Australia is out of the running. The Nation had rallied behind the Matildas, whose run in the Women’s World Cup came together with a breakthrough moment against France in the quarter-finals - a penalty shootout of epic proportions that prompted a wave of golden-green support across Australia. It was nation-building 2.0. Not since Cathy Freeman’s legendary sprint to gold did sport galvanize and unite the country in a time of polarization over the upcoming referendum, the Voice.

After the heartbreaking loss, Kerr, speaking to reporters, expressed her hope that this tournament will serve as a catalyst for change in the sport, with more funding coming soccer’s way. She said, “I can only speak for the Matildas but, we need funding in our development, we need funding in our grassroots. We need funding everywhere.”

“You know, comparison to other sports isn't really good enough. Hopefully, this tournament kind of changes that because that's the legacy you leave, not what you do on the pitch. The legacy is what you do off the pitch. I think the way the country has got behind us and the television ratings, all of that, this isn't a once-in-a-lifetime.”

In the 63rd minute, Sam Kerr, the talisman who returned to the starting XI, delivered a sumptuous second-half finish, a strike of chromatic intensity that prompted a small earthquake in the western suburbs of Sydney and beyond, but ultimately, England was too good and too ruthless. Kerr missed a sitter as well and in the end, the Australians stood in the center circle, ruing what could have been while proud of what had been achieved. They had come close to reaching a second major final after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Australia manager Gustavsson pointed out that his team and Australian soccer had “maximized” what they could do with the resources at their disposal. ”It's bigger than 90 minutes of football,” said Gustavsson at a news conference. “We're very disappointed that we lost, but hopefully we won something else. We won the heart and the passion for this team in this country.”

“But I agree with the players. This is not the end of something, this needs to be the start of something. And with that comes money as well.”

The gulf between Australia and England, the two semi-finalists, in terms of domestic soccer landscapes and financial resources was formidable, but building on the success of this tournament Gustavsson believes that, with the necessary investment, Australia can take the next step in the future. Before the tournament, Football Australia, highlighted that $357 million had been allocated to legacy projects.

“We are right now maximizing the resources we have, whether it's registered players or whether it's the work we're doing at clubs locally, whether it's the grassroots football, whether it's the return on investment. But let's invest more and be genuine contenders for medals and tournaments moving forward as well. This is now the second semifinal, two tournaments in a row, the Olympic Games and this one. But right now we're not happy about being in the semifinal. We’re disappointed not to be in the final.”