A nation goes wild as Matildas make football history

Reaction to Australia’s historic win at the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been swift and overwhelming, despite the match being played in the middle of the night Down Under.

Lucy Zelic, Sal Shipard and Joey Peters after the Matildas' win. Source: SBS

Second-half substitute Kyah Simon scored an 80^th-minute winner against Brazil in their last 16 clash, a goal that sealed a 1-0 win and put the Matildas into the quarter-finals, the first time any Australia football side has won a knockout match at a FIFA World Cup.

SBS pundits and former Matildas Sal Shipard and Joey Peters showed raw emotions live on air with Lucy Zelic, as the video above demonstrates, while SBS colleague and former Socceroos midfielder Craig Foster was equally enthusiastic on social media throughout the match.

Other Socceroos past and present were also excited for their female counterparts, taking to their Twitter accounts to express their pride and passion on a great day for football in the nation.

But perhaps the tweet that best summed up the mood was that of Matildas mentor and SBS Shootout co-host Sarah Walsh, who posted a picture of her hugging an emotional Australia captain Lisa Devanna in the dressing rooms after the match.

Walsh later tweeted that she thought this was the biggest win in the team's history, and who could argue with that?

Veteran goal-keeper Melissa Barbieri retweeted acknowledgement from AFL club St Kilda as the accolades flowed throughout the historic morning.

Australian aerial skiing gold medalist Lydia Lassila felt the love: