‘We’ve been underdogs from the start’: Aussie Sharks deflated after penalty shootout loss in Olympic quarterfinal to USA

Brave until the very end, the Sharks’ Olympic medal campaign is over after an agonising penalty shootout defeat to the USA in their quarterfinal.

A dejected Luke Pavillard after Australia’s quarter-final loss. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The Aussie Sharks’ brave Olympic campaign has come to an end, falling to a “heartbreaking” 11-10 penalty shootout defeat in their quarterfinal against the USA.

The Sharks had the ascendancy early in the match, taking a 5-2 lead in the second quarter on the back of an American red card. But the USA turned the tide as the Aussies missed key opportunities, including a Milos Maksimovic penalty.

The USA took the lead for the first time in the final quarter, but back-to-back goals to Luke Pavillard, who scored four for the match, sparked the Sharks back to life. They had the lead with under a minute to go, but they couldn’t repel one last attack with the game finishing 7-7 in regular time and going to a shootout.

Pavillard was immense for the Sharks, scoring four goals including two in the final quarter. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Unfortunately, the pressure would get to the Aussies as both Maksimovic and Chaz Poot missed. Nic Porter saved one opportunity, but the goalkeeper couldn’t repeat his heroics as the US claimed victory.

“It’s heartbreaking to lose in a penalty shootout, but I’m extremely proud of the boys,” co-captain Blake Edwards said.

“We’ve been the underdogs from the very start of this competition. No one thought that we would come through the groups, let alone challenge a team all the way to a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.”

“We were right in it at that stage,” fellow co-captain Nathan Power added. “And there are probably moments where we could keep attacking and trying to score. With more of those we could have kept putting our foot on their throat.”

The Aussies are proud of their performance but were within touching distance of a maiden medal match. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The result brings Australia’s medal hopes to an end, however, they’ll still have the fifth-placed classification matches to contest.

It will take some time for the Sharks to digest the loss, especially considering their own expectations heading into Paris.

“We sat down and we set a goal ourselves to win the competition,” Power said. “People might have thought that was unrealistic externally, but that was what we were out here to achieve.

“So in a moment right now like there’s definitely disappointment, but if there wasn’t, there would probably be something wrong, right?”

“We need to refocus for the next game because fifth place sounds a lot better than eighth,” Edwards added. “This isn’t the last that you’ll see from this team.”

Originally published as ‘We’ve been underdogs from the start’: Aussie Sharks deflated after penalty shootout loss in Olympic quarterfinal to USA