Key events
41 mins: Now Angeldal isn’t far off, lacing a rising thunderbastard that just whooshes over the angle of post and bar.
40 mins: For a minute or more Sweden treat Brisbane like their private training facility, working the ball one way then the other at varying speeds, keeping the ball out of reach of Australia’s forlorn chasers. Eventually Rolfö picks out Asllani with a cross but the volleyed effort is straight at Arnold.
39 mins: Now Sweden get the chance to take some sting out of the match, control possession and return some structure to proceedings.
37 mins: Sam Kerr has come to play tonight, prompting me to drift into a medley of “what-ifs”. She links up twice with Cooney-Cross and acrobatically controls the ball on the edge of the box but Sweden hold their line and clear. They have a chance on the counterattack but fail to connect midfield and attack.
36 mins: The first break in play all half (aside from the VAR check) is for Eriksson to receive treatment after wearing the back of Kerr’s head to her face while climbing over the back of her Chelsea teammate to win a header.
35 mins: Foord again finds Catley on the left and her low cross fizzes through the box, over the penalty spot, begging to be tucked away, but there’s no blue jersey where it matters.
The match is increasingly frantic and transitional, which suits Australia more than Sweden.
34 mins: Kerr again gets separation from her marker, lays the ball back to Foord who finds Catley on the left. Her cross is met by the onrushing Gorry but her header from miles out is wayward.
33 mins: Australia find Kerr between centre-halves on the edge of the box. Her first touch on her chest is smart but Ilestedt recovers to toe-poke away.
31 mins: Rolfö is straight back into the action as well, stalling Foord in her own penalty area after Gorry’s intervention in midfield threatened to send the Matildas into attack.
GOAL! Sweden 1-0 Australia (Rolfö 30)
Fridolina Rolfö sidefoots a left-footed effort low into the right corner just out of reach of the diving Arnold.
Actually, Rolfö will now take it…
PENALTY SWEDEN!
It’s clear from the replays that Hunt lost her footing chasing Blackstenius and accidentally clipped the Sweden striker’s heels. Filippa Angeldal with the spot-kick.
VAR CHECK
When Blackstenius did well holding up the ball on the right edge of the box she went to ground. Clare Hunt was very close at hand, and Cheryl Foster is invited to check her monitor.
26 mins: Off the bar! Rolfö with a forceful nearpost header after getting to Asllani’s cross before Carpenter after good work from Blackstenius in the right channel.
24 mins: Carpenter gives the ball away poorly in midfield but Polkinghorne rescues the situation and sets up the Matildas on their favoured direct transition. The move ends with Carpenter overlapping on the right, digging out a cross for Raso – who fashions a shot – that Musovic takes no chances with and pushes behind for a corner.
Musovic then rises among a forest of bodies to collect Cooney-Cross’ corner. The Sweden keeper has enjoyed some tournament.
22 mins: Australia have switched Raso to the left and Foord to the right. The move has allowed the former plenty of opportunities to get into the game, but her end product has been left wanting.