However, those chances never came and it was the US who struck first and at the worst possible moment.
Despite some doubts, the goal still stood.
More of the same in the second and 2-0
Sadly it was their opponents who looked more likely to score and they did in the 77th minute, when Korbin Albert weighed her options and put the ball past a helpless Mackenzie Arnold.
Sophia Smith of the United States is defended by Ellie Carpenter during the second half of the Women’s group B match during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Velodrome. Source: Getty / John Todd/ISI
With nothing left to lose, Australia came alive in the final minutes and substitute Michelle Heyman laid the ball down for Alanna Kennedy who narrowed the margin of the Tillie’s defeat by a single goal.
But they wanted more and they continued to push forward, with Kennedy and Heyman both missing chances to bring the scores level in the dying minutes of the game.
Other results don’t go our way
That meant that all their hopes of advancing as one of the two best third-ranked teams lay in the hands of their opponents, with the Tillies needing a win by Colombia in their game against Canada.
Despite the short run, the Matildas will hope to build on this experience as they look on to their next tournaments, such as the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup or the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.