As it happened Women’s World Cup: Matildas history-making ride comes to an end after losing bronze medal play-off 2-0 to Sweden

Well, that’s it. The Matildas’ World Cup run is over and they’re going out with the country’s best ever result at the major tournament.

A fourth place finish at a home World Cup after defying the odds and inspiring nation isn’t too shabby.

Now a rest - for the squad and fans alike - before we all turn our attention to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Well, the qualifiers in October first.

And of course, the World Cup final is still to be played and the victors crowned. Will it be Spain or England? We’ll know in just over 24 hours.

Goodnight football fans. It’s been a fun ride.

The Matildas group together in bronze medal play off against Sweden.Credit: X06790

Well, that’s most likely the last time we see veteran Matildas Lydia Williams and Australian women’s most-capped player Clare Polkinghorne at a World Cup.

It was the fifth World Cup for each player, a remarkable feat.

Williams didn’t get any minutes with Mackenzie Arnold stepping up as the first-string goalkeeper but was integral to the side’s run, providing leadership and experience.

Polkinghorne was the same, although saw minutes, especially with Alanna Kennedy injured for the Matildas final two games.

Australia thanks you both, Williams and Polkinghorne.

Clare Polkinghorne consoled by Tony Gustavsson.Credit: Getty

It’s been a whirlwind tournament but there’s still one more game to play: the final.

Tomorrow, final debutants Spain and England will battle for the coveted glory at Stadium Australia.

The Lionesses will be looking to go the double with last year’s UEFA Women’s EURO triumph, while the Spaniards will be seeking revenge after England beat them in the quarter-finals en route to their Euros victory.

Last time, it was England’s Georgia Stanway with an 18-meter drive in extra time that delivered heartbreak to Spain.

The Lionesses will also have young star Lauren James back from suspension, while Spain have back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.

England’s Lauren Hemp.Credit: X07196

Kick off 8.00pm AEST(11:00am London time and 12:00am Madrid time).

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson is an emotional guy, if you haven’t noticed. But before Saturday’s third-place play-off, he promised he wouldn’t let his heart rule his head when it came to selection.

“It’s not about giving players experience just for the sake of giving experience. This is a game to win,” he explained.

A dejected Sam Kerr after Sweden’s second goal in Brisbane.Credit: Getty

Fatigue be damned, then. Gustavsson rolled out the same starting team against Sweden – the same 11 battle-weary players who looked out on their feet against England on Wednesday night.

To nobody’s shock, they looked out on their feet. The effort was always there, but in opting for continuity, Gustavsson got lethargy instead, and the Swedes got the bronze medal, prevailing 2-0.

How much does this really matter? Probably not a lot. This game was a bit of a free hit. Fourth place isn’t to be sniffed at. They should still be proud. Nobody really remembers who finishes third at a World Cup, anyway – but if it was the Matildas, we would have.

Read the full match report from Vince Rugari here.

Australian captain and star striker Sam Kerr said there was a mix of disappointment and pride following loss to Sweden but best World Cup finish for the country.

“Of course you’re wanting to win wanting to have something, you know some hardware to take home but wasn’t to be,” Kerr told Optus Sport.

“[But] yeah it’s been honestly a dream come true the way you know the fans have got behind us. The way the girls have carried themselves and I think we’ve proven to, you know, the world but also within Australia that we are a footballing nation.

“And that’s all down to the fans and I mean, we couldn’t get it done tonight, but hopefully we’ve inspired people for many years to come.”

Sam KerrCredit: Reuters

Kerr added the side would reflect in weeks to come about how amazing the home World Cup experience has been.

“It’s sad that he’s come to it. This has been - I think I said it yesterday - the best four weeks of our careers and it would have been nice to go out on a high but I think, we have to reflect and think of how amazing this is,” said the skipper.

“We’ve never come forth before so although it’s disappointing, I think we’ll think back to this in a couple of weeks and be really proud of how we did.”

Credit to the contents of Suncorp Stadium: they booed like they really meant it. When the referee blew for a penalty. When Fridolina Rolfö converted it. When Sweden celebrated afterwards. Try telling the masses who’ve spent the afternoon chanting and cheering on Caxton Street that the third-place play-off is redundant.

Sure, it felt less heart-in-mouth than pretty much every other Matildas match of late, but it still reassuringly separated the ferals from the population proper. The penalty marked the moment this contest turned from an exercise of careful extraction into a frantic flight of transition – which would have suited Australia just fine had the players not been completely cooked by the past four weeks.

Sam Kerr is attended to by medical staff as a bandaged Caitlin Foord watches on.Credit: Getty

But still they pushed on, trying to goad Sweden’s blonde ponytails into turnovers and probing for space. Gianni Infantino would have said they were picking their battles. In fact, the FIFA president did actually say that, at Friday’s Women’s Football Convention in Sydney.

And frankly, if the 736 footballers from 32 nations at this World Cup have not done enough “to convince us men what we have to do and what we don’t have to do”, then they may as well be Hayley Raso trying to beat Zećira Mušović at her near post.

Read the full analysis from Emma Kemp here.

Sweden are the Bronze medallists of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

That’s five medals for them at World Cup’s, having won bronze four times before and the silver once.

For Australia, this is their second fourth-place finish at a major tournament, after they finished fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sweden in the bronze medal presentation in Brisbane.Credit: Reuters

The next 12 months will be massive for them as they prepare for Paris 2024, but there’s no doubt on the home front that they have what it takes to go all the way.

Thousands of fans remain in the stands as the Matildas do a lap around the stadium. The fans and the players look sad for it to be over, but what a tournament it has been!

Sam Kerr at full-time.Credit: Getty

Elin rubensson of Swede celebrates at full-time.Credit: Getty

The Swedish team celebrates after defeating Australia 2-0 in Brisbane.Credit: Getty

They might not have a medal around their necks after tonight, but the Matildas have made history.

They’re Australia’s most successful team in football history, after a month-long World Cup campaign, they had nothing left to give.

The players looked spent out in the middle of the pitch tonight, and I’m sure coach Tony Gustavsson will have questions to answer in the press conference later about whether he should have shaken up his starting side, but for credit to the players who have been relentless throughout this whole tournament.

Hopefully, the Australian community can keep up the momentum and the support of these past few weeks and take it into the Matildas Olympic campaign next year.

Sweden has defeated Australia 2-0 in Brisbane, to take home their fourth Women’s World Cup bronze medal.

The Swedes scored their first goal in the 30th minutes on the match after a foul on Stina Blackstenius from Clare Hunt gifted them with a penalty kick.

The final blow for Australia came in the second half, when Swedish skipper Kosovare Asllani scored in the 62nd minute to give her team a comprehensive lead.

Despite a late surge of substitutions for the Matildas, which included Courtney Nevin getting her first minutes of the tournament, the Australians struggled to pull off attacking plays and have finished their World Cup campaign in fourth.

It’s the best World Cup finish for an Australian team - men’s or women’s - and a victory for Australian football.

Full time: Sweden 2, Australia 0

Lina Hurtig celebrates at full-time.Credit: Getty