THE Matildas have hauled themselves off the canvas to thump Canada 4-0 and reach the Women’s World Cup round of 16.<\/p>\n
Hayley Raso scored a first-half brace to give Australia the upper hand with emerging star Mary Fowler adding a third in the 58th minute.<\/p>\n
Hometown hero Steph Catley buried a penalty to seal a famous victory in front of 27,706 fans at Melbourne’s AAMI Park yesterday (Monday, July 31) and top spot in Group B.<\/p>\n
Mackenzie Arnold pulled off a magnificent save in the 67th minute to maintain a clean sheet.<\/p>\n
The Matildas, with skipper Sam Kerr watching from the bench, needed to win to avoid an embarrassing group stage exit without relying on Ireland to beat Nigeria.<\/p>\n
They will instead finish top of group B with six points, after Nigeria drew 0-0 with Ireland in the other game to claim second and knock out Canada.<\/p>\n
“I never, ever doubted the players in terms of stepping up and performing well,” Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said.<\/p>\n
“We knew it was going to be tough but I knew the performance was going to be solid.<\/p>\n
“I knew we were ready so even if we didn’t score early I actually think we would’ve been looking good anyway.<\/p>\n
“I was so convinced they were so ready to step up tonight.”<\/p>\n
Shifted to the left wing, with Fowler returning from concussion, Caitlin Foord starred all night and combined brilliantly with vice-captain Steph Catley.<\/p>\n
Right-back Ellie Carpenter was relentless while Emily van Egmond, who held her spot ahead of Cortnee Vine, justified her selection with a cool-headed performance in Australia’s front two.<\/p>\n
Centre-backs Clare Hunt and Alanna Kennedy were calm-headed while Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry were busy all night in midfield.<\/p>\n
Australia were far more patient on the ball than in their 3-2 loss to Nigeria that had put their campaign on a knife’s edge.<\/p>\n
Raso got things started when she finished off a blistering end-to-end move in the ninth minute.<\/p>\n
Australia thought they’d doubled their lead when Fowler bundled home after a chaotic build-up in the 37th minute, but after a lengthy VAR referral, Carpenter was ruled offside.<\/p>\n
It didn’t rattle the Matildas and, two minutes later, Canada’s defence failed to deal with a Cooney-Cross corner and Raso scored her second goal.<\/p>\n
Gustavsson, who had been realistically coaching for his job, picked up a yellow card in first-half injury time.<\/p>\n
In the 58th minute, Catley released Foord down the left wing and the attacker charged forward, skipped her way to the goal line then cut back for Fowler.<\/p>\n
With the ball slightly behind her, the young striker impressively used her left foot to drag the ball towards goal and it clinked off the post and over the line.<\/p>\n
Mackenzie Arnold brilliantly stuck out her leg to deny Deanne Rose in the 66th minute as Canada sought a reply.<\/p>\n
Fowler hit the post in the 80th minute but Australia made it four in the 94th.<\/p>\n
A VAR referral determined Jessie Fleming had stepped on Gorry inside the 18-yard box.<\/p>\n
Proud Melburnian Catley coolly stepped up and buried the penalty to put an exclamation mark on the victory and send AAMI Park into ecstasy.<\/p>\n
Heartbroken Canada coach Bev Priestman couldn’t explain the Olympic champions’ flat display.<\/p>\n
“Football can be cruel sometimes and tonight it was cruel,” Priestman said.<\/p>\n
“We got punished, we got an early goal, and I think the team lacked belief.<\/p>\n
“I was with them right to the very end, they kept pushing, we made changes, and it just wasn’t our night tonight.<\/p>\n
“At this level, margins are fine.”<\/p>\n
SNAPSHOT OF AUSTRALIA’S WORLD CUP GAME AGAINST CANADA<\/p>\n