YESSSSSSSSSS GO MATILDAS!
Australia has survived its extremely tough Group draw to march through to the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, following the conclusion of their Group stage matches today.
The Matildas had to survive a match against the higher ranked, and highly fancied Sweden, who went into the game still searching for their first win of the tournament after a pair of draws against Nigeria and the USA.
In a blistering opening assault, the Matildas stamped their intentions early, with captain Lisa De Vanna rattling through the opening score of the game with just five minutes on the clock. But the lead was short lived, with Sofia Jakobsson striking the equaliser just 10 minutes later, locking the score at 1-1.
The remainder of the first half hit fever pitch on more than one occasion, as the Swedes continually searched for the elusive, and vital go-ahead goal. But some outstanding goalkeeping by Australian veteran Lydia Williams denied her opponents on multiple occasions, and the teams went into the half time break locked at 1 a piece.
And it was the Australians that had the better of a decidedly more subdued second half, with the Australians playing lock-down football wherever possible, and looking the far more dangerous threat in the occasional offensive presses. Player of the match Elise Kellond-Knight in particular was instrumental in defence for the Matildas, playing outstanding positional football and shutting down Swedish attacking pushes on multiple occasions.
When the full-time whistle blew, it was a disappointing draw for Sweden, and a glorious one for Australia. The draw, combined with the USA’s 1-0 victory over Nigeria, is enough to send the Matildas through to the round of sixteen.
As for Sweden, a disappointing group stage campaign could still be salvaged if Spain do not win their final match against South Korea, and France lose their last group stage clash with Mexico.
The Matildas, however, now have a tall order awaiting them in the knockout stages. Their next match – a win-or-go-home affair – comes against Brazil on June 21st in New Brunswick. Still, they’ve beaten better teams before, and at this stage anything is certainly possible.
GET AROUND THE GIRLS!
All the Matildas World Cup matches are being broadcast live on SBS One.
Photo: Todd Korol via Getty Images.
