Another fun night, another patchy performance, yet another win for the Matildas, who are through to the round of 16s of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup as second placed team in group C. In front of a 17,000 crowd at the Stade des Alpes in Grenoble, Australia beat Jamaica 4-1 thanks to four goals scored by Sam Kerr, whose fourth resulted in being crucial in Ante Milicic's path in France.
With Australia's 4-1 win and Brazil 1-0 victory over Italy, here's how group C finished: Italy end up in the first place thanks to their superior goal difference (+5), while Australia tops Brazil to second place having the same goal difference (both teams +3) but having scored one more goal throughout the group stage than the Seleção.
Without the captain's crucial fourth goal (to put it in prospect, Kerr scored 5 in the group stage's 3 matches and 28 in her last 30 international appearances and becomes the first Aussie to ever score a hat-trick at a World Cup, let alone four goals), Australia would have faced either host country France or world second best ranked team Germany in the round of 16s.
Having finished second in the group, instead, the Matildas will face off Norway in Nice on Sunday June 23rd at 5am AEST.
