Disappointed, but proud. That was how Tony Gustavsson summed up the emotions following Australia’s heartbreaking semi-final loss to England in front of another capacity crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Despite their devastation, the Matildas players did a lap of the stadium to thank their fans for the support – a gesture that was warmly reciprocated.
“We promised each other to leave everything out there, and every single player did,” Gustavsson said. “I think that’s why the fans thanked them and supported them afterwards as well. Yes we’re disappointed we didn’t win, but you also need to be proud of yourself when you leave everything out there.
“We’re very disappointed that we lost, but hopefully we won something else; we won the heart and the passion for the game in this country.”
Gustavsson conceded it was England’s effectiveness in front of goal that ultimately won them the game, but he paid tribute to Sam Kerr for digging deep and playing the full 90 minutes.
After starting her first match of the tournament Kerr scored a stunning solo goal to briefly draw Australia level, but Gustavsson said it will be her two missed opportunities late in the game that will consume her.
“Knowing Sam, she probably thinks that goal was worth nothing,” he said. “She wants to win – she’s a winner. I’m happy for her she got that goal, I think it proves who Sam Kerr is and what she can do. I also know she’s upset she missed those two chances at the end of the game – that’s how she’s wired. She always wants to score, she looks at herself as a goalscorer, a game winner.
“We need to support her. She did everything she could. She might not be in the form of her life because of that injury, but still she had a really good performance. Who knows what it would have been like if she had been totally healthy? But that’s speculation.”
A disappointed Kerr told reporters after the game that her goal, “doesn’t really matter right now”.
“After we scored I felt we were going to go and score another, but they got momentum back.”
It might be the last thing on their minds, but the Matildas have a third-place playoff match against Gustavsson’s home country of Sweden on Saturday. He admitted he had hoped to meet Sweden in the final, but there is simply no time to dwell on that.
“We have extremely limited time and if we get too emotionally dragged down with this one, we have no chance in the bronze medal game. We need to be strong now,” he said. “They have 24 hours on us in terms of recovery, which might play a massive part in that game.”
