Aussies tie with China remains highlight of World Cup

Australia showed bursts of energy and skill but it was their inability to put together a full 90 minutes of solid soccer that cost them in the long haul.

The Matildas lost 2-1 to Ghana on Sunday, ending their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.

"We tried to do our jobs and keep it simple," said goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri. "But this is real soccer. Anything can happen. You can have a great plan and stick to it, but things can happen anyway."

Australia got strong performances in the tournament from sniper Heather Garriock, captain Cheryl Salisbury and Barbieri. But their inexperience at this level and a slow start against a fired-up Ghana squad doomed them.

Australia finished last in Group D with no wins, one draw and two losses but they managed a tie against mighty China.

China placed first in the group with seven points while Russia was second with six.

The Aussies kept their hopes alive with a 1-1 tie against China on Thursday, giving them a chance to advance to the quarter-finals with a win in the game against Ghana.

Instead Ghana got two quick goals from last year's African women's footballer of the year Alberta Sackey to take a lead they would never surrender. Sackey had been benched the previous game aginst Russia and obviously felt she had something to prove against the Matildas.

"Ghana came to play with the passion and pride we expected and we sat back and waited for things to develop," said Australian coach Adrian Santrac. "Im still scratching my head wondering what happened in the first half."

One bright spot for Australia was the play of Garriock. Garriock provided all the scoring for Australia in the final two games with a pair of impressive goals.

The Sydney native, who plays out of Brisbane, scored a superb goal against China in the 28th minute and then notched the lone goal against Ghana in the 52nd minute.

Garriock is playing with a heavy heart after her youngest brother, Nathan, was murdered at a party in her hometown of Sydney three months ago.

She dedicated this tournament to her slain sibling and wore the white boots in his honour.