Fridolina Rolfö’s penalty and Kosovare Asllani’s second-half effort consigned the Matildas to a 2-0 loss in a bruising penultimate match of the tournament
It was meant to end on a high. One final box to tick to cap off the Matildas’ record-breaking World Cup campaign on home soil. But from the first whistle of their third-place playoff game against Sweden it looked unlikely to happen. A first-half penalty and a second-half cracker from Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani decisively put Australia in fourth place at this tournament. By no means a failure, but not what they wanted.
In those opening minutes, Gustavsson could be seen pacing the perimeter of his technical area, earpiece in, green and gold scarf around his neck to reassure that tonight any allegiance to Sweden had been buried deep down. Sweden, in their home kit of yellow and blue, squandered their chances in that early period of dominance, and were not able to find the final touch or panicked under pressure.
The packed Brisbane Stadium was bursting with tension at these promising chances but then, in an instant, deflated. A header from Elin Rubensson was stopped by the crossbar but it was the movement just seconds before that would ultimately prove more costly. As Blackstenius charged into the area Clare Hunt lost her footing and ever so slightly clipped the Swede’s heel, sending them both to the ground.
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