WEIR PENALTY MISS OPENS DOOR FOR MAJESTIC MATILDAS
TEAM GB coach Hege Riise absolved Caroline Weir of blame after Australia capitalised on the Scot’s extra-time penalty miss to progress to the semi-finals. ‘We win and we lose together,’ said Riise after an agonising encounter when even Ellen White’s hat-trick wasn’t enough to see off the Matildas in a 4-3 defeat. ‘There is no one to blame. We stood up and we fight together and it wasn’t enough from any of us. ‘So we are disappointed we couldn’t get the fourth goal and take it to penalties.’ The Brits were one minute from the last four after White’s second-half brace had cancelled out Alanna Kennedy’s first-half opener. But Chelsea’s Sam Kerr somehow found space in a congested area from a deep ball and hammered home to take it to extra-time. A soft penalty decision gave Weir the chance to put Britain ahead, but the Manchester City star’s spot-kick was comfortably saved by keeper Teagan Micah — and just 83 seconds later teenage sub Mary Fowler then struck via a deflection off the luckless Lucy Bronze. Heads dropped and Kerr made it 4-2 for the Aussies with a fine header. Hope arrived when sub Fran Kirby crossed and White nodded in her third but with five minutes left GB couldn’t find an equaliser. This team believed they had gold in them but head home now with plenty of memories but no precious metal. White, at least, has had a sterling tournament with six goals. But, close to tears, she admitted: ‘I would have given up every single goal to win a gold. ‘I thought with this group of players we would go on to win gold. So, yes, I’m heartbroken but I couldn’t be more proud of the team, the staff. ‘We haven’t been together very long but the relationships, the connections, the family-like feel, it’s been amazing.’ Coach Riise, the Olympic, World Cup and European champion parachuted in from Norway following Phil Neville’s exit to Inter Miami, added: ‘It’s hard to lose a game like this. We were well-prepared. We [played] most of the game quite well. We created a lot of chances. Now it’s hard, we are all devastated.’