How do you dissect a loss that isn't just a loss?
Ji So-yun's stunning 87th-minute strike was enough to earn South Korea a 1-0 over the Matildas on Sunday, sending the Taegeuk Ladies to the semifinals of the Asian Cup -- booking them a place at the 2023 Women's World Cup in the process -- and bundling tournament favourites Australia out at the quarterfinal stage.
In isolation, the Australians created chances they didn't convert. Sometimes it was goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi or the South Korean defence in the way. Other times it was the woodwork. And occasionally it was simply the Matildas failing to place the shot or time the run.
South Korea had their own chances, none better than the penalty awarded in the first half. While the penalty came about in contentious circumstances, Tottenham midfielder Cho So-hyun ultimately skied it.
The challenge itself occurred at 33:36 and the resulting spot kick took place at 39:40, a full six minutes later. On another night perhaps the focus would have been on VAR, its continued clunky implementation, what exactly constitutes clear and obvious error, and the integrity of using it in only half of the tournament.
For the first time at this Asian Cup, the Matildas defence was consistently tested as South Korea went forward, typically with Ji at the centre of it. Lydia Williams was given the nod in goal and proved that the choice was justified, denying Brighton striker Lee Guem-min with her thigh before stopping a header from Cho with an acrobatic dive.
Then, three minutes from time, Ji was allowed enough space to hit her sweet, unsaveable strike.
And so the Matildas had the chances and, for large chunks, the performance -- but not the result.
"Personally, I am very disappointed for the loss and so are the players," head coach Tony Gustavsson told media post-match.
"Obviously there is some things we could have done better tonight, including myself. In terms of the effort, the players gave 100% and I can't complain.
"I think the players stayed in the game and knew exactly what to do. We knew how difficult it was going to be to create clear chances against Korea and we had six chances that we would have scored on. Unfortunately, the conversion wasn't there today."
But the thing is, while the loss was disappointing in its own right, it doesn't exist in a vacuum. Indeed, Matildas' losses are heightened, visceral experiences lately.
There's the volume of losses under Gustavsson which first and foremost raises eyebrows, heart-rates, and concerns; half of his matches in charge have ended in defeat. When coupled with his talk of "performance mode" and "preparation mode" losing some credibility, fans and pundits have some genuine criticisms and worries.
All of these are exacerbated by the many great conflicting desires and dizzyingly high expectations placed on the Matildas at this particular moment in time. While the World Cup in 2023 is an overall positive, exciting prospect, it simultaneously looms as a giant deadline to get things right.
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The competing interests of wanting results now, and wanting depth now, amplifies everything.
Calls for Gustavsson to have brought an entirely youth-driven squad to this tournament would have satisfied one criteria while likely not satisfying the other. The reality of what was presented was once again an attempted balance at new and old, experience and inexperience, instant results and long term depth. Gustavsson is still on that tightrope.
And while there is justified panic about the next generation, where they are coming from, and the opportunities -- or lack thereof -- that they're being given, this focus on depth creation has mutated and contorted into a warped belief that this current generation are all a game away from retiring. A concerted effort to expand the playing pool is an ugly long term process that Gustavsson is being unfairly expected to do immediately.
The loss as part of a collection of losses also invites talk of sackings -- whether that be Gustavsson being removed from his post or Alen Stajcic's controversial but now four-year-old dismissal. It's worth noting Stajcic's Philippines side have qualified for the 2023 World Cup and will now face South Korea in the semifinals.
But talk of removing Gustavsson feels knee-jerk. Calling for Stajcic to return or any number of other coaches purported to be the solution also feels off. If Gustavsson were to depart 18 months out from the World Cup, the Matildas would be searching for a third coach in as many years, tipping the team into basket case territory.
The way Sunday's loss came about brought up the old, genuine fear of Australia's overreliance on Sam Kerr and criticism of the team's panic response being to hit the big emergency button that says "long balls." There are also lamentations that the midfield is not used enough. These concerns all interplay with each other.
Relying on Kerr isn't necessarily a bad thing if she's actually scoring. It's her being the only route to goal which causes issues. This tournament has shown that Kerr needs to be supported in carrying the goal-scoring load. And that support isn't coming in the form of Caitlin Foord or Kyah Simon, but Emily van Egmond.
Where Van Egmond is deployed dictates her ability to not only score but also speaks to the midfield issue. At the present moment, expecting the Matildas to play through the midfield is expecting them to highlight a weak spot.
With Tameka Yallop's positive COVID result, the Matildas were down to three named midfielders, Mary Fowler being played as a No. 10 and Aivi Luik technically being a No. 6 but playing her minutes as a centre-back.
The Matildas right now simply don't have the cattle to dominate centrally. Line-ups which include Clare Wheeler as the defensive midfielder and Van Egmond in a more advanced role are certainly improvements but the expectation of what this midfield can produce versus what it actually can do don't match.
Fit, healthy, and available Yallops, Chloe Logarzos, Elise Kellond-Knights and Katrina Gorrys change this equation.
Then there are conversations about investment at grassroots level, the youth development pathways and landscape and even how coaches are created trained and retained -- all topics worthy of discussion that form part of the bigger picture of this Matildas loss.
That they are brought up now as part of this loss speaks to the breadth and depth of concerns the Australian football community has.
Post-game Gustavsson invited fair criticism and conversation. He noted he had been in the industry long enough to know what would proceed.
"I take full ownership of the result tonight and I'm happy [for people] to criticise me which I think it's fair but I also hope they do that while they're looking at the performance as well so it's a fair criticism and criticise me for things that I could have done better," he said.
But this isn't just post-game or post-tournament discussion. This is what happens when the Matildas lose right now. It becomes a purge for every valid take, old grievance, genuine criticism, and even pleasure in the team losing. Devastation and displeasure form a heady mix.
And right now, with no scheduled games confirmed as yet, there's nowhere obvious to direct these reactions or next thing to focus on and shape how this match is processed in context of what is coming up.
There's just a 1-0 loss and a home World Cup Australia have never felt further from winning.