Matildas v Nigeria: Injuries and humbling defeat place Australia’s World Cup dream in jeopardy

The Matildas’ final group match against Canada could now be their final match at this World Cup full stop, writes ADAM PEACOCK.

The injury-hit Matildas endured a nightmare against Nigeria. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

In an ideal world, the Matildas would have made life easy. They’d have secured safe passage to the knockout stages of this World Cup; the final group game against Canada a tune-up.

The Matildas do not live in an ideal world.

Control at a World Cup is a facade.

And now there is a real problem.

Nigeria won the night with a magnificent performance in the face of an expectant Brisbane crowd, full of young faces who went home exposed to the harsh realities of a World Cup.

The Matildas now head to Melbourne for Monday’s clash with Canada with a win, a loss, a growing casualty list and passage to the next stage of the tournament anything but assured.

Their final group game could now be their final game, full stop.

Nonplussed Australian players try to make sense of Nigeria’s second goal. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

*****

The madcap last five minutes of the first half was a microcosm of the Matildas‘ rollercoaster over the last seven days in which the Sam Kerr bombshell was followed by a win over Ireland and then, bang, Mary Fowler’s injury..

For the opening 45 minutes, the Matildas never quite had clear cut superiority over the 11-time African champions, who bounced into the stadium singing and dancing, a rhythm lost on the field as Australia maintained possession.

Yet punch was missing for the Australians until three successive moments of quality.

Katrina Gorry, with trademark alertness, won the ball back from an errant Nigerian goal kick. Caitlin Foord received off Gorry and plunged into a dangerous area on the left wing and did the clever thing, as Foord does. She cut a pass directly into the path of Emily van Egmond, who made a customary late run into the 18-year-box to neatly tuck home.

It was a moment of relief and exaltation for van Egmond who, not that long ago, was crippled by a small section of a disc in her lower back pressing onto her sciatic nerve, making daily life a chore.

There were no signs of that as she wheeled away to the bench to find Sam Kerr, who didn’t hop on one leg like last week, but stood for the pack to come to her in celebration.

The Matildas were all smiles after Emily Van-Egmond scored. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Group hug! High fives! Good times!

In that moment, the Matildas appeared in control.

It wasn’t to last.

All half Ellie Carpenter was struggling to contain Nigeria’s two wingers, Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu, who swapped sides regularly. And so it was that Ajibade proved too quick for Carpenter; a deflected cross dropping for Kanu who levelled the scores right on halftime.

The halftime chat offered green shoots of hope as the Matildas started the second half on the front foot. In control, at least momentarily. Then, out of nowhere, a complete mess of a set piece allowed Nigeria to take a lead. Then, out of nowhere again, Asisat Oshoala, the queen of Nigerian football, popped up with a third.

Tony Gustavsson had some enormous calls to make to try and wrest back control.

Gustavsson has changed the word substitute to gamechanger. Not a bench role, but a definitive casting to twist the narrative of a contest, which was sorely needed as minutes ticked away in the second half.

The gamechangers waited. And waited. Seventy minutes, 3-1 down, no changes. Seventy five minutes, no changes. Eighty minutes: a change! Cortnee Vine, a winger with an empty tank came off, defender Claire Pokinghorne came on with Alanna Kennedy pushed up forward.

Kennedy would score in the dying minutes to bring the Matildas back within a goal. By then, however, control was gone, as was the game.

Asisat Oshoala’s goal put Nigeria 3-1 up. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

*****

The Matildas are far removed from the groove they entered the tournament in.

The win over France on July 14 feels like three lifetimes ago.

The night that started with a festival feel, with gold jerseys in hotels, in pubs, on bridge walkways over the Brisbane River, ended in disappointment and existential concern at this tournament.

For the many young fans who spilt back out onto Caxton Street after full time, there was no celebration, but other key lessons.

A World Cup, like life in general, is hard to control.

Just when you think you have it, it eludes you.

Originally published as Matildas v Nigeria: Injuries and humbling defeat place Australia’s World Cup dream in jeopardy