Australia are looking to the past to help inspire them in what is being described as their biggest ever game, against Canada in Melbourne on Monday night.
Four years ago, Australia lost their opening match of the World Cup in France to Italy 1-0, then were trailing Brazil 2-0 in their second.
But instead of folding, the Matildas fought back for a dramatic 3-2 victory that reignited their campaign.
Australia, on three points, must beat Canada, who have four, at AAMI Park to guarantee passage to the round of 16.
Otherwise, they have to draw and rely on Ireland, still pointless, to beat Nigeria (four points), likely by two or more goals, to avoid an embarrassing group stage exit.
Coach Tony Gustavsson admitted that exiting at the earliest stage would be failure.
“That’s how this business works. It’s a massive game in that sense and we can’t shy away from that,” he told reporters.
“If you talk sports and results, this game is massive, yes. I hope maybe hopefully in 10 or 20 years from now that we can look at other parts of a legacy than just one game.
“But right now, we can’t shy away from that. This is a crossroads moment for sure.”
Australia could join New Zealand as the only hosts to not progress from their group, which would be the first time a Matildas team hasn’t reached that marker since 2003.
“I definitely think it’s fair to say it’s a failure if we don’t go out of the group,” Gustavsson said.
“I mean, everyone here understands that. Of course we want to go out of the group in a home World Cup, for sure.
“And I’m the first to admit that. I’ll take ownership for that but that’s not where we are (in terms of) mindset right now. Our mindset is just about playing the game in front of us.”
Matildas including Sam Kerr, whose role on return from a calf injury remains unclear, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Emily van Egmond and Katrina Gorry are in their late 20s or early 30s.
That golden generation are determined to make their prime years count.
Mary Fowler celebrates scoring a goal. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“It’s a massive game for us. We all know exactly what’s at stake,” van Egmond said.
“But at the end of the day, we as players, we don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves.
“At the end of the day it’s just another game of football and I think the uniqueness and the characters of this team. That’s exactly how they’ll be thinking about it.
“So come tomorrow, when the game starts, you’ll see a lot of passion. You’ll see a lot of heart, you’ll see the want to win tomorrow in this Matildas team because … of that never-say-die attitude.”
The pressure would help the team, said Elise Kellond-Knight.
“We’re just better when we’re up against it. With that extra demand on the team we actually play better,” Kellond-Knight told AAP.
“In Montpellier, we just said to each other ‘we’re not going home – it’s now or never, we are not going home’.
“I think that’s what’ll happen going into Monday night.
“The group will just get around each other like ‘the story is we are not going home, this is our home World Cup, we will not let this fall over before we get out of the group stage’.
“I’m confident they’ll make it happen. Because we have the ability – it’s just more of a mental thing.”
Three-time World Cup attendee Kellond-Knight is working as a pundit for Channel Seven while sidelined with an achilles injury.
But fellow midfielder van Egmond also pointed to 2019.
“There’s obviously a lot of pressure. There’s a lot of stressful times but I think pressure’s a privilege,” van Egmond said.
“The entire World Cup for us, we know exactly what’s at stake. We definitely don’t shy away from these moments.”
Sam Kerr has declared she will return in some capacity, with an impact substitute role appearing likely.
“It’ll almost have more impact, her coming in off the bench,” Kellond-Knight said.
“Putting her in at that 60-minute mark or wherever it is actually lifts the whole team, it gives everyone confidence.
“If she’s around the team warming up, that gives them confidence as well.
“But also being able to put a player like her into the field, mid-game gives the team this massive sense of energy, confidence and a really big push.”
She backed playmaker Alex Chidiac to thrive if deployed off the bench.
“She’s got a really good game-changing ability because she offers something drastically different to what we’ve got,” Kellond-Knight said.
“Bringing on a player like Chids can change it up because she’s just got that ability to beat someone one-on-one and the game opens up in front of you.”
Colombia have announced themselves as a Women’s World Cup dark horse by upstaging two-time champions Germany with a 97th minute winner to claim a 2-1 victory.
The South American side sit atop Group H after what is undoubtedly the upset of the tournament thus far, with Manuela Vanegas’ late winner getting them over the line.
Her headed effort followed a drama-charged second half in which teenage cancer survivor Linda Caicedo scored a goal for the ages by bewitching three Germany defenders with a deadly turn before firing past keeper Merle Frohms in the 52nd minute.
Germany were able to level and looked to have stolen a point when Alexandra Popp dispatched a 89th minute penalty.
But there was a further twist in the tail when tireless defender Vanegas popped up unmarked in the final corner of the game and headed the ball home.
The victory has put Colombia all but mathematically into the round of 16 for just the second time in their history.
They would need to lose to Morocco by eight goals in Perth on Thursday to give up one of the two spots available to progress from the group.
How deep they go beyond the round of 16 may not just be determined by those on the pitch, either.
Colombia have one massive advantage over many of the foreign teams at this tournament that can’t be discounted: their fans.
Decked out in bright yellow, Colombia supporters lined the streets outside the Sydney Football Stadium all afternoon and comprised the vast majority of the 40,499-strong crowd to create a spine-tingling buzz throughout the game.
Colombia assistant coach Angelo Marsiglia even quipped in his post-match press conference that his side had “played at home”.
“We knew that we had to be even better to get the win against Germany,” Marsiglia said.
“We need to give this win to our whole country.”
Colombia absorbed plenty of pressure on the way to the win but, uncharacteristically, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s Germany outfit – who beat Morocco 6-0 in their first group game – lacked a cutting edge.
The Colombians began to enjoy more space as the game opened up and on one of the rare times Caicedo escaped attention, Germany were made to pay.
The young winger collected a bouncing ball inside the box, turned Sara Doorsoun inside out, then fired the ball beyond the reach of Frohms and into the top corner.
Caicedo’s goal was all the more remarkable considering she fainted due to dizziness at training earlier this week and was in doubt to play.
The 18-year-old’s wonder-strike put Colombia on top before a clumsy challenge from goalkeeper Catalina Perez allowed Popp to put Germany level.
Germany thought they had sneaked a point but Vanegas’ late header ensured that they went home with nothing.
The Germans, who sit second, face winless South Korea in Brisbane on Thursday.
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