Canada eliminated from Women’s World Cup after crushing loss to Australia

Australia ended Canada’s FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign with a lopsided 4-0 win Monday, putting the Olympic champion Canadians to the sword.

It was not pretty, unless you were Australian. The 10th-ranked Matildas needed to win to be sure of moving on to the tournament’s knockout round and they wasted little time getting the job done.

It was one-way traffic from the get-go. And rubbing salt in the wound, Steph Catley scored on a stoppage-time penalty after video review confirmed a foul against Canada’s Jessie Fleming on the edge of the box.

A draw or win would have moved the seventh-ranked Canadians into the round of 16. But they soon found themselves with a mountain to climb before a partisan crowd announced at 27,706.

And now they go home after three games, finishing third in a tough Group B with a 1-1-1.

It’s Canada’s worst finish at the Women’s World Cup since it went winless in 2011 and finished last. It’s likely also the Canadian women’s worst game in recent years.

Watch Soccer North Live Monday July 31 at 8:30 a.m. ET on cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports YouTube Channel for post-match analysis of Canada vs. Ireland with Andi Petrillo and Diana Matheson.