Australia’s fairytale home Women’s World Cup ends in defeat to Sweden in third-place playoff

Sam Kerr and the Matildas succumbed to a 2-0 defeat. Dan Peled/Reuters CNN  — 

It has been a history-making, game-changing Women’s World Cup for Australia, but the Matildas’ participation in the tournament ended in a 2-0 defeat to Sweden in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Still, this match marked new frontiers for women’s soccer in Australia following a World Cup which has seen soccer mania grip the nation as the Matildas achieved its best ever result in the tournament.

Nobody wants to appear in the third-place playoff and it normally produces a muted atmosphere but such has been the support for the Matildas this World Cup that even after Sweden had taken an ultimately unassailable 2-0 lead, the crowd still cheered every pass, every tackle, every probing run

But even facing this partisan atmosphere, Sweden displayed its class as a penalty from Fridolina Rolfö in the first half and a sparkling goal from captain Kosovare Asllani secured victory, and third place.

More to follow…