Why the World Cup is looking like the Matildas to lose

OK, so there are a few, big hurdles left to negotiate, but the Matildas are looking strong. Cathy Freeman, 2000 Sydney Olympics strong.

After a slow, somewhat nervy start to the tournament, the Cup co-hosts dispatched Olympic champions Canada like a community football side then, not so much breezed past world No.13 Denmark at Stadium Australia on Monday night, but got the job done.

The 2-0 win was a more patient performance than the one that ended Canada's World Cup in Melbourne and came after Denmark had looked the more dangerous early on.

But good teams find ways to win.

And the Matildas are showing they can win a number of ways.

Aside from the 3-2 loss to Nigeria in their second group outing - a mere blemish that came without strikers Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler - Australia have barely put a foot wrong.

They can win pretty with attacking flair and polish in the final third.

Six players have scored across their four games at this World Cup.

They can win gritty with a Never Say Die attitude and desperate defence.

Monday night's performance was the third clean sheet of the tournament.

Ugly, pretty. Doesn't matter. They're alive and kicking and their World Cup dreams are well and truly alive.

The round-of-16 win set up a quarter-final showdown with either France or Morocco in Brisbane next Saturday.

Can they win that and go further than any Australian soccer team has before at a World Cup?

The Matildas have so far answered all the questions put to them.

Can they win without Sam Kerr?

Yes.

Can they dig deep with their backs against the wall and under immense pressure?

Yes.

Do they have the maturity and footballing nous to manage games when they need?

Ask Catley, whose injury scare midway through the first half took the sting out of Denmark's early attacking pressure.

The stand-in skipper "had a little roll" of her ankle and joked post-match the moment, which allowed the Matildas to reset, was "a great coincidence".

Now, can they go all the way?

The Matildas certainly think they can.

They aren't yet perfect, but are building nicely.

The shift of Caitlin Foord to the left for the Canada and Denmark games has given the Arsenal forward more space and time to attack.

The up-front pairing of Mary Fowler and Emily van Egmond is working well. Both are pressing high, forcing mistakes and played a part in both goals against Denmark.

Players have stated "it's our time", and it is certainly starting to feel like it.

You cannot deny they are playing with a confidence that clearly shows belief.

Catley pointed out after the Matildas opened their Cup campaign in front of a record 75,784 at Stadium Australia on July 20 that they hadn't played in front of a crowd that big before.

In the first game, that caused nerves.

But when the same amount of spectators turned out on Monday night, there seemed no nerves in sight.

And, there has been a shift. If it felt like Australia were carrying the weight of a nation through their group stage, now it feels like they are playing with support of a country which could help carry them to Cup history.

Plenty of people are getting on board. And, why wouldn't they?

The World Cup, and female football, is a hot topic in Australia.

And the shock exits of back-to-back champions United States plus Brazil, Germany and Italy have shown the World Cup is anyone's for the taking.