Sweden women’s football team ended their FIFA World Cup 2023 campaign with an easy win over hosts Australia in the third-place game on Saturday, August 19. Fridolina Rolfo and the veteran AC Milan striker Kosovare Asllani scored one goal in each half to overpower the Matildas at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and helped Sweden claim the record fourth Bronze medal in tournament history.
Australia suffered a 1-3 defeat against England in the semi-final game while Sweden failed to reach the final after a 1-2 loss to Spain. The European side was always the favourite to win against Australia who were hoping to pull off a positive result for the home fans after an impressive performance throughout the tournament.
Sweden’s opening goal came from a controversial penalty when the striker Blackstenius was tackled down by centre-back Clare Polkinghorne in the 30th minute. Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfo confidently converted the penalty into the goal to give Sweden a 1-0 lead.
The Matildas were impressive in the second half and created some close chances but were not able to find the back of the net. AC Milan’s experienced striker Kosovare Asllani added the second goal with a brilliant strike from outside the box to finish the game as her team kept a clean sheet.
Sweden, who also finished the last edition in third place, claimed their record fourth Bronze medal while Australia recorded their best finish in tournament history. After the game, Australian skipper and legendary striker Sam Kerr revealed that they wanted to win the game but it wasn’t meant to be.
“We wanted to win, we wanted to have some hardware to take home. But it wasn’t to be,” the Matildas skipper said. “But it’s honestly been a dream come true in the way that the fans have got behind us, and the way the girls have carried themselves. I think we’ve proven to the world, and also within Australia, that we are a footballing nation. And that’s all down to the fans. We couldn’t get it done tonight but hopefully, we’ve inspired people for many years to come.”
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