Matildas will never forget their missed chances against England

A moment of brilliance from Sam Kerr will go down in history but it was the missed opportunities for the Matildas that they will never forget.

Sam Kerr is consoled by Emily Van-Egmond. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson will forever wonder what could have been had his side not missed “three sitters” in the final 10 minutes of their semi-final loss to England which featured a wonder strike from Sam Kerr who lamented her goal was “worth nothing” in defeat.

Kerr’s long-range effort rivals anything we’ve seen at the World Cup and made it 1-1 in the second half, giving the 75,000 fans in attendance hope that the Matildas could pull off another upset to qualify for their maiden World Cup final.

But the joy was short-lived with England scoring two goals in 15 minutes to seal the result, although Australia had several glorious chances to make it 2-2 with Kerr crestfallen to miss from close range just moments before Alessia Russo’s sealer.

“Knowing Sam, I think she probably thinks that goal was worth nothing,” Gustavsson said.

“She wants to win, she’s a winner.

“I’m happy for her that she got that goal because it proves who Sam Kerr is and what she can do.

“I also know that she’s upset that she missed the two chances at the end of that game. That’s how she’s wired. She always wants to score and she sees herself as a goal scorer and a game winner.

“We need to support her because she did everything she could tonight. The fact she was able to play 90 minutes was unreal.”

Sam Kerr misses a chance against England. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

This was the first time Kerr had started a game at this year’s World Cup after a calf injury on the eve of the tournament ruled her out of the group stage before she eased her way back in the Round of 16 win over Denmark.

She played big minutes off the bench and slotted a penalty in the shootout against France, and showed enough in her recovery that she was ready for Wednesday’s semi-final.

“She means the world to this team, not only as a player when she plays, but also the time she spent on the bench in this tournament with the way that she’s led the team and inspired the team and been the heart and soul of the team,” her coach said.

“Sam Kerr might not be in the form of her life because of that injury, but she still had a really good performance tonight.

“Who knows what it would have been like if she was totally healthy? That’s speculation, and we can only play with what’s in front of us.”

While Kerr’s return lifted the side, the Matildas were dealt a huge blow before kick-off when star defender Alanna Kennedy was ruled out with an illness.

She’s been the glue that’s held the backline together and you could tell they missed her dearly with the Lionesses punishing them three times, with a breakdown in communication resulting in the crucial second goal.

“It seems to be one of those tournaments where it’s been curveball after curveball thrown at us. I think the team has been tremendous at being able to adapt to whatever is thrown at us,” Gustavsson said.

A dejected Kerr after the team's 3-1 defeat. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

“We had to make a last-minute change and we’ve had a lot of those this tournament and we’ve been really good at dealing with it.

“Clare Polkinghorne with her experience had no problem mentally stepping in to play the game. The challenge for her was that she hasn’t played a game for a very long time coming back from a foot injury.”

The defensive lapses proved Australia’s undoing in the end, but Gustavsson was most disappointed in their passive approach in the first half which allowed England to dictate terms.

“I don’t think we were brave enough in the first half,” he said after Ella Toone was able to score the lone goal before the break.

“The second half was one of the better halves we played in the World Cup.

“You might be surprised that I say that when we concede the two goals, but in terms of what it looked like in play, I think we had a phenomenal second half.

“The game of tournament football takes one moment, and England was much more clinical than we were in the finishing tonight.

“We had three sitters, so to speak, in the 82nd, 83rd and 85th minutes to make it 2-2, and then in the 86th minute there’s one ball behind and it’s 3-1 and almost game over.”

Mary Earps couldn’t stop Kerr’s wonder strike. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

England’s physical approach also made it difficult for the Matildas to generate any fluency in the attacking third, but the Aussies won’t have long to recover with a trip to Brisbane on the horizon where they’ll face Sweden on Saturday night for third spot.

“It’s an extremely short turnaround for that game. I know we’re emotional, but we have no time to dwell on this one,” Gustavsson said.

“We have a bronze medal game to play and we need to be ready.

“It’s an extremely short turnaround and they have 24 hours on us in terms of recovery which might play a massive part in the game.”