Australia roared to a 4-0 victory over Sweden in Melbourne to make it three wins on the bounce. A Caitlin Foord double as well as goals for Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler earned the Matildas a win over their highest-ranked opponents since their 1-0 defeat of the world No. 1 United States back in 2017.
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While Sweden were the dominant side for the opening half, it was the Matildas who took the lead through Kerr in the 37th minute. In what was her first goal in green and gold since April, Kerr was able to direct the ball past her Chelsea teammate Zecira Musovic in the Swedish goal, after a pinpoint pass from Katrina Gorry, smart layoff from Foord, and cross from Hayley Raso.
The Matildas kicked up the intensity in the second half and added three goals to the scoreline, making this their most comprehensive ever victory over a team ranked in FIFA’s top five.
Foord began to strut her stuff, unleashing a stunning curling strike to make it two following an outside of the boot assist from Cooney-Cross. Fowler, with the help a massive deflection, added a third. Gorry’s cross-field ball from the back part of the midfield found Kerr who was able to tee up Fowler for the finish. Foord rounded out the rout and netted her brace, following some smooth passes from Kerr and substitute Emily van Egmond.
Pleasingly for the Matildas, the team was able to keep a clean sheet, their first since their scoreless draw with the United States at the Olympics, in what was overall an almost complete performance for the Aussies.
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Rapid reaction
1. Caitlin Foord is the most in-form Matilda
Tony Gustavsson is always the first to admit that majority of a player’s development occurs in club land, he can only hope that players are able to bring that form to the national team. Foord has absolutely done that and been able to maintain it across international windows as well as across competitions for Arsenal. Her two goals against Sweden are in addition to her brace against Denmark and goal against South Africa in October.
When asked about what to put her good form down to, Foord laughed and said she was simply enjoying her football. But when pressed to think about it more, she offered up an illuminating answer as to the progress of women’s football as a whole, particularly for Australians. “I just put it down to having an offseason,” Foord told media postmatch. “I think having time away from the game, having time to refresh and to miss the game a bit, I think that’s what I’ve needed. It’s been so many years back and forward [between leagues] and not really having that time to just settle down.”
“I think that’s for a lot of us as well and making the move to England has given us the opportunity to do that.”
