Kerr denied a goal as Matildas fall short against Sweden
The Matildas’ dreams of a first gold medal evaporated on a sultry night in Yokohama when they fell to favourites Sweden in their Olympic semi-final 1-0.
Sweden scored the only goal of the game – which had a touch of good fortune about it – after Australia had what looked like a good Sam Kerr strike disallowed in the first half.
Sam Kerr’s goal against Sweden late in the first half was disallowed.Credit:Getty Images
The Matildas went down fighting against the Swedes, who came into the contest as the form side of the competition with four wins from four, including an earlier 4-2 triumph over Australia in the group phase.
Australia will now face the USA in the bronze-medal game – victory in which would gave the nation its first Olympic football medal. But they will have to do so without Ellie Carpenter, who was sent off in the dying seconds for hauling down Lina Hurtig as she drove towards goal.
Kerr, who had been under a fitness cloud before the match, led her country with credit and worked hard all night to create an opening.
She thought she had put the Australians in the ascendancy when she volleyed home from a Steph Catley free kick in the 42nd minute only for Honduran referee Melissa Borjas to rule it out because Emily van Egmond was judged to have illegally blocked a defender’s run to clear the ball.
As expected, Sweden took the initiative early in the game and Australia had to sit back and at times defend in depth.
But apart from one Teagan Micah diving save and a couple of corners aside, the Swedes didn’t really trouble them in the early exchanges.
Sweden had a good period as they started to get into gear and get in behind the Matildas’ defence, with Fridolina Rolfo in particular causing problems.
The Barcelona striker made space beautifully and looked as though she would open the scoring with a fierce drive that beat Micah only to cannon to safety off the bar in the 23rd minute.
Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfo celebrates her goal against the Matildas.Credit:Getty Images
That was as close as they came, however, and the Matildas grew in confidence from that point on.
They were swift to counter, with Hayley Raso and Tameka Yallop working hard on the flanks and Kerr almost created something when she went around goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl but could not convert from a wide angle.
But the Matildas knew they were up against it right from the beginning of the second half as Sweden got the the decisive goal within a minute of the restart.
Filippa Angeldal tried her luck from distance with a shot that took a big deflection off Chloe Logarzo. Micah managed to touch the ball onto the bar but the rebound fell to Rolfo, who twisted at an angle to volley home. There was an element of fortune about it, and in the end it was all that separated these teams.
Steph Catley (left) and Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani contest the ball.Credit:AP
The Matildas redoubled their efforts, Kerr spurning the sort of chance she so often buries, her header from a Carpenter cross looping into Lindahl’s grasp.
But as they pushed forward and took more risks it offered the Swedes the chance to gain possession and create opportunities of their own.
Yallop worked tirelessly on the wing and fashioned a half chance for her counterpart Raso but the Swedes bundled the cross to safety.
Soon after Yallop gave way as coach Tony Gustavsson made a triple change in a bid to galvanise his team, with teenagers Mary Fowler and Kyra Cooney-Cross, and veteran Clare Polkinghorne coming into the game in place of Logarzo, Yallop and Kyah Simon.
Catley moved forward and forced Lindahl into a save when she shot from the left as Australia continued to push forward in a bid to find the leveller that would take the game into extra time.
They never stopped trying, but just could not find the back of the net.
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