After three underwhelming performances saw them crash out at the group stage for the first time since 2000, the Matildas' Olympic campaign must be a reality check for the Australian game.
As the full-time whistle lingered like a bad dream in the humid Marseille night, the Matildas centre-back could do nothing but collapse into the grass and burst into tears.
After a few minutes, Kennedy wipes the hot tears from her cheeks and stands up. She knows she needs to face it now. They all do.At exactly this time last year, the Matildas went into their third group game against Canada at their home World Cup — a game that they needed to win to keep their tournament hopes alive — and emerged 4-0 winners..
Kennedy almost snatched them from death's jaws on Thursday, clawing a goal back in the 91st minute before missing an equaliser a minute later. Did she have flashbacks to that missed penalty against Brazil that bundled Australia out of Rio 2016? Does anyone ever forget these things? In the first instance, they did so thanks to the generational talent of Sam Kerr, who almost single-handedly dragged Australia to the semifinals. In the second, the immeasurable boost of a home crowd, coupled with key players in top form, helped push them to the same stage.
In juxtaposition to the Matildas' World Cup run, their performances last year were blips on their otherwise outstanding records, not single moments to hold aloft and pretend are the new normal. Maybe he will reflect back on those decisions and wish he'd gone about them differently. Maybe he won't. Regardless, he can be proud of having helped rocket this team to national superstardom, which is something no coach before him had done. There is gratitude from all of us for that.
Several senior players are on the cusp of retirement, leaving a gap that needs to be urgently filled before Australia host the Women's Asian Cup in 2026. Lydia Williams, Clare Polkinghorne, Katrina Gorry, Tameka Yallop, and Michelle Heyman will all likely walk out the Matildas' door, taking with them hundreds of caps and decades' worth of experience.
USA Paris Olympics Group Stage Tony Gustavsson Alanna Kennedy Emma Hayes Trinity Rodman Canada
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