Sam Kerr's assessment was blunt.

"I'm so proud of the girls. There were a lot of critics talking about us, so suck on that one."

Her hot-blooded reaction to the Matildas' brilliant 3-2 win over Brazil gives some insight into the tumult that has swirled around the side over the past few days and months.

The controversial sacking of former coach Alen Stajcic just six months before the tournament became front and centre of everyone's minds again following an opening loss to Italy.

All the talk was about new coach Ante Milicic and the mistakes he made against Italy.

No doubt the Matildas players would have been seething that all the positivity that had built up around their side over the past couple of years had been replaced with cynicism.

What better way to answer back than to outgun Brazil for a 3-2 win in Montpellier?

You get the feeling the Matildas themselves never lost faith in their own abilities.

"I love these girls, they're something else," Kerr said.

"You can see what it means to us.

"We were so disappointed after the first game We're back in it."

They certainly are. Back in the World Cup reckoning and seemingly back in the groove that swept them to number six in the world rankings.

Going toe-to-toe with the big guns

This was always going to be a game that suited Australia better than its first match against Italy.

The Matildas got lost in the niggle against the Europeans and were essentially outfoxed.

Against Brazil, it was simply a case of two sides laden with attacking talent, going toe-to-toe and seeing who could finish the game with the most goals.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 11 seconds 1 m 11 s Matildas stun Brazil with gritty 3-2 win (Photo: Reuters)

Brazil came into this tournament in poor form, but it was still remarkable to watch them treat Australia as an equal, or even superior opponent.

If anyone needed proof that the Matildas are now among the big fish on the world stage, this was it.

Unlike the Italians, who pressed relentlessly, Brazil was happy to sit deep and defend against Australia's slick passing game, before launching counter-attacking raids that relied on the brilliance of Marta, Cristiane, Debinha and company.

That tactic worked perfectly for much of the first half.

Even though Australia dominated possession and looked the better side, flashes of brilliance from Brazil saw them take a 2-0 lead.

A sumptuous move from all the way from right back to the Australian box saw the South Americans earn a penalty, which Marta promptly buried, before an equally brilliant combination featuring Tamires and Debinha finished with Cristiane heading home.

Considering Australia's precarious position coming into this game, a 2-0 deficit could have been soul-crushing.

Which is what makes their fightback so impressive. They rallied almost immediately and found a crucial, life-giving goal just before the break.

They attacked in waves, launching assaults down the right and left before Tameka Yallop's cross was flicked on by Chloe Logarzo for Caitlin Foord to slot past the keeper.

The second half was more of the same; composure and fluid passing from Australia as Brazil sat back and tried to hit on the counter.

But now the Matildas' physicality gave them an extra advantage. As Brazilian legs tired, the likes of player-of-the-match Logarzo, Yallop and Gielnik roared up and down the pitch with endless energy.

The goals were weird ones, but you won't hear the Australians complaining.

The Matildas' second came from a cross from Logarzo deep on the right, which was intended for Kerr but missing both her and the keeper, bouncing twice and ending up in the back of the net.

Then came the controversial third, again from a ball intended for target-woman Kerr.

Kerr was offside when the ball was played from deep and Brazilian defender Monica headed it into her own net.

The Video Assistant Referee ruled, however, that the Australian captain was not interfering with play and therefore the goal stood.

To their credit, the Brazilians did not over-argue their case. In terms of getting back into the game, though, they had little to offer against the buoyant Matildas.

Backs-to-the-wall mentality suits the Australians

The Matildas next face Jamaica and stand a strong chance of progressing to the knock-out stages. ( Reuters: Reuters: Jean-Paul Pelissier )

Perhaps the Matildas' newly earned status as World Cup contenders did not sit well with a group that is used to battling hard for recognition, from both the Australian public and international opponents.

The feeling that everyone was against them was mounting after the Italy loss, but that only helped resuscitate the combative spirit the side is known for.

"Today was a real Australian performance," Milicic said.

"This team doesn't give up and we like to do it the hard way."

There will be plenty of hard games ahead if the Matildas are to go deep in this tournament, but with three points in the bag, the focus will be repeating the dose against their next opponents Jamaica.