Blue and Yellow defeat Matildas 2-0 to take third place

Matildas fall 2-0 to Sweden in FIFA Women’s World Cup third-place playoff – ABC News

Cheryl Foster has already refereed four matches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Photograph: Jan Kruger/FIFA/Getty Images

Sweden women’s national team stretched their unbeaten run in World Cup third-place finishes to four, through Fridolina Rolfo and Kosovare Asllani goals Saturday in a masterful 2-0 win over co-hosts, Australia,  in the third-place playoff match at Lang Park in Brisbane.

The Blue and yellow are now four out of four in third-place triumphs at the Women’s World cup with their victory over the Matildas at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, through goals from Fridolina Rolfo and Kosovare Asllani.

All the same, the losing side are still short of making their first-ever Mondial cup podium climb despite recording their initial semi-finals Women’s World Cup berth in the current edition of the game.

“It feels amazing. We showed from minute one, we were the better team,” Rolfo, who scored Sweden’s first goal in the game said afterwards. “We deserve this medal.”

Single goal a half, ensured that the clinical Swedes should find success as their persistent attacking forays and crisp finishing paid off.

Australia were without doubt, a very spirited foe that was further buoyed by a possessed but appreciated home crowd, but for all the right foot they put forward in the encounter, Matildas just were not meant to win.

Sweden secured a fourth third-place finish at the Women’s World Cup on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Australia

Fridolina Rolfo opened the scoring from the spot after Sweden were awarded a penalty following a VAR check

Kosovare Asllani added another after the break as she finished a nice team move with a finish from outside the area

Going out with a W 👏

Sweden gets the win in the third-place match as this FIFA Women's World Cup will be the first to have UEFA teams finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/saouZaO5ST

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 19, 2023

Sweden’s victory made Blue and yellow the first national team to win the third place game four times at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

European champion England and Spain are scheduled for a showdown in Sunday’s final in Sydney, and Sweden’s win means European nations will now end first, second and third on the podium.

For the Matildas, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 saw a disappointing end for a national side that enthralled their country with their performance that saw Australia reach semifinals for the first time.

Australis’s star striker Sam Kerr struggled to get into the game against well-drilled opponents

Clare Hunt of Australia fouls Stina Blackstenius of Sweden, giving Sweden a penalty after VAR review

While resigned to end another World Cup with a loss, the Matildas still somehow emerged from all of it with their best outcome at the event having never before now, progressed farther than the quarter-final stage.

The championship that is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand has already seen attendance records set and then broken, with two of Australia’s matches having stood out as the most-watched programs on Australian commercial TV in 20 years.

“We wanted to win, we wanted to have some hardware to take home. Wasn’t to be,” Sam Kerr said.

“The way the fans have got behind us, the way girls have carried themselves, I think we’ve proven to the world we are a footballing nation. We couldn’t get it done tonight, but hopefully we’ve inspired people for many years to come.”

The Swedes began sprightly and should have made a dream start with Blackstenius directing a low shot across goal in the opening minute, had her effort not pawed clear by Arnold, then booted off the danger area by defender Ellie Carpenter.

Having found their passing rhythm, the Matildas soon began pouring forward in torrents on counter attacks through Hayley Raso but the Australia’s winger’s effort was blocked. Raso was turned down again midway through the half by Sweden goalkeeper  Zecira Musovic, whose fine save kept the Matildas’ attacker at bay.

Sweden was the most dominant of the sides for most of the encounter, maintaining a tight and cohesive shape as well as unearthing and taking advantage of cracks in Matildas’ defense.

Sweden, the third ranked women’s team in the world, were awarded a penalty in the 28th minute after a VAR review showed Australia’s Clare Hunt clipped Stina Blackstenius’ heels, allowing Rolfo score the spot kick. The decision was very well roundly booed by the capacity crowd of 49,461.

That was after Rolfo had crashed her header against the bar from Asllani’s sensational pullout. As the pace of the game picked up, Arnold made an eye-catching low save to redirect Rolfo’s free kick from goal in the closing minutes of the half.

Moments after Australia coach Tony Gustavsson initiated his first changes, the Matildas fell further behind. Australia had pushed forward in numbers but soon appeared out of vigor and purpose.

Their attempts at a comeback were impeded when star striker Sam Kerr copped a knock late on and Sweden sealed the game with ease.

Sweden captain Asllani increased the Blue and Yellow’s lead just outside the hour mark, scoring off her shot from the perimeter of the penalty area on the farther side of goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, from yet another another fast counter-attacking play.

Asllani’s polished and insightful finish from a break saw her being greeted by her ecstatic team mates.