Matildas stunned by Nigeria to leave Women’s World Cup hopes in balance

All week, the question for the Matildas had been where the goals would come from, in the absence of injured captain Sam Kerr and, more recently, concussed striker Mary Fowler. On Thursday night, it turned out that was the wrong question. Nigeria put three past a shell-shocked Australia to silence the home crowd and leave the Matildas’ Women’s World Cup dreams hanging by a thread. Without Kerr and Fowler, the Australians found two goals – only they had not counted on conceding three.

How a game, and possibly a whole World Cup campaign, can change in a heartbeat. Following a dominant but goalless first 45 minutes, the Matildas opened the scoring in the first minute of injury time. When the moment came, the Matildas streamed towards their bench. After a week of adversity – Kerr’s late withdrawal before the team’s opening match, concussions to Fowler and Aivi Luik, questions about whether the Matildas could withstand this pressure – the players knew instinctively where they wanted to be.

Moving as one, the golden-clad Matildas covered half the pitch in seconds. This is a team of 23, and with captain Kerr, Fowler and co on the bench, there was only one place for the 11 starters to celebrate. Had the Matildas held on to their advantage, this might have become the iconic scene of the tournament – an inflection point that could define a campaign.

What a goal it had been. A poorly-placed goal-kick from Nigeria custodian Chiamaka Nnadozie late in the first half was expertly gathered by Katrina Gorry, dispatching Arsenal striker Caitlin Foord down the left flank. Cortnee Vine made the first darting move into the box, but it was Emily van Egmond trailing behind her who connected with Foord’s cross. Van Egmond had been Tony Gustavsson’s gamble on Thursday night – the one change after Fowler was ruled out. The Swedish coach could have opted for youthful exuberance in Alex Chidiac, or creativity from Tameka Yallop. Instead, it was Van Egmond in her 130th match for the Matildas.

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But the home team and a buoyant crowd barely had five minutes to celebrate. On the stroke of the break, deep into the fifth and last minute of injury time, it was Nigeria’s turn. Rasheedat Ajibade pushed forward on the left, leaving Australia’s attacking-minded wingback Ellie Carpenter dangerously exposed. With her blue hair and unbelievable pace, the Atlético Madrid star was unmistakable as she danced towards the Matildas’ box. A deflected cross found Uchenna Kanu lurking at the far-post, and she drove her shot past Mackenzie Arnold.

It was only the second first-half goal scored by Nigeria in 18 matches at the Women’s World Cup, and just the second goal conceded by Australia in six matches. But it counted all the same.

The two goals shattered the tension that had descended over Brisbane Stadium, after the Matildas controlled but failed to execute in ordinary time. Corner, corner, chance, corner, corner, chance, corner, corner, chance – thus it had gone, albeit without the cutting edge of Kerr or Fowler (nor, for that matter, the strike trio of Asisat Oshoala, Francisca Ordega or Deborah Abiodun for Nigeria). Until the two goals in quick succession, it had been a knock to Vine and subsequent concussion test (passed without difficulty) that had troubled the Matildas more than any Nigerian threat. How that would change.

A week on from the record-breaking crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney, it was Brisbane’s turn to host the hottest ticket in town. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, foreign minister Penny Wong and basketball star Patty Mills were among those in the VIP seats, along with almost 50,000 other fans who filled Caxton Street prematch before decamping to Brisbane Stadium.

The entertainment continued in the second half. Following a more evenly-balanced early encounters, the Super Falcons took a startling advantage in the 65th minute. Osinachi Ohale put her body on the line to score past Arnold – receiving lengthy medical attention having received a knock while taking the ball into the Matildas’ net.

Disaster turned to calamity minutes later, when Barcelona’s Oshoala made the most of her addition to the game in the second-half to inflict more pain on Australia. It was a forlorn sight – Nigeria raining on the Matildas’ parade. Pouncing on a mix-up between Arnold and central defender Alanna Kennedy, Oshoala was clinical in dispatching the goal that would put the match beyond doubt. The striker ran past the corner flag and whipped off her shirt, mobbed by team-mates in defiance of the dazed crowd. A yellow card followed, but Oshoala hardly seemed to care.

It may have been defensive frailty rather than attacking impotence that cost Australia this blockbuster clash. But the absence of Kerr, Fowler and fellow forward Kyah Simon on Thursday night hurt all the same. Down two goals and with their tournament on the line, Gustavsson turned to a central defender. A goalscoring defender in Clare Polkinghorne, but a defender all the same.

Gifted 11 minutes of injury time to overhaul the deficit, the Matildas finally made the most of their 15th corner. With the entire team forward, even goalkeeper Arnold, Kennedy made amends for her earlier mistake to nod home. A desperate handful of minutes followed, but the Australians were unable to find an equaliser at the death.

The Matildas now have just four days to turn their World Cup campaign around, before a do-or-die clash with Canada in Melbourne on Monday. Win and the home side will still progress to the round of 16, albeit possibly facing a tougher route through the knockout rounds. Lose and the Matildas’ World Cup is over, well before anyone expected. – Guardian