Australia may have been boosted by the return of Sam Kerr from injury, but the Matildas’ star striker was not required from the bench as Canada were beaten 4-0 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Stand-in skipper Steph Catley was adjudged by VAR to have timed her run perfectly down the left wing, and her low cross was not dealt with by Canada. Hayley Raso was there to make it 1-0, before completing her brace later in the second half.

Sabrina D’Angelo has acted as back-up goalkeeper for Canada throughout her international career, and was an unused substitute for all three for Canada’s group stage games despite another below-par display by Kailen Sheridan.

New Arsenal signing Cloe Lacasse was substituted into the action for the third consecutive game, this time at half time, with an underwhelming group stage campaign coming to an end for Canada, who finished third behind Australia and Nigeria. 

Issues off the pitch have certainly contributed to Canada’s struggles, with players embroiled in a dispute with Canada Soccer over multiple issues including pay and funding for pre-tournament training camps.

For Australia, Arsenal forward Caitlin Foord was back on the left wing and able to link up with her club team-mate Catley throughout in a dominant win for the Matildas.

It was Foord who set up Mary Fowler’s goal in somewhat trademark fashion. A pacy run down the flank, taking on two defenders and leaving one of them for dead, before putting the ball on a plate for Fowler. The young Manchester City striker almost missed the chance, with her shot rolling across the line in off the post.

Catley may not have been credited with the assist for Raso’s opener, but the left-back was able to get her name on the scoresheet once again with a well-taken late penalty to make it 4-0. Her goal was the seventh scored by an Arsenal player at this World Cup.

? @ArsenalWFC's 2023 World Cup goalscorers: 3? @amandailestedt ??2? @stephcatley ??1? @Katie_McCabe11 ??, @SBlackstenius ?????

— Freddie Cardy (@CardyFreddie) July 31, 2023

Elsewhere, defeats to Australia and Canada meant that the Republic of Ireland would be heading home no matter their result against Nigeria. 

The two sides played out a 0-0 draw to close out a hard-fought maiden World Cup campaign for Ireland, who were led by Arsenal’s Katie McCabe and perhaps just lacked a real goal threat upfront in a campaign that certainly was not all doom and gloom. 

McCabe’s Olimpico against Canada will remain Ireland’s first and only FIFA Women’s World Cup goal and is set to live long in the memory for the Girls in Green.