The Matildas seesawed from cheers to jeers as Nigeria came from behind to beat them 3-2 in Brisbane.

Here’s how the internet reacted.

Losing Sam Kerr minutes before your first match? Well, that’s just foul luck.

Losing your brightest young attacker and a veteran defender the day before your second match? Well, that’s Fowler Luik. 

Tortured wordplay aside, two more injuries sustained in training had the Matildas limping into this crucial match against Nigeria.

Tony Gustavsson revealed on Wednesday Mary Fowler and Aivi Luik had gotten head knocks in separate incidents during a high-intensity 8v8 training match, which one assumes was overseen by guest assistant coach Vinnie Jones.

Still, Brisbane was alive with Matildas fever, as a torrent of bubbling yellow and gold enthusiasm sloshed down Caxton Street toward Lang Park.

The hugely experienced Emily van Egmond came into the starting XI, as a No.10.

Nigeria, who had their star striker Asisat Oshoala benched with injury pre-match, set up to counter, and did so a couple of times in the opening quarter hour.

But once Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry began pinging the ball around, darting around tacklers, the tempo began to sound, tick, tick, tick, and the Matildas began to step in time.

Steph Catley stung the palms of the Nigerian keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, and Catilin Foord curled a snarling attempt wide.

Courtnee Vine was scythed down in a tackle, and her head snapped back onto the turf horribly; a medic came out to administer a head injury assessment, and the fans waited for a third Matildas concussion in 48 hours to be confirmed.

Thankfully, Vine was fine, and resumed, as did Australia’s vigorous push for an opener, with Raso soon side-footing just wide from a corner.

Nigeria were not without their moments too, particularly one sickening deflected shot that rolled wide with Mackenzie Arnold stranded on the other side of the goal.

And as the first half rolled toward an unsatisfying state of parity, Emily van Egmond struck; a piercing run by Foord down the left saw her cross neatly for van Egmod, trundling into the box with that perfect, late No.10 run.

She poked a finish through legs, almost underhit, out of reach of saving, and Australia had the lead.

The five minutes of first half added time were up, a 1-0 lead secured, what a wonderful way to head into half time, and now to take a large sip of water and wait for the whistle to … and then Nigeria equalised.

A turnover in midfield led to a surge down the Australian right flank. A cross was deflected, looping up and down and right to the feet of Uchenna Kanu. She jabbed a finish through Catley’s legs into the goal.

A gut punch, and all the joyful air in the Australian lungs whistled out. 1-1 at half-time.

Nigeria came out with slightly more offensive appetite in the second half, sensing the Matildas were perhaps less fearsome in attack than they were vulnerable in defence.

The hour mark arrived, and calls for a certain substitution were heard.

Alex Chidiac, a potent attacker, who has the bravery to turn and create in tight spaces, and who relishes the clamour of battle was still sitting on the bench.

Meanwhile, Nigeria was taking the lead. A corner swung in, ballooned up in the air and looped back the direction it came. Headed across the face of goal, Osinache Ohale met it, and scuffed across the line.

The dominance in the first half now a faint memory, the home side were reeling, rocking back after a clean shot to the point of the chin.

Asisat Oshoala had come on, lethal Bacelona striker, and like a shark with blood in the water, when Alanna Kennedy and Arnold mixed up a headed back pass, Oshoala powered across the turf and struck, finishing from a tight angle, 3-1.

The match had been in the Matildas’ hands; it now wasn’t just out of reach, it was out of sight.

The panic set in.

Tony Gustavsson at long last made a substitution, but inexplicably it was centre back Claire Polkinghorne coming on.

Starting centre back Alanna Kennedy was moved into an auxiliary striker position; this was madness manifesting here, desperate groping for a handhold in the dark, and the masses began to turn, the sour smell of defeat in the air.

Alanna Kennedy grabbed a goal back with a minute remaining at a corner with Mackenzie Arnold up to contest it, the ultimate in football desperation. It was consolatory.

The final whistle went and as the Nigerian heroes fell to the ground, overcome with emotion, the full Australian calamity came into view.

The failure to capitalise on the first half supremacy. The inability to see out the half. The frailty when going behind. And the catastrophic flailing when their grip on the contest was lost.

Australia will need to beat the Olympic champions, Canada, on Monday to qualify for the knockout rounds.