Matildas finish fourth at FIFA Women’s World Cup after 2-0 loss to Sweden
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has given no indication his time in charge is over, making a plea for more support after Australia fell short of a top-three FIFA World Cup finish.
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Sweden spoiled the Matildas’ FIFA Women’s World Cup farewell party on Saturday night with a dominant 2-0 win at Suncorp Stadium in the playoff for third place.
The Australians had been desperate to finish the tournament on high after their 3-1 midweek semi-final loss to England.
Having insisted pre-match that they were up for the occasion despite their heart-breaking loss to the Lionesses in Sydney, the Matildas started the game slowly, allowing the Swedes to gain the ascendancy early.
PLAYER RATINGS: WHO STARRED, FLOPPED FOR MATILDAS?
While a perhaps debatable penalty led to the Swedes taking the lead after half an hour through Fridolina Rolfo, there was no denying the class of their second goal, which was superbly scored 17 minutes into the second half by their impressive captain Kosovare Asllani.
The Matildas’ best chance of the contest came in the 70th minute. However, Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic was up to the task of denying Australian veteran Clare Polkinghorne from point-blank range.
Matildas skipper Sam Kerr, who was kept relatively quiet, sent a scare through the Australian camp and the crowd of almost 50,000, when she went down in a second-half tackle from Swedish defender Magdalena Eriksson and immediately clutched at her calf.
It was a tournament-eve calf injury that had limited Kerr’s World Cup involvement.
However, after she came to the sideline, the Chelsea star was able to return to action.
But not even Kerr could produce some late heroics to save the Matildas, who again had to settle for fourth place at a major tournament, having also lost the bronze medal game at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said there was a “massive amount” of work to do for Australia to take the next step by winning a medal at next year’s Paris Olympics.
“I want to see investment, real investment,” Gustavsson said.
“I love working with this team. I don’t see this as the end of a journey. I see this as the beginning of a journey.”
Penalty or not?
Sweden took the lead in controversial fashion from the penalty spot in the 30th minute.
VAR intervention was needed for Welsh referee Cheryl Walsh to award the spot kick after Matildas defender Clare Hunt clipped the heel of striker Stina Blackstenius.
Play initially continued, with Blackstenius still managing to pass the ball to her captain Asllani before falling to the ground.
Asllani then delivered a dangerous cross that found attacker Rolfo, whose header hit the crossbar.
However, at the urging of VAR Marco Fritz, Walsh then reviewed footage of Hunt’s tackle on Blackstenius, and didn’t take long to point to the penalty spot, much to the disgust of the Matildas and their parochial supporters.
This time there was to be no heroics from Matildas goalkeeper and quarter-final saviour Mackenzie Arnold, who was beaten with a well-placed penalty from Rolfo.
No room for sentiment
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson stuck to his promise of not letting “emotions” get in the way of naming his strongest possible line-up for the match.
The 11 that started in Australia’s semi-final loss to England again played from the opening whistle against the Swedes.
Gustavsson resisted any temptation to give starts to veteran goalkeeper Lydia Williams and 38-year-old defender Aivi Luik, who have both watched the entire tournament from the bench.
Experienced striker Kyah Simon, who was selected in the squad despite suffering from a pre-existing knee injury, was another who wasn’t given any tournament game time, along with keeper Teagan Micah, and midfielder Clare Wheeler.
However, 21-year-old defender Courtney Nevin was brought on for her first minutes of the World Cup as a second-half replacement for Ellie Carpenter.
MATCH RECAP
8PM: FULLTIME — SWEDEN 2 AUSTRALIA 0
Just as it was at the Tokyo Olympics, the Matildas’ campaign ends with a loss to Sweden.
Sadly, Australia was never at the races tonight and played like a side which was gassed from a gruelling tournament.
Sweden controlled proceedings from the opening minutes and Australia’s best chances on goal never really troubled Musovic — who has been one of the best goalkeepers all tournament.
Lots to be proud of, but ultimately the Matildas will have to settle for fourth.
7.44PM: MAYBE NOT DISASTER
Sam Kerr is back out there.
What a legend.
The Brisbane crowd appreciates her toughness with a standing ovation.
7.42PM: DISASTER AS KERR GOES DOWN INJURED
Sam Kerr’s fitness has been the biggest talking point of this tournament for the Matildas and her involvement might end in more pain.
The Matildas captain has gone down and play has been stopped.
It appears she copped some contact to her calf in a tackle and she’s hobbling off in clear discomfort.
7.40PM: GUSTAVSSON FINALLY GIVES FANS WHAT THEY WANT
There has been social media clamour throughout this tournament for Alex Chidiac to get more minutes and Matildas fans have got their wish — albeit with only 20 minutes or so left in this match.
Gustavsson is clearly keen to give a few players who haven’t had much of a run some minutes, bringing Chidiac and Courtney Nevin on for Polkinghorne and Ellie Carpenter.
7.35PM: POLKINGHORNE DENIED
That was the Matildas’ chance to get back into this match. Clare Polkinghorne is in the perfect spot to capitalise on Clare Hunt’s header across goal but fires straight at Musovic.
7.26PM: SWEDEN SCORES AGAIN
Sweden capitalises on a turnover from Australia, hurtling forward before Kosovare Asllani produced a brilliant finish from the top of the box. Game over? Maybe.
7.25PM: GUSTAVSSON GOES TO THE BENCH
Emily van Egmond and Cortnee Vine are on.
Katrina Gorry and Hayley Raso’s involvement in this World Cup is over.
Those subs aren’t before time. The Matildas desperately need a spark and Vine’s speed should be able to provide it.
7.15PM: MATILDA BANDAGED AFTER CLASH
Caitlin Foord was hurt in a huge clash just before the break and has come back out with her head bandaged.
It’s no wonder considered this egg on her head after colliding with Kosovare Asllani.
6.55PM: HALFTIME — SWEDEN 1 AUSTRALIA 0
Dare we say it — the Matildas look tired.
Tony Gustavsson has been loath to go to the bench early in matches throughout the tournament, but needs to inject some energy in the second half if Australia is going to rally from 1-0 down.
The penalty was perhaps harsh on Clare Hunt, but she definitely made contact in a tangle in the box.
Hayley Raso has had a couple of nice moments but in truth Australia hasn’t looked like beating Swedish keeper Zećira Mušović yet.
Kyra Cooney-Cross had a late shot saved comfortably before a defensive howler from Claire Polkinghorne almost gifted Sweden a second.
Sam Kerr put a shot on target just before the whistle as well.
Cortnee Vine, Alex Chidiac and Emily van Egmond are all options to come on.
6.47PM: MACKENZIE ARNOLDS SAVES AUSTRALIA — AGAIN
Sweden was inches from going 2-0 ahead, only for Mackenzie Arnold to dive to her left and deny a shot which looked goalbound. How many warning shots do the Matildas need before they fire up here?
6.30PM: SWEDEN SCORES FROM THE SPOT
Sweden have taken full advantage of a spot kick handed to them by the VAR, with Mackenzie Arnold unable to repeat her penalty-saving heroics from the quarter final.
The contact was minimal but the Matildas didn’t have much of a case and the Swedish attacker made sure the VAR booth spotted the foul, going down in a heap.
Australia will need to come from behind to win, something they haven’t done all tournament.
6.25PM: RASO SAVED
Winger Hayley Raso, one of Australia’s goalscoring heroes at this World Cup, has come closest to scoring just after the 20-minute mark in Brisbane.
She shoots at the near post and forces a reflex save.
Sweden almost struck in the opening minutes but there have otherwise been few chances in a cagey opening half.
6PM: FANS FUME AS MATILDAS BUMPED TO 7MATE
It appears even 7million viewers can’t guarantee you the main channel across Australia.
Matildas fans in some parts of the country have found that out the hard way tonight as the World Cup’s third-place playoff was bumped to 7Mate.
That’s despite the record numbers of viewers Sam Kerr’s team have attracted throughout the tournament.
Fans have been left bemused and angry about the switch.
“The bronze medal match being on 7mate instead on 7 proves that even the tournament’s free-to-air broadcaster have jumped off the #Matildas bandwagon. Disappointing,” Jackson Mansell tweeted.
Grant Roberts said: “Why the heck is #matildas game on 7mate and not on the main channel 70/71/7????”
Victorian viewers were among those who needed to switch to Channel 74, although viewers in NSW were able to watch on Channel 7.
It’s good news for Border Security fans though — that was on the main channel during the pre-game.
Then Channel 7 went to the news.
5.50PM: CAN MATILDAS GET OLYMPIC REVENGE?
Australia takes on the same country which ended its hopes of an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo tonight.
The Matildas lost 1-0 to Sweden at the semi-final stage and then went down 4-3 against the United States when history beckoned.
“We’ve played them a lot as a team, especially in the last couple of years and at major tournaments,” Matildas veteran Claire Polkinghorne said.
“They’re a very tough team and everyone’s going to have to be on their game to get a result tonight.”
5.30PM: GUSTAVSSON EXPLAINS SELECTION AMID QUESTIONS
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has revealed why he has chosen to go with the same XI who started Australia’s World Cup semi-final.
Speaking to Optus Sport, Gustavsson said: “It’s a mix of a starting line-up and a finishing line-up. I’m always planning for 90 minutes plus. The players have pulled up really well, recovered well.
“I have said it before, continuity and relationship is important for us and we managed to keep a lot of relationships out there to start, but also have some fresh legs coming off the bench.”
Gustavsson said his team was hurting after its semi-final loss to England but proud to be the first Australian team to have the chance to play for a medal at a World Cup.
COACHING LEGEND TIPS MATILDAS TO STICK WITH FORMULA
Despite most of the Matildas’ starting team playing every minute of every World Cup game so far former national coach Tom Sermanni expects few changes for the third place play off with Sweden.
Sermanni said players’ ability to perform for 90, or in the Matildas case 120 minutes, with few days in between, was testament to how much the game had grown.
And with the Matildas desperate to not finish their home World Cup empty-handed coach Tony Gustavsson will be taking selection as importantly as any other game this tournament.
If wanted Gustavsson, who has been criticised for slow use of the bench this World Cup, has plenty of fresh legs on the bench.
Charli Grant and Alex Chidiac have had limited minutes at the tail end of matches.
Aivi Luik, Clare Wheeler, Courtney Nevin and keepers Teagan Micah and Lydia Williams haven’t seen any action.
Kyah Simon also hasn’t played due to her knee injury.
Clare Polkinghorne played her first 90 minutes against England and Cortnee Vine will also be fairly fresh having played the game changer role of the bench the last few matches.
Captain Sam Kerr has also only played one 90 minute match after missing the first three games with a calf injury.
“They’ll assess the players,” Sermanni said.
“ (Gustavsson) will get a feel for the ones that he thinks need the rest, and he will get a feel for the ones he thinks are ready to go as replacements.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a case of ‘well it’s for, third and fourth place will rest these five players and we’ll put these other five players in’ because this is a game that the Matildas really want to win as well.”
With the majority of the national side playing up to 50 games a season overseas as well as national team duties Sermanni said they were more than capable of handling the short three day turn around at the end of a gruelling tournament.
It’s a big jump from the 20 games they played in the A-League Women’s competition.
Sermanni said they were all elite athletes who had spent four years training for the fact they could be playing plenty of minutes during the four week tournament.
There is potential for probably a couple of changes in the team but then again it will depend on how the players feel.
“Players being elite athletes will want to play. I think what we’ve seen with the Australian players is how many games you can actually play back to back and still keep performing,” he said.
Sermanni used rising star Kyra Cooney-Cross as an example.
The 21-year-old midfielder has played every minute of the tournament.
“She’s incredible,” Sermanni said.
“In the modern game we would have said there was no way Cooney-Cross would be able to play six games back to back at this level and she has proved that she can.
“These players play 90 minutes 40-50 times a year.
“Players are a lot more resilient these days than we give them credit for. I don’t think Cooney-Cross is going to put a hand up and say I’m a bit tired, I’ll sit out.”
The Matildas play Sweden at Suncorp Stadium at 6pm on Saturday.
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