Sweden defeats Australia to earn bronze at Women’s World Cup
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Nobody beats Sweden on the rebound from a Women’s World Cup semifinal loss. Not even the match hosts.
The Swedish girls prolonged their good file in World Cup third-place matches to 4, with Fridolina Rolfo and Kosovare Asllani scoring Saturday in a medical 2-0 win over Australia.
“It feels amazing. We showed from minute one, we were the better team,” Rolfo said. “We deserve this medal.”
It was a disappointing end for the Matildas, who captivated their nation throughout their run to the semifinals for the primary time.
The match co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand has set attendance data, and two of Australia’s matches turned the most-watched applications on home industrial TV in 20 years.
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With the Sydney Opera House lit up within the green-and-gold colours of Australia and supporters flocking to fan zones to observe on big screens in cities throughout the nation, there was nonetheless hope of some type of medal for the Matildas.
Ultimately, it ended with back-to-back losses to the No. 3- and No. 4-ranked groups on this planet even with star striker Sam Kerr again within the beginning lineup.
“We wanted to win, we wanted to have some hardware to take home. Wasn’t to be,” Kerr stated. But, “the best way the followers have gotten behind us, the best way women have carried themselves, I feel we’ve confirmed to the world we’re a footballing nation.
“We couldn’t get it executed tonight, however hopefully we’ve impressed individuals for a few years to return.”
European champion England and Spain are assembly within the ultimate in Sydney on Sunday, and Sweden’s win means European nations will end first, second and third.
The Swedes gained all three group video games after which ousted the two-time defending champion U.S. staff on penalties within the spherical of 16 and beat Japan within the quarterfinals.
Staying compact and arranged and exploiting holes within the protection, Sweden was dominant for a lot of the match in opposition to Australia.
Rolfo transformed from the penalty spot with a low, curling left-foot shot within the thirtieth minute after Australian defender Clare Hunt was penalized after a VAR assessment for tripping up Stina Blackstenius.
Asllani’s well-timed strike to complete off a long-range Swedish counterattack within the 62nd sealed the win.
Goalkeeper Zecira Musovic saved one other clear sheet in excellent match for Sweden, blocking Kerr’s angled right-foot strike in first-half stoppage again and again stopping Clare Polkinghorne’s shot from proper in entrance within the seventieth.
“It’s a sense of relief and a wonderful feeling at the final whistle,” Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson stated.
Kerr missed Australia’s wins over Ireland and Canada and upset loss to Nigeria within the group stage after injuring her left calf muscle on the eve of the match. She made a tentative, late return within the round-of-16 win over Denmark and went on as a second-half substitute within the dramatic, penalty shootout win over France within the quarterfinals. She began on Saturday in an unchanged Australian lineup following Wednesday’s 3-1 semifinal loss to England.
Kerr injured her proper leg in a sort out within the seventy fifth minute and limped off the sector for some fast therapy however returned to proceed taking part in.
A 2-1 loss to Spain in Auckland despatched Sweden into acquainted territory. The Swedes, runners-up in 2003, beat Germany in 1991, France in 2011 and England 4 years in the past of their earlier bronze-medal matches. A fifth podium end is second solely to the four-time champion United States by way of success on the Women’s World Cup. The Swedes had been additionally silver medalists on the Tokyo Olympics and the Rio Games in 2016.
While the Swedish squad was taking bows in entrance of their clusters of followers within the capability, virtually 50,000-strong crowd, the Matildas did a lap to say thanks.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among the many officers on the rostrum to current the bronze medals to the victors. And he later commiserated with the Matildas on the sector.
“It’s sad that it’s come to an end. This has been the best four weeks of our careers,” Kerr stated of the primary Women’s World Cup to be staged within the Southern Hemisphere. “It would have been good to exit on a excessive. But now we have to replicate and consider how superb that is.
“We’ve never come fourth before. Although it’s disappointing (now), we’ll think back to this in a couple of weeks and be really proud of how we did.”
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