The Matildas have thumped Italy 5-2 to finish the Cyprus Women’s Cup in seventh place.



The Australians took a 3-0 half-time lead with Sam Kerr opening the scoring in the 17th minute and Emily van Egmond netting a brace.



Katrina Gorry extended the lead after the break with substitute Hayley Raso rounding out the scoring with her 79th minute strike.



Italy scored two consolation goals late in the game, but never looked like threatening the Matildas’ lead.



Strikers van Egmond and Michelle Heyman finished the tournament as Australia’s joint highest scorers, each netting three goals.



The tournament was claimed by France, who defeated the holders England 2-0 in the final to continue their 40-year domination over the Three Lions.



Australia will now focus on defending their Asian Cup title in Vietnam in May. The Asian Cup will be crucial for the world No 9 Australians, with the four semi-finalists at the tournament and the fifth-placed team all qualifying for the 2015 World Cup in Canada.

Meanwhile in the final of the Algarve Cup in Portugal a flurry of goals at the start of the second half helped Germany to a 3-0 victory over world champion Japan.

Substitute Nadine Kessler’s first touch was a goal from the edge of the area in the 46th minute, and Anja Mittag doubled the advantage for the European champions four minutes later by backheeling teammate Fatmire Alushi’s pass into goal.

Dzsenifer Marozsan completed the rout at the Algarve Stadium against a dazed Japan in the 61st minute with a shot from 20m as the German women secured their third title in the competition.

Iceland scored two first-half goals and hung on to beat Sweden 2-1 in the third-place game at the annual competition held in the south of Portugal.



Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir and Harp Thorsteinsdottir scored within a two-minute span to put Iceland in control half an hour into the match at Albufeira, before substitute Antonia Goransson gave Sweden some consolation in stoppage time.



