![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/773f6891b4e0adefb3356d48c90800f96f28b4b9.png\")
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March 22, 2026 \u2014 1:41pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Caitlin Foord was in her own personal torture chamber: red-eyed, voice cracking, yet still fronting up to a broadcast interview straight after the full-time whistle on Saturday night.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had such an amazing opportunity to be able to do something really special here,\u201d Foord told Paramount+ shortly after the Matildas\u2019 narrow loss to Japan. \u201cI take a lot of responsibility. I had three really, really big chances, and I need to do better there, so it definitely hurts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe created a lot. We were on top, and I think that\u2019s the best we\u2019ve ever played against Japan. I don\u2019t think there are many games where we\u2019ve dominated them in areas like we did tonight, and it was just the end product that wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n The toughest pill to swallow from an Asian Cup final such as this<\/a> was the discrepancy between the performance and the result. The most persuasive from the Matildas in some time ended in a 1-0 loss to Japan.<\/p>\n Had Australia not matched the might of the world No.5 team in almost every department, had they conceded more goals and not come so close to scoring several of their own, the devastation might have been lessened.<\/p>\n But Foord\u2019s face told the story even before she started speaking. And as one of the national team\u2019s most consistent performers for more than a decade acknowledged her finishing skills were uncharacteristically absent, it was clear the weight of that burden will remain with the Arsenal winger for some time.<\/p>\n But it was not just Foord. Sam Kerr had an off night in front of goal and Alanna Kennedy just missed a late chance that could have sent the match to extra time. The entire team was feeling the defeat with a poignancy reserved for a high-performing generation nearing the end of their international careers without a trophy.<\/p>\n Ellie Carpenter was a picture of \u201cexhaustion and devastation\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it just came down to that final execution,\u201d Carpenter said. \u201cFatigue plays a role in this tournament, with rotation and all that. It\u2019s going to hurt for a while because I just don\u2019t think we deserve this loss.\u201d<\/p>\n An emotional Kennedy could not even appreciate being named player of the tournament. That remarkable winner from Maika Hamano had sucked the air from every other achievement.<\/p>\n \u201cNot really,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cI feel pretty disappointed, and just kind of sad that we didn\u2019t get the job done. It was obviously a tough night for us, but we\u2019re really proud of the performance that we put in.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat probably sucks the most is that early goal, and then we were chasing the game a little bit. I felt like we had opportunities \u2013 good opportunities. Maybe if we had a little bit more time we could have got there.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article They did not, and going on three years after their 2023 World Cup semi-final loss to England, the Matildas again left Accor Stadium with a sense of what could have been<\/a>. Sixteen years without silverware will soon be 17, and Joe Montemurro\u2019s squad must now turn the focus to next year\u2019s World Cup in Brazil.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a really fun tournament for us as a group,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe just said in our post-match chat that the togetherness and the vibe around the team has felt really nice and really special.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, that can continue under Joe over the next year and into the World Cup. The more time you have under someone, the better, and I definitely feel that with this squad and the coaching staff that we have at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2f5f823b6cdeb19a65fbbc23225fda6d10f6bfe3.jpeg\")
Joe Montemurro and Michelle Heyman console Caitlin Foord after full-time.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ada9756b047875afe20dc7885685d951186a9477.jpeg\")
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