Australia missed out on a first appearance in a Women’s World Cup final after a 3-1 defeat to England in Sydney.
The Matildas fell behind in the first half at Stadium Australia before Sam Kerr levelled with a spectacular finish from distance.
But goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo secured victory for the Lionesses late on to take Sarina Wiegman’s side through to a second consecutive major tournament final.
Australia had flourished on home soil during the World Cup, even in the injury-enforced absence of star Kerr for much of the campaign, to progress to the last four for the first time. A last-four defeat nonetheless left the nation wondering what might have been, with Tony Gustavsson’s side now heading to Brisbane for the third-place play-off against Sweden on Saturday.
Domestic media reports took in the defeat and the emotion of the occasion afterwards with a string of headlines and front pages reflecting on their semi-final appearance – but England’s approach was also criticised by the Australian national press.
The front page of The Australian reflected both the disappointment and how support has swelled behind the Matildas during the tournament, saying: “Dream Kerr-tailed but national love affair’s just begun”.
Sydney’sDaily Telegraph similarly played with the star forward’s name, describing the result as a “Heart breakerr”.
“Pride and pain,” read the front of Melbourne daily The Age, while The Sydney Morning Herald also reflected a similar theme, describing the Matildas as “queens of hearts” over an image showing the Australia squad gathered together in a heart shape after their defeat.
In Perth, meanwhile, The West Australian went with “It hurts …but we’re so proud” on the front of Thursday’s edition.
Pride was also a topic touched upon by Greg Baum in The Age, with the long-time columnist suggesting that Australia would look back on their World Cup fondly.
“The joyride is over, but the glow will long remain,” Baum wrote. “Once the hurt subsides, and it will, the prevailing sentiment ought to be not disappointment in falling so near to the grail, but pride in getting so close.”
However, not all writers felt Australia’s exit was just, with some criticising England’s tactics.
The Herald Sun, a Melbourne tabloid, described Wiegman’s side as “a rough England team, happy to foul the Matildas to stop their momentum early.”
The Daily Telegraph also felt England were “willing to do anything to rough up” Australia, with Alex Greenwood’s first-half tackle on Kerr, for which the defender was booked, picked out as one moment where the Lionesses “bent the rules”.
“They harped on about the spirit of the game during the Ashes series when English wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow was fairly stumped when he left his crease but it appears that ethos doesn’t carry over to football after English players bent the rules in a fiery first half,” the paper said, drawing comparisons between a contentious moment in the second men’s Test at Lord’s earlier in the English summer.
The Sydney tabloid, owned by News Corp, also dismissed the criticism it had received for flying a helicopter over Lionesses training to take images ahead of the semi-final, saying that the “Poms” had found “another reason to whinge”.
Australian television coverage of the semi-final was watched by more than 11 million people on Channel 7 in the country.
The broadcast was the most-watched TV event in the nation’s history.
