

49 min: A poor pass from Ellie Carpenter is intercepted and Norway maraud forward, before the Australians counter and find themselves in the Norwegian box. But Raso mishits.

48 min: I covered the Norwegians for their opening match against Nigeria, and said the below in my match report. If my prohecy comes true, I apologise to our Australian readers.

The last time Norway beat Nigeria in a Women’s World Cup match, they went on to win the tournament. The Norwegians’ rout of the African champions on Saturday evening may not have quite matched that 1995 result – 8-0, the fourth-worst defeat in World Cup history – but after more than a decade in the doldrums, Norway sent a powerful statement in Reims: even without their star striker Ada Hegerberg, the Grasshoppers are back.

…

Reims was once the site where France crowned its kings. Norway have a long way to go before they may be crowned queens of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. But if they reach the final in Lyon, they will look back on their visit to regal Reims as an auspicious, history-repeating triumph over Nigeria.

47 min: Not a statistic our Australian readers will appreciate.

46 min: Peepp! We’re back underway. Norway begin proceedings.

Håkon with a bold claim: “How can you say that’s a penalty? You can clearly see the upper arm tucking in behind the shoulder/chest just before the ball hits the player. Some serious anti-Norwegian bias going on in The Guardian tower.”

On the other hand, a Russian (and therefore presumably neutral) reader, chimes in with this: “As a ref, albeit an over 35s ref, there is no way I would have reversed my initial call if I were Hussein. Thorisdottir has clearly dropped the shoulder, making her body ‘unnaturally bigger’ thus gaining an advantage when the ball made contact with the arm. She knew what she was doing, or in danger of doing because she tried to pull her arm back as soon as she realised it was going to hit it. It was an clear case of misconduct.”

Fifa’s resident DJ at the Stade de Nice is clearly an Australian fan – Waltzing Matilda is blasting at half-time.

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
He sang as he watched and waited ‘til his billy boiled
You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me

My inbox is full of VAR takes.

Keld: “A good VAR call again. Yes, there was doubt whether it hit her shoulder, breast or top of the arm. But even if hit the arm, it really didn’t look like punishable handball. The arm’s position did not make her ‘body unnaturally bigger’ as is the relevant criteria in the new rule.”

Hugo writes in with a long missive, but I think the crucial point is this: ‘Get rid of VAR.’

I need to briefly dash to make use of the facilities before returning for the second half. In the interim, here’s my colleague Louise Taylor’s musings from her past week on the move around France.

Bryn on the VAR controversy. “I don’t like that it would be a penalty, but under the rules of the game currently can’t see how it isn’t? VAR slowly destroying the game of football. How does it take nearly 5 mins to make that decision?”

Some VAR thoughts from readers. Scott: “Why not just let a fifth official make the call without having the ref jog around? It’s silly to make everyone wait for that, ain’t it?” Mark: “Huh, I’m convinced that was not a penalty, yet each replay suggests the ball hit her arm. But it didn’t, did it.” Any thoughts? Email or tweet @KieranPender

45+4 min: Hussein blows her whistle to end the first half. A fairly even initial 45, Norway are ahead after a sustained period of attacking pressure led to a goal. The Matildas will be aggrieved not to have won a penalty for a hand-ball in the box; it was initially given but then overturned by VAR. 1-0 Norway, but still everything to play for.

45+3 min: The Matildas build pressure, keeping the ball deep in Norway’s half with three consecutive throw-ins. But it amounts to nothing as a wasted shot goes out for a goal-kick.

45+2 min: Australia are creating space and movement out wide, but are being let down by the final ball into the middle. It’s no Sam Kerr header-fest against Jamaica…

45 min: After all that VAR-ing around, there are four minutes of added time. Australia win a free-kick in a dangerous area, but the quick-take proves ill-advised and bobbles out for a goal-kick.

43 min: VAR-cical. After a long wait, Hussein reverses her initial decision. Looked like a fairly clear handball to me, but the question is one of height – it was well above the elbow.

43 min: After a long wait and some crowd booing, the clock is stopped as referee Hussein goes off to consult the replays and confer with her VAR colleagues.

41 min: A cross is bounced down by Thorisdottir’s arm/shoulder and referee Hussein calls a penalty. VAR is checking…

39 min: Norway with consecutive dangerous corners. Australia are under the pump here. Can they hit back before half-time?

37 min: And then Norway break back! Graham Hansen with a searching run before firing at Williams, but the short is deflected out for a corner.

36 min: Saevik is having some game on the wing for Norway. She tries to go through Logarzo near the Australian area, but the Washington Spirit player is having nothing off it. The resulting corner is cleared and Australia break.

35 min: Either the Australian travelling support have learned French, or the Matildas are the local favourites here – chants of “Australie, Australie” are ringing out across Stade de Nice.

33 min: The Matildas are suddenly playing with more vigour, but their forays into the Norwegian half are unsuccessful – a lofted ball for Kerr in the box doesn’t connect.

31 min: After Sam Kerr almost scored for the Matildas, Norway respond by going straight up the other end. Saevik finds Herlovsen with a perfectly-weighted ball in transition, and the number nine outsprints her opposite number before firing home past Williams. Goallllll! Advantage Norway.

29 min: Raso causing havoc in the Norwegian box, falling to the ground and then rebounding to stay on the ball. But her effort ultimately amounts to nothing. The Portland Thorns’ forward has been Australia’s best attacking player thus far tonight.

27 min: Engen begins a delightful move through the midfield and looks to get the ball back near the Matildas’ area, but it goes out for a throw. The Norwegians are looking very dangerous when running at the Australians – they have some serious pace.

26 min: The stadium here in Nice is not even half-full. Disappointing effort from the locals and Fifa deserve serious criticism – their on-ground marketing efforts have been very lacklustre.

24 min: Graham Hansen with another shot in space, this one goes wide. Australia were the better side for the first 10 or 15 minutes, but Norway now with the run of play.

22 min: Excellent defending from the Australians, who block two consecutive dangerous balls into the box. Reader Adam has some tactical musings: “Wondering if Norway’s fullbacks ought to drop just a liiiiittle bit deeper to provide outlets either side? Mjelde and Thorisdottir are looking a bit isolated against a narrow Australian front three.”

21 min: This time it’s Graham Hansen on the right-hand side for Norway – and her cross-cum-shot finds its way straight to Williams. The Matildas need to improve their defensive efforts out wide.