Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Edmonton: Australia joined reigning World champions Japan and China in the knockout stage of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Sweden was enough to see the Matildas advance as Group D runners-up behind the USA.
Australia skipper Lisa De Vanna gave the 2010 AFC Asian Cup champions the early advantage only for Sofia Jakobsson to cancel out the Australia skipper’s fifth-minute opener with the equaliser on the quarter-of-an-hour mark.
With neither side able to add to the two early goals the two teams had to settle for a share of the spoils which saw Australia end their group stage campaign with four points, three shy of the USA, who topped the table with seven points following their narrow 1-0 win over Nigeria.
“I’m obviously very proud of the team. I read a lot of reports before the tournament and I don’t think one predicted us to progress,” said Australia coach Allen Stajcic.
“The first ten minutes was fantastic, and then we lost some composure for a while. A tough game and not a pretty one to watch perhaps, but this gives us so much belief that we can take on the best and beat them in the knockout rounds.
“Any team that comes up against will have a fight on their hands.”
Sweden went into the match needing a win to maintain their record of having reached the knockout phase in all bit one of the previous editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1991, while avoiding defeat would be sufficient for Stajcic’s side.
Australia took the early initiative when De Vanna, who had two spells in the Swedish Damallsvenskan, first with AIK in 2008 and then with Linkoping four years later, gave the Matildas a dream start at the Commonwealth Stadium when she put Australia 1-0 up with just five minutes gone.
De Vanna (pictured) latched onto Laura Alleway’s long ball before confidently slotting the ball past Sweden keeper Hedvig Lindahl to break the deadlock.
However, the advantage was not to last long with Jakobsson drawing the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finalists level just ten minutes later.
Jakobsson, who currently plays her club football in France with Montpellier after spells with teams in Russia, England, and Germany, as well as her native Sweden, restored parity with a low drive from outside the area that crept inside the post of Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
The goal boosted Sweden’s confidence and the Matildas were twice indebted to Williams for keeping the score level first when she showed sharp reflexes to tip Caroline Seger’s volley over the bar and then - just 60 seconds later - when the USA-based keeper denied Jakobsson a second from point-blank range.
Australia continue their campaign on June 21 when they take on Brazil in Moncton with the Matildas looking to reach the last eight of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the third time in a row after making it to the quarter-finals of Germany 2011 and China 2007.
Photo: FIFA/Getty Images