Tokyo 2020 - Sweden see off Australia to book Canada showdown at Olympics

An opportunistic finish from Fridolina Rolfo less than a minute into the second half was enough to send Sweden into the Olympic final at the expense of Australia.

The Swedish striker rattled the crossbar midway through the first half with a 25-yard rocket and on the occasion was on hand to finish when Filippa Angeldal's deflected shot wickedly bounced over Matilda's keeper Teagan Micah and off the bar.

From the left edge of the six-yard box Rolfo flew horizontally and angled the ball inside the far post.

Australia had their chances with talisman Sam Kerr having the ball in the back of the net from a volley just after the referee blew the whistle for an infringement and glancing a header just wide of the taget.

Sweden will face Canada for a gold medal after they shocked the United States in the first semi-final.

Sweden have come close in major tournament so many times since winning the inaugural European Championships in 1984, but now seems the time to put those ghosts to rest. They have been runners up on five occasions in the last 37 years, including silver medal in Rio.

Canada are a fearsome opposition on Friday but many will feel they won their final beating their rivals for the first ever time.

The Swedes are far from unbeatable with veteran goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl looking a little nervous at times against Australia, but their class in the final third should be the difference in their favour - and give long-deserved reward for this fine female footballing nation.

Injury stopped her featuring in the 2-1 final loss to Germany in 2016 and there did not look like anything was going to stop her today.

In the first half she launched a rocket that Teagan Micah would have barely seen before it crashed against the bar and then the athletic finish to split the teams.

Although she was not a ubiquitous presence in the game, any time the Matildas were threatened, she seemed to be involved.

Indeed four minutes into injury time with a typical driving run she put the ball on a plate for her fellow striker Stina Blackstenius who will feel so relieved her miss did not matter.

Australia: Micah 6; Carpenter 6, Kennedy 6, Catley 7; Raso 7, Logarzo 5, Van Egmond 6, Yallop 7; Simon 6, Kerr 7, Foord 5.

Subs: Cooney-Cross 6, Polkinghorne 6, Fowler 6, Gielnuk 6, Brock 6.

Sweden: Lindahl 5; Glas 6, Ilestedt 6, Bjorn 6, Eriksson 6, Seger 6, Angeldal 7; Jakobsson 7, Asllani 7, Rolfö 8*; Blackstenius 6.

Subs: Bennison 6, Andersson 6, Hurtig 6.

42' IN THE NET BUT NO GOAL! Sam Kerr brilliantly volleyed home the cross from Catley but the whistle had just gone for a push in the box. Not obvious to see the incident and Lindahl would have had no chance with the effort.

46' GOAL FOR SWEDEN! What a crazy goal. Angeldal's shot from 25 yards out is deflected and bounces wickedly above Micah who could only palm the ball onto the bar and Rolfo on the rebound angled an effort acrobatically home with her right foot.

90+3' GOAL DISALLOWED: Asslani has the ball in the back of the net but the goal was disallowed for Blackstenius being offside in the build-up.

90+4' WHAT A MISS!: Rolfo gets to the by-line and pulls back for Blackstenius who somehow blasts well wide of the target with the goal absolutely gaping.

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