Matildas’ World Cup exit is no disgrace; let's avoid knee-jerk reactions | Richard Parkin

Ante Milicic was playing with the cards FFA dealt him and Australian fans should take a deep breath

For a deflated Ante Milicic post-match, the Matildas’ round of 16 elimination was the kind of kick in the teeth that makes you question your involvement in football. “I’ve been involved with games as a player, a coach, sitting at home watching games and I won’t fall in love with the game after tonight,” the coach said. “Gee that’s hurt me.”

As World Cup exits go it was particularly devastating. Here is a group of players, beloved for their ability to persevere irrespective of the off-field dramas threatening to engulf them; a coach considered one of Australia’s most promising; and a captain, a genuinely world-class striker, looking to drag Australia with her to the apex of world football.

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from Football | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2KAHo9q