MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Hayley Raso scored a first half brace and Mary Fowler struck after the break as Australia crushed Canada 4-0 on Monday to storm into the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup and send the Olympic champions spinning out of the tournament.
In front of a febrile crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Raso struck in the ninth minute with a low, right-footed shot and doubled down in the 39th from a goalmouth scramble as unused captain Sam Kerr cheered by the touchline.
Fowler made sure of the win with a deft touch in the 58th minute that pinged in off the right post, before stand-in skipper Steph Catley slotted a penalty in stoppage time as a relieved nation celebrated the co-hosts’ advance.
Australia had needed three points from the match to advance after their shock 3-2 defeat by Nigeria.
“It means so much to us,” Raso told Channel 7. “I’m so proud of the girls.
“We had our backs against the walls after (the) last game and we knew that we needed to come out and put in a big performance.
“We showed that never-say-die attitude and we gave it all tonight.”
Canada, who had needed a draw to advance, bowed out at the group stage for the first time since 2011 and with regrets with the way it unfolded in Melbourne.
Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan captured Canada’s heartache as she broke down in tears before Catley’s spot kick.
“Football can be cruel sometimes,” Canada coach Bev Priestman told reporters.
“I think the team lacked belief.
“I didn’t think the team would be as rattled as we’ve seen tonight.”
For Australia, there was no need for Kerr to be Australia’s saviour and the striker can rest her injured calf for a week before the co-hosts’ next clash in the last 16, most likely against Denmark.
Australia topped Group B on six points, one ahead of Nigeria, who also advanced after a 0-0 draw against Ireland.
Thrilled Australia coach Tony Gustavsson had been under pressure after the Nigeria loss.
“We played Olympic champions in a do or die game with our skipper, one of the best forwards in the world — in my opinion the best forward in the world — on the bench and we win 4-0. That says a lot about the belief in this team,” he said.
Canada’s talismanic captain Christine Sinclair started on the pitch but bowed out of her sixth and final World Cup in disappointment at halftime when Priestman triggered a raft of substitutes.
Australia played with courage and were quickly rewarded when a Catley cross found Raso in the box.
Raso drilled a low shot inside the far post to put Australia in front. Although an offside flag went up, the goal was confirmed by VAR, sending the crowd into raptures.
They almost made it 2-0 minutes later, but Raso’s shot was well saved by Sheridan.
Home fans were roaring again in the 34th minute as Fowler charged in to thump the ball in from close range, with Raso providing the cross.
VAR again intervened, cancelling the goal for offside.
But five minutes later, Raso was celebrating her second strike after Sheridan failed to clear the ball from a set-piece.
Priestman made changes at halftime, with the retiring Sophie Schmidt coming on and blazing over the bar in the 56th minute.
But another Australian raid minutes later ended with Fowler slotting in a cutback pass from Caitlin Foord to blow out the lead.
Worse was to come for Canada as Jessie Fleming clattered into Katrina Gorry just inside the area to concede a penalty, allowing Catley to blast the ball into the net for the coup de grace.
Tumbling records leave Coe expecting “best-ever” world championships
LONDON, (Reuters) – Sebastian Coe says this record-laden athletics season has convinced him that next month’s world championships could be the best of all time in terms of performance, and he is confident there will be big crowds in Budapest to witness the action.
Because of COVID, the sport is hosting back-to-back editions of the usually biennial world championships, with the Aug 19-27 event following last year’s postponed worlds in Eugene, Oregon.
“You have to say that this has been the best start I can remember to any track and field season,” World Athletics president Coe told reporters on Monday.
“I was very lucky. I saw the first of Faith Kipyegon’s (three) world records when she won the 1500 metres in Florence and then in Paris we had three world records. There have just been some outstanding performances. We keep our fingers crossed for some of the head-to-heads but these have the potential to be the best world championships performance-wise of all time.
“You have all the ingredients – 2000 athletes from over 200 countries. There can’t be too many sports commentating on gold medals for Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. These are a genuine world championships.”
The event is being held in a purpose-built stadium in an area of Budapest that Coe hopes will benefit economically just as parts of east London did from the 2012 Olympics. Though Budapest, or just about anywhere else, is never going to match the 50,000 who turned up two weeks ago to watch the Diamond League meeting in the London’s Olympic Stadium, World Athletics says ticket sales have been strong.
“In the first few days we have finals, straight away, it’s not a slow burn,” Coe said.
“Morning sessions are always tough (for ticket sales) but for a few hours every day people recognise that the morning sessions are when schools and kids can get to see the same heroes who are just navigating their way through to some of those finals.
“It’s all part of what I want the world championships to ultimately start heading towards – a tighter, faster rhythm. We also need to make sure that we’ve got events that really matter in some parts of the world that are being shown at times where people are going to consume them within their own lifestyles, rather than asking people to get up at unearthly hours.”
It is of course not all sunshine in the sport, with the latest and probably least surprising anti-doping violation seeing Nigerian world record sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan facing a ban after missing three whereabouts appointments.
Olympic champion De Grasse dips under world standard on last possible day
LANGLEY, B.C., Canada, (Reuters) – Canada’s Olympic 200-metres champion Andre De Grasse finally ran the World Athletics qualifying standard on the last day possible.
The 28-year-old won the 200 at the Canadian championships and world trials on Sunday in a season’s best 20.01 seconds, dipping under the standard of 20.16.
The six-times Olympic medallist has had a rough season with a nagging foot injury and a change in coaches, leaving American Rana Reider to work with Irishman John Coghlan. His previous season’s best was 20.33.
He failed to qualify for the 100 final at the Canadian championships on Saturday.
De Grasse has five world medals including gold in the 4×100 relay from the 2022 championships and silver in the 200 in 2019 in Doha. He clocked 19.62 to win Olympic gold in Tokyo.
