Canada leaves the FIFA Ladies’s World Cup early and shell-shocked. And, in some instances, in tears.
The Olympic champion Canadians have been put to the sword Monday in a surprising, lopsided 4-0 loss to Australia.
It was not fairly, except you have been Australian. The Tenth-ranked Matildas wanted to win to make sure of shifting on to the match’s knockout spherical they usually wasted little time getting the job executed.
It was one-way site visitors from the get-go.
Hayley Raso scored twice as Canada’s vaunted defence was carved open within the first half. It might have been 3-0 on the break however a 3rd Australian purpose was dominated offside.
Canada didn’t put a shot on course in a primary half and appeared rattled.
WATCH: Sinclair says early exit a ‘wake-up name’ for Canada Soccer:
And It bought worse as Mary Fowler made it 3-0 within the 58th minute. Rubbing salt within the wound, Steph Catley scored on a stoppage-time penalty after video assessment confirmed a foul in opposition to Canada’s Jessie Fleming on the sting of the field.
Veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt, who had beforehand mentioned she was retiring from worldwide soccer, mentioned after the sport she was “gutted, heartbroken.”
“I really feel actually horrible. I really feel like we let down Canadians who wakened early to observe that recreation,” she added, referencing the 6 a.m. ET kickoff. “Australia got here out robust, executed their recreation plan completely. They constructed momentum.”
Fleming and defender Vanessa Gilles fought again tears as they spoke to reporters.
“A foul night time to have a foul night time,” mentioned Fleming. “I simply really feel numerous disappointment. We have now a world-class employees again there with us and world-class followers and I do not assume we represented them properly sufficient tonight. I simply assume this workforce has a lot extra in us and such a greater efficiency. That was not seen tonight.”
“The Aussies outdid us at the moment, there is not any hiding from that,” mentioned Gilles.
WATCH: Sophie Schmidt shoulders blame:
A draw or win would have moved the seventh-ranked Canadians into the spherical of 16. However they quickly discovered themselves with a mountain to climb earlier than a partisan crowd introduced at 27,706 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
And now they go residence after three video games, ending third in Group B with a 1-1-1 document. They’re the primary defending Olympic champion to not get out of the primary spherical of a World Cup.
It is Canada’s worst end on the match because it went winless in 2011 and completed final. It is possible additionally the Canadian ladies’s worst recreation in recent times.
And it is one other physique blow for Canada Soccer in a 12 months blighted by a bitter labour dispute, though head coach Bev Priestman and her gamers refused to level the finger on the off-field distractions.
“Has it been a very actually powerful 12 months? Completely,” she mentioned. “However on the finish of the day, we got here right here tonight pondering we should always have been capable of win. And we did not. And we’ve got to replicate on that.”
Talismanic Canadian captain Christine Sinclair, who got here off the bench in final Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Eire, returned to the beginning lineup however was certainly one of 4 gamers substituted at halftime as Priestman appeared for solutions. One wonders how lengthy the 40-year-old icon, the world’s all-time main scorer, will maintain going.
In departing her sixth World Cup, the stylish captain took some blades of grass from the sphere together with her as a memento from her 326th worldwide look.
Requested what was subsequent for her, Sinclair replied: “I do not know.”
Whereas this match is over, a two-game Olympic qualifier with No. 43 Jamaica looms in late September.
The Canadians knew a loss Monday may not finish their marketing campaign, offering No. 40 Nigeria was overwhelmed by No. 22 Eire and the tiebreakers have been of their favour. Nigeria and Eire performed to a 0-0 draw, snuffing out that situation.
Australia (2-1-0) wins the group with Nigeria (1-0-2) additionally advancing. Eire (0-2-1) finishes fourth.
“Soccer will be merciless typically and I feel tonight it was merciless,” mentioned Priestman. “We bought punished. We bought an early purpose (in opposition to us) and I feel the workforce lacked perception.
“I did not come right here at the moment pondering I used to be going residence, that we have been going residence. However these are the moments that make you. And it hurts like hell now however we’ll study (from it).”
Priestman credited Australia for its efficiency. However she was quick on solutions on why her workforce was “as rattled as what we have seen,” seemingly nonetheless processing the disastrous efficiency through the post-game information convention.
She cited psychological efficiency in deadline with strain and the workforce studying to cope with a goal on its again as Olympic champion.
“That is new territory and for me that is the distinction,” Priestman mentioned. “The group is definitely deeper and arguably extra proficient in some regards (than the workforce that received Tokyo gold).”
Australia faces the Group D runner-up whereas Nigeria takes on the Group D winner within the spherical of 16, with each video games set for Aug. 7.
No. 4 England (2-0-0) at present tops Group D with No. 13 Denmark (1-1-0) second, forward of No. 14 China (1-1-0) on a tiebreaker. The ultimate positions in Group D will likely be determined Tuesday when England takes on China in Adelaide and winless Haiti faces Denmark in Perth.