As it happened Women’s World Cup: ‘We’ve inspired a nation’: Matildas top group as veteran says 4-0 win over Canada just the beginning; Nigeria take second spot

Thanks so much for joining us throughout the earlier games and for the Matildas 4-0 win over Canada.

It has been a special evening and one that won’t be forgotten in a hurry and we now have a week to wait for Australia’s round of 16 game.

In the meantime, the rest of the World Cup groups will decide their two progressing sides so please stay with us for continued coverage of the tournament and the Matildas.

On behalf of Billie Eder, and Marnie Vinall - this is Roy Ward saying thanks again for joining us and bye for now.

We will look forward to being back with you for more world cup blogs in the days and weeks to come.

Among the many outfits clambering onto the World Cup bandwagon is a mattress-maker promoting the importance of quality sleep to good health generally, and to improved athletic performance.

Ha! Who with an interest in the Matildas and the World Cup (and, for that matter, the Ashes) has been able to sleep this past week? Not the players. Not their families. Not the fans. Certainly not soccer authorities dwelling on a free kick for their code in this country and the nightmare possibility of scuffing it.

Sleep? As in voluntarily forgo consciousness? Now?

Mary Fowler celebrates her second-half goal.Credit: Eddie Jim

Not before the tournament: too much excitement. Not during it: what if you miss something? Not before this match: too much dread.

Talk about Nessun Dorma. Sing about it even, the way Pavarotti did.

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The Matildas live to fight another day. Climbing up off the canvas after four days of anxiety, scrutiny and another round of mind games over Sam Kerr’s calf, Australia pulled a sensational 4-0 win over Canada out of the fire to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

It was always going to be either a stirring new chapter in the 44-year history of this team– or the end of the road for the under-fire Tony Gustavsson.

Mary Fowler celebrates after her goal put the Matildas 3-0 ahead.Credit: Eddie Jim

Fortunately for the Swede, for his players, for the nation, for the tournament, it is not quite over yet.

Thanks to Hayley Raso’s double, one from Mary Fowler, and an injury-time penalty from Steph Catley, not only did they win, but they have finished top of Group B after Nigeria’s 0-0 draw with Ireland.

It means they will play in Sydney next Monday night against the second-placed team from Group D – probably Denmark – and Kerr, who wasn’t even needed in the end, now has a whole week to prepare for it.

Click here to read the story.

Hayley Raso takes off towards the stands. Arms wide open, ribbons in her hair, ponytail fizzing with the electricity of 27,000 lurching to their feet.

She has just saved her country and brought them back from the brink with a belter into the bottom corner.

Two-goal hero Hayley Raso.Credit: Eddie Jim

Half a second later Raso has stopped running and those 27,000 are booing, spitting venom at the offside flag and its holder. The VAR review starts.

Everybody hates the VAR. The VAR has just killed Australian football, sent the co-hosts packing and sacked Tony Gustavsson.

But then the referee returns and blows her whistle again, announcing that the goal will stand.

Click here to read the story.

Canada manager Bev Priestman has urged her side to make this loss the foundation of a successful run at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Priestman was all class in her post-game interview praising the Matildas as the better team and admitting her side lacked the belief to succeed against a big home crowd.

Vanessa Gilles of Canada heads the ball .Credit: Eddie Jim

“The reality is setting in that this is the end of our world cup road,” Priestman told broadcasters.

“All credit to Australia. They were the better team and this [great] crowd.

“I have no criticisms of my players. Football is cruel. It wasn’t our night.”

Priestman said her players would bounce back.

“An early goal rocks you. We are not used to this level of pressure but we will bounce back,” Priestman said.

“These are the moments that make you as a player and person and we will bounce back.

“The team has to believe. They are committed, they are a hard-working group but you have to believe in yourself.

“This moment can make you and a year from now is an Olympics.”

An emotional Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has thanked every fan for their support and praised his players for embracing the pressure of their must-win game against Canada which they won 4-0 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

“I’m proud and privileged to be a part of an event like this,” Gustavsson told Optus Sport.

The Matildas celebrate their fourth goal.Credit: Eddie Jim

“Look at the way the fans carried the team tonight.

“So every single fan out there, thank you.

“And then the players, there is something special about this group. I hope coaches out there get to experience what I have experienced the last three days because it is unique.”

Gustavsson said his side blocked out the pressure and talk about Sam Kerr’s calf injury.

“Someone asked yesterday is this a legacy-defining moment? Is that a crossroad moment? Yes it was and we didn’t shy away from it,” Gustavsson said.

“These players, the way they performed tonight and all the talk about Sam and is she available or not, all the noise outside. The way they just want out, played the game and stayed true to who they are [was special].”

Matildas veteran Chloe Logarzo has no doubt tonight’s win will draw even more Australians into getting behind the national team now they are into the knockout rounds.

“You can say we’ve inspired the nation,” Logarzo said on Optus Sport’s coverage where she is part of their World Cup coverage.

Clare Hunt playing for the Wanderers in January against Chloe Logarzo.Credit: Getty Images

“This stadium was not quiet for one single bit.

“I call for everyone at home. Please support us on this journey as you are all the ones who are the 12th man we need.

“Please keep supporting us.”

The Matildas have pulled off a houdini-like escape from their World Cup tournament being on a knife-edges to not only enter the knockout phase, but go through top of their group.

Australia came into the day with a potential diaster looming but the Matildas shrugged off that doubt with two early goals - both off the Hayley Raso - and then backed it up with two more - Fowler and Catley.

Australia will now play the runner-ups of group D in Sydney in the round of 16.

Canada 0, Australia 4: FT.

Katrina Gorry has come off, replaced by Charli Grant.

Grant gets her first taste of World Cup action on the field. And didn’t she run out smiling.

Canada 0, Australia 4.