Daly gripped White’s head in celebration and kissed her forehead in almost religious fashion in the cathedral-like quiet of the stadium.Ī 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. 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. Less than 10 minutes later the Manchester City forward had her fifth of the tournament. 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. In the 57th minute their patience paid off. Team GB’s hat-trick-scoring striker Ellen White is a picture of despair at at full-time. 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. Half-time offered Team GB a welcome opportunity to regroup. 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. 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.Īustralia punished a wasteful Team GB. 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 19 and is now technical director, Team GB began to up the pressure. 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.”Īustralia 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. 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. 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.” Australia next play Sweden, who beat Japan 3-1. 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. 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.
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