With a host of key players missing, Australia were eventually overrun by the French in Saint-Etienne on Friday with Eugenie Le Sommer’s second-half brace giving the hosts a 2-0 win.

Arnold was one of Australia's best on the night, making a number of crucial saves against the world’s number four ranked nation.

And while disappointed with the result, the 24-year-old shot-stopper believes the team took a lot out of the match heading into the game with England.

Eugenie Le Sommer’s second half brace killed off a spirited performance from the Matildas, who fielded an exciting line-up of youth and experience against the world superpower in Saint-Etienne.

And although Australia never quite got going on the day, Stajcic said the defeat will prove a valuable learning experience ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup France.

A brace from star forward Eugénie Le Sommer ultimately decided the match in favour of World No 4 France, who fully merited their win the over sixth-ranked Matildas.

Significantly, Kerr is the female player in Australian domestic football to be designated as a marquee player, which allows her to be signed outside the W-League's salary cap.

Football Federation Australia revealed Kerr's wages will be supported through the national organisation's marquee player fund, as part of its commitment to make the league a home of female footballing heroes.

Kerr will return to Perth, where she led the scoring charts in the 2017-18 season, fresh from a typically lethal run of form in the US-based National Women's Soccer League, which produced a league-leading 16-goal season for Chicago Red Stars.

Australia are now sixth in the world after moving up two spots.

The Matildas' surge up the rankings can be attributed to their run in the 2018 Tournament of Nations, finishing second in the United States where the host nation emerged the victors due to a greater goal difference.

Japan dropped two rungs to seventh while DPR Korea remain third, down one spot to 11th.

Fourth placed Korea Republic moved up by one to 14th in the world, while China PR improved two rungs to 15th as Asia's fifth best ranked team.

CHINA PR 2 (Yang Lina 24', Zhang Rui 87' (pen))
FINLAND 1 (Ahtinen 13')

A successfully converted Zhang Rui spot-kick three minutes from time helped the hosts to three important points, as they came from a goal behind to beat Finland at the Yongchuan Sports Centre.

Following on from their fast start against Thailand on Thursday, Anna Signuel's Finnish side once again took an early lead, this time through 21-year-old Olga Ahtinen, whose sweetly struck effort made it 1-0 on 13 minutes.

The Steel Roses saw a Wang Shanshan reply correctly ruled out for handball, but they were on level terms within 11 minutes when Yang Lina coolly found the back of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Wang Shanshan missed a great chance to give Jia Xiuquan's side the lead when she fired wide of an empty net after an error by Finnish goalkeeper Paula Myllyoja, but the introduction of 17-year-old Zhang Linyan swung the game in China PR's favour with mere minutes remaining.

The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup graduate entered the fray with 20 minutes remaining, and if was her hurried shot which found the hand of Finland's Kasia Collin, with the experienced Zhang stepped to neatly tuck to ball into the bottom left hand corner to seal the points after the referee awarded a penalty.

The win puts China PR level with Portugal on four points from two matches, although the side from the Iberian Peninsula holds a two-goal advantage, with Finland remaining in contention on three points.

In some ways that methodical and measured approached is reflected in the way her sides play. Japan’s various national teams – Takakura has coached all three – demonstrate a uniform method based on technique and intelligence over physicality and brawn.

Appointed in 2016 following the lengthy and highly successful reign of Norio Sasaki, Takakura had big shoes to fill. But the former long-serving team midfielder relished the opportunity to continue the trademark Nadeshiko style – a method that delivered great success at junior international level.