The teenage substitute Mary Fowler and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr were the heroes as Australia earned a place in the Olympic semi-finals with a 4-3 defeat of Team GB in extra time.
“We are devastated right now,” said Team GB’s manager, Hege Riise “It’s hard to lose a game like this. We were well prepared. We [played] most of the game quite well. We created a lot of chances, we should probably have finished a few of them, and now it’s just hard.”
Manchester City’s Ellen White had scored twice to put Team GB 2-1 up after the former Tottenham defender Alanna Kennedy had given the Matildas the lead, but an 89th-minute goal from Kerr took the game into the extra half-hour. Teagan Micah saved a Caroline Weir penalty moments before the 18-year-old Fowler put Australia ahead and Kerr sealed the victory, heading her fifth Games goal from close range – a third from White was not enough to turn the game. Australia next play Sweden, who beat Japan 3-1.
“Tired, excited, proud,” Kerr said. “Always believe. I was playing on one leg for a long time there, I’ve got a sore butt, but I have confidence that no matter what minute, my team will get it to me.” She said of her equaliser: “An amazing goal and that’s my job as a striker.”
Kerr was boosted by the absence of her Chelsea teammates in Team GB’s starting XI: “That was a win for me – I would rather not play against girls that know me and what I’m going to do. That was a mental win for me when I’ve seen that, especially as Fran Kirby is the best player in the world for me at the moment.”
Australia had burst out of the blocks but the pressure was short-lived, with Team GB settling into the pace of a game far beyond what they had experienced in the tournament.
In the home of the Kashima Antlers, who welcome an average of 20,000 fans to games in a town with a population of 67,120 and where the Brazilian Zico scored 35 goals in 46 games between 1991 and 1994 and is now technical director, Team GB began to up the pressure.
The midfielder Keira Walsh smashed a long-range effort off the bottom of a post and the woodwork denied Team GB again, Rachel Daly hitting a post before the rebound from Lauren Hemp was saved on to the same post by Micah.
Australia punished a wasteful Team GB. From a corner won by Kerr and taken by Arsenal’s Steph Catley, one of seven of Australia’s starting XI signed to a Women’s Super League club for next season, Kennedy rose highest to head home, sparking a touchline dash from their manager, Tony Gustavsson.
Half-time offered Team GB a welcome opportunity to regroup. Riise’s players had come from behind to draw with Canada but they went into that game knowing a quarter-final had been secured, and this was a new test.
In the 57th minute their patience paid off. A mazy run from Hemp gave her enough space to look up and send a cross into the middle, where White waited to send a header looping over Micah and into the far corner.
Less than 10 minutes later the Manchester City forward had her fifth of the tournament. Her flicked-on header fell to the defensive duo Avi Luik and Kennedy but the latter, under pressure from Hemp, back-heeled straight to White, who fired into the far corner. Daly gripped White’s head in celebration and kissed her forehead in almost religious fashion in the cathedral-like quiet of the stadium.
A blow to the head for Little left the Scotland midfielder bleeding and heavily bandaged, and as the clock ticked down an audacious Hemp attempted to chip the goalkeeper from the halfway line , but you can never take your eyes off Kerr.
With just over one minute of normal time remaining, a ball over the top from Emily van Egmond fell teasingly at the feet of Kerr and the unmarked forward chested it down, turned and fired past Roebuck.
The ice vests the Team GB players placed around their necks before extra time made it look as if they were donning lifejackets on a slowly sinking ship.
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Micah saved well twice in quick succession as Team GB continued to push forward, first from Walsh’s edge-of-the-box pile-driver, then from White at a tight angle, before Team GB’s collapse began. With Little off injured, Weir stepped up in the 102nd minute to attempt to convert a soft penalty won by Nikita Parris but it was poorly struck and Micah parried.
Australia immediately responded in stunning fashion, Fowler unleashing into the top corner via a deflection off Lucy Bronze. One minute after the break, Kerr added her second, outjumping Houghton to head in. Kirby’s cross with five minutes to play was headed in by White for her hat-trick – her sixth goal of these Games and her ninth goal in her past nine tournament games – but for Team GB it was not enough.