It isn’t supposed to be ending like this.
Emily van Egmond’s goal in first-half stoppage time felt cathartic. A roar, a sprint into the arms of the injured icon Sam Kerr. Opponents Nigeria had not won a match after falling behind for over a decade.
Despite Kerr’s absence through injury so far from this Women’s World Cup they are co-hosting, the equation seemed clear — Australia would do enough, with two narrow wins in their first two group matches, to guarantee themselves a knockout phase fixture. Advance Australia Fair.
But in the antipodean winter, away from the glare of the city and the lights of the coast, dusk sets quickly and falls deeply. The glinting optimism of the Southern Cross shimmers with little more than remoteness and by the end of Nigeria’s startling 3-2 comeback victory in Brisbane on Thursday, it felt as if the stars on the country’s flag were being hauled down from the 2023 World Cup’s flagpole.
Kerr celebrates but by the end, her country were on their knees (Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Monday’s finale against Canada, the other pre-tournament favourites to progress from Group B, feels like a must-win if the Matildas are to avoid being dumped out of their home World Cup in the group stage. With only the top two…
