Matildas vs Sweden LIVE: Aus coach hits back over key criticism as star ruled out of bronze medal match

The Matildas will seek to finish their record-breaking World Cup run with victory over Sweden in the third-place playoff on Saturday night (6pm AEST).

After finishing fourth in the Tokyo Olympics – Australia’s best ever finish – the Matildas have already ensured their place in history by at least equalling that result at the World Cup on home soil.

Now they face world number three Sweden for the chance at a bronze medal.

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Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson hit back at criticism over his limited-rotation policy towards selection this tournament, after the Matildas looked fatigued in their semi-final defeat to England.

No coach gave fewer average minutes to substitutes this tournament, with Gustavsson heavily reliant on a core group.

“We have had a clear strategy and I know there are opinions in this room about that, which I think is fair because I like those types of debates — whether you should rotate players in a tournament, whether you should have continuity in the line-up,” he said on Friday.

“I think you saw in the [last] Olympics and I think you’ve seen now we have gone with a strategy that we think relationship and continuity in tournaments is key.

“It’s a strategy that we believe in but player availability will be key in that sense — how much do they have in their tank physically [and] who starts. The base and core of it will be what we think is best to win the game.”

He compared his deployment of substitutes to European champions England, saying their 6-1 demolition of China in the group stages allowed them to field more subs and skew the