After two convincing wins over South Africa and Denmark in October, the Matildas' slowly building momentum towards next year's Women's World Cup has gathered pace with an historic 4-0 thumping of world number two Sweden in Melbourne.
It was Australia's first victory over the Olympic silver medallists since 1997: an entire generation of players removed from this current crop, including four starting players who had not yet even been born. It's also the biggest winning margin the Matildas have recorded against a top-five nation in their history.
A first-half goal to Sam Kerr, which came against the run of play, put Australia up 1-0 at the break, but it was in the second half that the home side really came to life.
The Matildas slotted three more goals — including a brace to stand-out attacker Caitlin Foord — past the European Championship semifinalists to record not just a win over the highest-ranked nation since the USA in 2017, but also their first clean sheet since February's Asian Cup.
It felt like a turning-point game for Australia in the Tony Gustavsson era, having shown glimpses in the past few international windows of the type of brave, attacking football — as well as the game management — that the Swede has been encouraging from the outset of his tenure.
However, it took some time for the Matildas to find their confidence and rhythm against the battle-hardened Swedish side, which was without a number of key players including influential midfielder Kosovare Asllani, captain Caroline Seger and lethal Barcelona winger Fridolina Rolfo.
Their absence left the door open for the impressive Madele Janogy, who was arguably the team's most dangerous player, alongside Arsenal centre-forward Stina Blackstenius, with the two creating some of the nation's best chances in the opening half, only to be denied by the superb Teagan Micah in goal, some scrambling defence by 150-cap centre-back Clare Polkinghorne, and some unfortunate physics around the crossbar.
Having dominated chances, possession, territory, crosses and shots until that point, Sam Kerr's opening goal for Australia in the 37th minute was the first in a series of moments that gradually deflated the visitors.
Kerr threw herself at the front post to toe-poke a slicing cut-back from Hayley Raso, who had combined with Foord earlier in the move to create some space near the by-line for one of Australia's rare clear-cut chances in the opening half.
Some subtle positional changes by Gustvasson — including bringing Foord more central, moving left-back Steph Catley into central defence, and allowing young midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross more licence to gallop forward — paid immediate dividends for the Matildas in the second stanza, with Foord scoring the first of her two goals in the 51st minute.
Cooney-Cross latched onto a counter-attacking clearance in her own half and charged upfield, waiting for the slicing run of Foord before playing a perfectly weighted pass with the outside of her boot into the path of the Arsenal winger.
Foord then characteristically cut in-field and curled a strike into the far corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Australia's third came in similar fashion, with midfield conductor Katrina Gorry sending a diagonal pass across the field to find the sprinting Kerr, who passed gently in-field for substitute Mary Fowler. Fowler then took a single touch into the box and unleashed a strike that deflected off defender Linda Sembrant, wrong-footing goalkeeper Zecira Musovic, and nestling in the back of the net.
Foord then capped off her stellar second half with her fifth goal in three games — and her second brace in as many matches — poking home the ball after a delightful series of incisive passes between her, Kerr, and substitute Emily Van Egmond around the top of the box.
"I'm just enjoying myself at the moment and enjoying my football, and when we come home, we want to take every opportunity to make the most of it," Foord said afterwards.
"I love playing with these girls and I think that showed tonight.
"I think over the last year, it's been about finding a balance of what [Gustavsson] wants and what makes us feel good, and I feel like we've finally come together and found that sweet spot.
We want to be an attacking team, we want to be aggressive, and we play better when we do that.
"I just want to do my best role for the team. My half against Denmark [scoring a brace in a more central position], I did well there … it's a lot more running, but I enjoyed it."
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Live updates
By Samantha Lewis
Until next time
Thanks so much for joining me on this incredible afternoon of football; an afternoon that feels like a turning-point for the Matildas as the Women's World Cup leans into view.
That's it from me for a while. I'll be jetting off to Qatar next week to cover the 2022 FIFA men's World Cup, so keep an eye on ABC Sport's website, our social media channels (especially Instagram and TikTok!), as well as television and radio as I take you onto the ground in Doha for what's shaping up to be one of the more intriguing tournaments in recent memory.
Hejdå.
Audience comment
The Matilda's seem to come up stronger in the second half often. I will say that Sweden seemed more organised in the first, but WAY off in the goal area.
- Natty
Audience comment
Thats gotta make everyone feel good and confident especially the matildas that they can change for this world cup
- alex in Adelaide
By Samantha Lewis
Post-match thoughts
"Sometimes the performances we put in don't get the results we deserve."
The Channel 10 commentator has summed up this moment perfectly.
You could feel the Matildas building towards this kind of game for a number of windows now: they showed the foundations of good football in patches against Canada, then strung those patches together more convincingly in those two wins over South Africa and Denmark.
But today is different. This is Sweden. A team that won silver at the Tokyo Olympics. A team that made the semi-finals of the Women's Euros. A team that's ranked second in the world and a serious chance at winning next year's Women's World Cup.
And we just slotted four goals past them.
This is Australia's first win over Sweden since 1997: an entire generation of players away. They're the highest-ranked nation the Matildas have defeated since that historic 1-0 victory over the USA back in 2017, while also being the first clean sheet they've maintained against a top-10-ranked side since the 0-0 draw against an under-cooked USA in Tokyo.
And to have done so with this eclectic mix of players - four of whom weren't even alive the last time Australia beat Sweden, but who have worked their way into starting positions over the past year - is truly impressive.
It's also, in many ways, a relief. Especially for the senior players like Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Clare Polkinghorne - players who were there for the high of 2017 and have weathered the lows of the past two years as they've tried to build under Gustavsson.
Foord's brace, combined with goals to Kerr and substitute Mary Fowler, were just the end-point of a process this team has been part of for some time.
And boy, doesn't it feel good.
By Samantha Lewis
I mean...I'm fine with being wrong sometimes...
- Natty
Wrong in the best possible way!
By Samantha Lewis
Thanks for the blog Sam - I'm not superstitious, but you should wear whatever you're wearing today for the world cup games.
- Mike
Deal.
By Samantha Lewis
Full-time: Australia 4 - 0 Sweden
What. A. Game.
Audience comment
This game seems unreal. I am extremely impressed with the team’s performance.
- Lachlan
By Samantha Lewis
88' Sweden are all out of ideas
They've done all they could but the heat combined with the scoreline has understandably flattened the world number two.
They may have been missing some of the better and most experienced players, but this is still an impressive performance from Australia - especially their younger players, who have stood up to this battle-hardened Swedish side as though they'd been there all along.
By Samantha Lewis
84' Emily Van Egmond is down
She's not been on for long but the San Diego Wave midfielder has splayed herself out on the turf with the physios taking a look at her lower leg.
She's walking off the field after a few moments - during which her team-mates got some much-needed sips of water. She seems fine now.
By Samantha Lewis
81' Australia substitution
Caitlin Foord and Charlie Grant are replaced by Aivi Luik and Larissa Crummer.
Both starters have been dazzling today, especially in this second half.
Foord in particular gets a standing ovation for her two goals, taking her tally to 5 in the past 3 games, and back-to-back braces after doing the same against Denmark in October.
By Samantha Lewis
Crikey Samantha! What are you doing!!?
- Mike
I AM MANIFESTING JOY.
By Samantha Lewis
A big crowd for a big, big game
22,065 people have piled into AAMI Park in Melbourne for this game today.
If the Matildas hold on to full-time, this will be the highest-ranked nation they've defeated since they beat the USA all the way back in 2017.
Amazing scenes.
By Samantha Lewis
78' GOAL AUSTRALIA
Caitlin Foord has a brace!
Slick, one-touch football from the Matildas as they score their fourth goal against the Olympic silver medallists.
Foord links up with Kerr, who squares for Van Egmond near the top of the box.
With her first touch of the game, she threads a stunning through-ball into the area for the charging Foord, who sweeps past her defenders and pokes past Musovic.
4-0. Unreal.
Audience comment
Everything is working out today, how good 👌
- alex in Adelaide
By Samantha Lewis
74' Australia substitution
Emily Van Egmond replaces the excellent Kyra Cooney-Cross, who grew into the game after a shaky opening 15 minutes and ended up being pivotal in the build-up to the second goal.
Fantastic shift by the youngster, who's looking more and more like Australia's starting central midfielder with every game she plays.
By Samantha Lewis
72' GOAL AUSTRALIA
IT'S THREE NIL!
A stunning cross-field pass from Katrina Gorry finds Kerr, who feeds Mary Fowler running through the centre-channel.
Fowler takes a touch into the box and, sending defenders closing around her, puts her foot through it.
The ball spins off the back of a scrambling defender and loops over Musovic and into the net!
By Samantha Lewis
69' CHANCE AUSTRALIA!
The best corner from Steph Catley all game glances off the head of Sam Kerr and falls right into the path of Hayley Raso, who's totally unmarked at the back post.
All she needs to do is cushion it into the back of the net.
A single touch. No power. Just tap it in. Taaaaap it...
...and it rolls just wide of the post.
