The Matildas will seek to finish their record-breaking World Cup run with victory over Sweden in the third-place playoff on Saturday night (6pm AEST).
After finishing fourth in the Tokyo Olympics – Australia’s best ever finish – the Matildas have already ensured their place in history by at least equalling that result at the World Cup on home soil.
Now they face world number three Sweden for the chance at a bronze medal.
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Kennedy set to miss clash with Sweden | 04:42
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson hit back at criticism over his limited-rotation policy towards selection this tournament, after the Matildas looked fatigued in their semi-final defeat to England.
No coach gave fewer average minutes to substitutes this tournament, with Gustavsson heavily reliant on a core group.
“We have had a clear strategy and I know there are opinions in this room about that, which I think is fair because I like those types of debates — whether you should rotate players in a tournament, whether you should have continuity in the line-up,” he said on Friday.
“I think you saw in the [last] Olympics and I think you’ve seen now we have gone with a strategy that we think relationship and continuity in tournaments is key.
“It’s a strategy that we believe in but player availability will be key in that sense — how much do they have in their tank physically [and] who starts. The base and core of it will be what we think is best to win the game.”
He compared his deployment of substitutes to European champions England, saying their 6-1 demolition of China in the group stages allowed them to field more subs and skew the statistics.
“Other than that, they have actually done fewer subs than us,” he said.
“They have continuity and they are in a World Cup final.”
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Despite many of the regular starting XI having played the vast majority of minutes across the six games so far, Gustavsson hinted at limited changes, claiming he would deploy the ‘strongest starting-line-up’.
Asked about the likes of youngsters Charli Grant, Clare Wheeler and Alex Chidiac, who have been given extremely limited minutes this tournament, the Swede said he would be picking his side to win, and not ‘based on emotions’.
“If [selection] was emotionally [based], those players would play because they deserve to play,” he said.
“But I can’t pick based on emotions. This is a third-placed game, we’re playing for a medal. I’m going to make sure we have a line-up that is the strongest starting line-up we can have but also the strongest finishing line-up.
“So, once again, I’m just going to plan what I think is best for the team in this one game and not look at the bigger picture of that.
“It’s not about giving players experience just for the sake of giving experience. This is a game to win.”
The team will again be without centre-back veteran Alanna Kennedy, who missed the England game after suffering delayed concussion symptoms following the quarter-final win over France.
