Rio Olympics 2016 - Sour grapes: Australia blast referee, police after loss

Australia's Alanna Kennedy , left, reacts after missing a shot in a penalty shootout as Brazil goalkeeper Barbara celebrates. Photo / AP

Brazilian police and a vocal home crowd conspired against Australia's women's footballers in their gut-wrenching exit from the Olympic Games, the Matildas believe.

The Australians were knocked out of the Rio Games by host nation Brazil, losing a tense penalty shootout 7-6 in a quarter-final in Mineiro.

Defender Alanna Kennedy missed her spot kick, giving the Brazilians victory, but the Australians are frustrated that Brazil's goalkeeper Barbara's illegal moves off her line in the shootout weren't detected by referees.

"It was an unfair advantage," midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight said.

"Even in our pre-tournament meeting with the referees, they highlighted that they would be searching and looking and keeping an eye out for goalkeepers moving off the line.

"It's just disappointing that they actually didn't see that during the penalty shootout but that is a fact of football.

"We didn't do what we could have and put pressure on the referee, that's a disappointing aspect of our game.

"Having 60,000 people screaming and pro-Brazil support does make a little bit of pressure for the referee."

Winger Samantha Kerr said Canadian referee Carol Chenard may have been intimidated by the crowd.

"On the bench we noticed the first one but we scored it, so we were like `if she missed they would have retaken it' but that wasn't the case on the last one," Kerr said.

"I don't think there was any talk of retaking it.

"I don't think even if the referee thought, she probably wouldn't have called it with the pressure of the crowd.

"But that's football, it happens all over the world.

"You could call up 1,000 games where that has happened ... I'm sure the crowd probably had a little bit of an impact on the decision."

A change.org petition has been started to get the Matildas a rematch.

The Australians were also frustrated by Brazilian police when leaving the team hotel.

After the Brazilian team bus left, the Australians were kept waiting about five minutes by police before departing.

"You just question Brazilian police looking after us, what is really going on?" Kellond-Knight said.

"It's just little games like this but we're all professionals, we know how to deal with it."

- AAP