'Hardly sighted': Rising star shut down by clinical defence

The Matildas' inspiring World Cup run came to a disappointing extremity with a 2-0 loss to Sweden successful the third-place playoff.

Fatigue intelligibly played a relation successful the effect aft a gruelling tournament, with immoderate players struggling portion others continued to enactment their champion ft forward. 

Wide World of Sports assessed the show of each subordinate who took to the field.

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Mackenzie Arnold of Australia dives successful vain arsenic Kosovare Asllani scores. (Getty)

18. Mackenzie Arnold: 7.5

Pulled disconnected a mates of immense saves successful the archetypal fractional including a reflex halt of Swedish midfielder Filippa Angeldal. Could not beryllium blamed for the goals that went by her and commanded her container powerfully passim the match. 

7. Steph Catley: 6.5

Looked to supply an enactment retired wide and supplied immoderate unsafe crosses. Was defensively dependable again and was progressive successful immoderate last-ditch tackles arsenic Australia pushed guardant successful the 2nd half. 

4. Clare Polkinghorne: 5

She stepped successful again for the ruled-out Alanna Kennedy, but struggled with the gait of the crippled arsenic Sweden looked to property her interaction and unit mistakes.

VAR puts Sweden ahead

15. Clare Hunt: 7

Gave distant an unlucky first-half punishment but different provided different composed and dependable passing and antiaircraft performance, which person defined her tournament.

21. Ellie Carpenter: 5.5

Struggled again with her quality to support possession but provided her accustomed energetic bursts retired wide and did execute a unsafe transverse aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

9. Caitlin Foord: 5.5

Was not arsenic progressive arsenic Australia would person liked arsenic she struggled to isolate her defender retired wide. Looked to way backmost and assistance defensively erstwhile needed. 

An embattled Caitlin Foord looks connected arsenic Kosovare Asllani of Sweden scores. (Cameron Spencer via Getty Images)

23. Kyra Cooney-Cross: 5.5

Struggled to enforce herself successful the midfield arsenic Sweden dominated successful the mediate of the park. Showed immoderate bully touches amidst the Swedish property but would person hoped to person controlled and dictated the gait of the crippled more.

19. Katrina Gorry: 6

Australia's champion midfielder successful the archetypal half, she looked to thrust into the container portion providing her accustomed antiaircraft screen and energy.

16. Hayley Raso: 5.5

Provided immoderate unsafe runs guardant and saw her first-half changeable saved astatine the adjacent post. Though, her interaction and last shot inactive lacked the prime needed erstwhile she recovered herself successful attacking areas.  

11. Mary Fowler: 5

Mary Fowler looks dejected aft Australia's defeat. (Getty)

Was hardly sighted arsenic the crippled seemed to walk her by. Did supply immoderate beauteous touches but could not showcase her undoubted quality against a disciplined and choky Swedish defence. 

20. Sam Kerr: 6

Looked unsafe erstwhile she was capable to crook and tally astatine the Swedish defence. Released a almighty changeable which was good saved by Swedish "brick wall" Zecira Musovic astatine the extremity of the archetypal half. Received a achy sound to her calf successful the 2nd fractional arsenic the Swedish defence kept her comparatively quiet. 

Substitutes

10. Emily Van Egmond, substituted connected 59th min: 5

Came connected to supply an other carnal beingness but struggled to marque an interaction successful a 2nd fractional wherever Australia was chasing the game. 

5. Cortnee Vine, substituted connected 59th min: 6

Provided a unsafe transverse which Mary Fowler astir latched onto successful the 2nd half. She tried to impact herself retired wide but suffered from a deficiency of work arsenic the 2nd fractional became progressively hopeless for Australia. 

8. Alexandra Chidiac, substituted connected 73rd min: 5.5

Came connected for immoderate uncommon minutes successful this tourney and did her champion to supply immoderate chopped and thrust successful the last third. 

2. Courtney Nevin, substituted connected 73rd min: 5.5

Came connected for her archetypal minutes of the tourney and was comparatively dependable astatine the backmost arsenic Australia searched for a mode backmost into the contest.