Penalty paves the way to bronze
Sweden ends Australia’s World Cup party with dream goal
08/19/2023 12:06 p.m
The Australian women’s national soccer team generates tremendous euphoria at the home World Cup, but at the end of the “Matildas’ triumphal procession there are two defeats. In the game for third place you don’t have much to oppose effective Swedes.
The home World Cup has ended in yet another disappointment for Australia’s footballers. The team around superstar Sam Kerr lost 0:2 (0:1) to Sweden in the match for third place on Saturday. Barcelona professional Fridolina Rolfö scored in front of almost 50,000 spectators in Brisbane after half an hour with a penalty kick to make it 1-0. Captain Kosovare Asllani made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute for the largely sovereign Swedes. The Australians had previously missed out on a place in the final against England (1-3).
Captain Kerr was unlucky and had to be treated after 75 minutes. Your coach Tony Gustavsson lost to his home country’s team in the end. For Australia, fourth place in eighth World Cup participation was the best result.
The co-host had sparked great euphoria in the country at the tournament, but the players were denied medals. The Swedish team had achieved their best result so far in 2003 when they finished second in the World Cup and finished third for the fourth time after 1991, 2011 and 2019. The final between European champions England and Spain will take place this Sunday (12 noon CEST/ZDF and in the live ticker on ntv.de) in Sydney.
In a varied game, there was a penalty after video evidence when Clare Hunt brought down the Swede Stina Blackstenius – the former Munich and Wolfsburg player Rolfö hit the right corner from the point. Asllani’s goal on the bottom right made it 2-0. She initiated the attack herself. The Matildas were mostly harmless on offense. At the end of the day, two Bundesliga players also celebrated for the Swedes: Bayern newcomer Magdalena Eriksson impressed in central defence. Rebecka Blomqvist from VfL Wolfsburg came on after a good hour.