Australian Matildas weaken in first lost round of Women's World Cup

The Matildas will not be in a hurry to rethink their plans for the World Cup despite a "disastrous" defeat against Italy.

The Australian team of Ante Milicic was beaten 2-1 at Valenciennes on Sunday by a team returning to the World Cup after a 20-year break.

Much of the exit was not pretty.

The high defensive line used by Milicic was almost costly to Australia, with two Italy goals over the counter dismissed by marginal offside calls.

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Emily van Egmond was once again full of mistakes, while the vaunted front line of Matildas was not ready yet.

A few minutes after the final whistle, brick sticks flew within the team, and in particular from Milicic.

Matilda legend Heather Garriock, who has competed at three World Cups and now coaches Canberra United, called the game "disastrous".

"I'm so upset, even more so for the style in which we played the second half … this high line is absolutely ridiculous," she told Optus Sport.

"If you think as a coach, you can change your philosophy and your style in five games.We have just been crucified, not once, but twice.

"If we had a better team playing against us tonight, it would have been more than five, I'm so disappointed."

Milicic had a heavy face as he came to the result, recognizing that his team was playing within it.

"When we played football, we looked decent, but it was only in places," he said.

"We have to be a little braver and composed on the ball."

"We need to better understand when to fall and when to stay high, as well as the position of the goalkeeper."

Forward Caitlin Foord has hinted that the Matildas, who appreciate Milicic's tactical adjustments since coming to power in February, have not been forced to shoot.

"No World Cup was won in the first match," she said.

"There are a lot of positives to take.

"We are here to play our football style … we believe that this victory will allow us to win the World Cup, so we will continue to do so."

The former Deputy Socceroos coach defended Clare Polkinghorne 's calamitous error of spilling the balloon without any pressure to allow Italy to even out.

"Clare is brave to do that, we will not change our style because we conceded a goal," said Milicic.

"I will always believe in this style, it's the style we want to progress on the field, we just need to improve and improve quickly."

Australia is now heading south to Montpellier, where they will face Brazil, who beat Jamaica 3-0 on Sunday.

Australian captain Sam Kerr has hailed one of his football idols after he broke the duck at the Women's World Cup.

Kerr scored the Matildas' goal in their 2-1 defeat to Italy on Sunday, marking the start of the match in the 22nd minute.

After conceding a rebound in his own fumble penalty, Kerr ran into the corner and hit the flag like another Australian striker of years past.

"The legend, Timmy Cahill continues to live," she said.

"My first ever [World Cup] goal and he is our greatest scorer of all time.

"Just a little fun and a shout in front of Timmy … a Timmy legend … it's one of my idols."

"I thought he probably should have participated in the last World Cup and scored for this one to be for him."

Barbara Bonansea had the last word in Valenciennes, scoring in the 56th and 95th minutes to win the match for Italy.

She then unveiled her own celebration – a thumb sucker, echoing the last time Italy defeated Australia at a World Cup in the 2006 men's tournament.

At the time, Francesco Totti scored a penalty at exactly the same time, in the fifth minute of overtime, to take the Socceroos out of the knockout stages.