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45+4 Carpenter finds some space on the right and cuts the ball back to Foord, who, under pressure drags as hot wide.
45+2 Foord goes close! A ball from Heatley is directed towards Kerr and, while it can’t find the striker, it does bounce to Gorry. The midfielder’s shot is blocked away but spills to Foord, who drags another attempt across the face of goal.
Concern now for South Korea, as their skipper Ko, who blocked Gorry’s shot, is down and requiring treatment.
45 Mins: We’ll have six minutes of added time to conclude this opening half.
44 Mins: Fowler bends a threatening-looking ball across the face of goal but it’s just got to much swerve on it for Foord, who throws a leg at it but who can’t make contact.
43 Mins: There’s a bunch of space open to the South Koreans in transition if they can win the ball quickly – even with Kennedy often dropping back between the two centre backs – but to now, they’ve proven unable to consistently find the outlet that will allow them to exploit these opportunities.
42 Mins: Confirmation that Hunt has gone into the book for the Australians.
41 Mins: A long ball forward finds Park in a dangerous area but the South Korean attacker had strayed into an offside position. Fowler tries to press the Australian’s initiative quickly but runs into a cul-de-sac and the attack peters out.
40 Mins: The Matildas recycle possession and get the ball out to Nevin on the left. She finds Fowler, who scoops a cross to Foord but the resulting cutback attempt is tame and easily cleared.
39 Mins: The Matildas have had 54% of the ball and are outshooting the South Koreans eight to five, with five shots on target to two, across the opening 40 minutes. The Koreans, however, are far from out of this one and have demonstrated what they can do when they’re afforded a chance to get out in transition, particularly when they win the ball back quickly with a counter-press.
37 Mins: The Matildas have a free kick, which Fowler lofts into the area. It spills out to Kennedy at the back of the waiting pack but she can’t control the ball and the Koreans come away with it.
35 Mins: A bit of pep in their step, the Matildas go in search of a second.
Fowler threads a defence splitting pass through the Korean lines to find an onside Kerr and free her into the penalty area. Taken somewhat wide, however, the striker slices her effort high and wide of the near post.
Goal! Australia 1-1 South Korea (Kennedy 32')
It’s one of the most chaotic goals you’ll ever see but the Matildas won’t care one bit, because it’s brought them level.
A scramble breaks out after the Matildas’ corner and the ball eventually falls to Foord, who calmly lays the ball back off for Fowler.
She lashes a shot goalward and while it’s not struck all that well, it is struck close enough for Kennedy to pounce upon it and redirect it goalward, with it bouncing off keeper Kim Min-Jung and into the net.
31 Mins: Fowler flashes danger signs, smashing a shot into the side netting after being found by Kerr on the right, weaving into the penalty area, and lashing a shot goalward. It took a touch, so it’ll be an Australian corner.
30 Mins: The South Koreans have a free kick on the right flank, it’s sent searchingly into the penalty area and punched clear by Arnold. Jang collects the ball and tires to send it back into the mixer but Arnold is out to claim.
27 Mins: The Koreans almost catch the Matildas napping and force them to scramble back, before a shot from outside the box is lofted somewhat tamely through to Arnold.
26 Mins: Fowler tries to wind up a shot from very long-range but it takes a deflection and bounces harmlessly through to the keeper.
25 Mins: Kerr gets the ball out to Foord on the left and the attacker drives into the penalty area down the left. Her attempts to cut the ball back, however, is blocked away by Kim and the ball then ricochets off her leg out for a goal kick. The South Korean tries to fire up whatever Korean contingent is in the crowd after her defensive effort.
23 Mins: South Korea gets forward again but, on this occasion, Choe’s run draws an offside flag.
22 Mins: The Koreans force a turnover in the middle of the park and get forward. They’re able to get a cross in despite the Matildas halting their early momentum Jang Sel-Gi’s ball is put too close to Arnold and claimed.
21 Mins: It’s not the worst opening that the Matildas could have had but it’s far from ideal: a flurry of missed chances, a sucker-punch goal conceded against the run of play, and now one of their most important players going off with concussion.
19 Mins: Catley’s night is officially ended as she’s replaced by Nevin.
If you’re keeping track, that’s now five Matildas players who have suffered concussions at their last two home tournaments: Raso and Catley joining Aivi Luik, Fowler, and Kennedy’s concussions at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
17 Mins: More concerns for Catley, who has sat down on the turf and called for medical attention.
Courtney Nevin is being prepared on the Matildas’ sideline and it feels inevitable that the veteran defender’s night is done.
15 Mins: A lull descends across Stadium Australia as the crowd comes to grips with the Matildas trailing for the first time all tournament.
Goal! Australia 0-1 South Korea (13')
Australia didn’t need to wait long to rue their missed opportunities, as the Koreans rip them apart in transition to take the lead.
After a Kerr turnover, Jeon Yu-Gyeong is given the space to charge down the left before, reaching the penalty area, she rolls a delivery across and into the path of 15 gets forward and plays the ball into the path of Mun Eun-Ju. The striker lunges forward and makes no mistake with her first-time effort as she pokes it beyond Arnold.
11 Mins: Wheeler’s pressure from the re-start creates another high-turnover for the Matildas, knocking it into the path of Gorry inside the penalty area. But the diminutive midfielder can’t make proper contact with her shot and the danger passes.
10 Mins: Foord buries her head in her hands: Kennedy scything a pass down the right for a run of Carpenter, who in turn cut the ball back for the free attacker in her box. Foord, though, can only shank her shot and she’ll know that a player of her ability, on a stage like this, can do better.
10 Mins: There’s a cheer from the crowd as Catley returns to the play. And probably a cheer in London, as well, as Arsenal fans breath a sigh of relief, too.
9 Mins: The Koreans get forward after the re-start and, with Catley off the pitch, work the ball down their attacking right flank through Choe. Her delivery, though, can’t be seized upon.
8 Mins: Catley is back to her feet and walking off under her own power. She’ll need to pass a head injury assessment before she’s allowed to return to the field of play, however.
6 Mins: Catley is down with a head injury. As the Koreans moved forward, the left-back got across to get her body in front of a cross from Choe and collected a ball right to the back of the head – sinking to the turf immediately.
With Raso already out with concussion, more head-injury related concerns for the Australians.
5 Mins: The Koreans try to build something up from the back but Gorry is on the spot to steal the ball away. She looks for Kerr again but the striker can’t collect cleanly.
4 Mins: Australia looks to break quickly in transition, with Gorry feeding the ball to Kerr who, in turn, fires an effort on goal from outside the box. It’s too close to keeper Kim Min-Jung and easily claimed.
3 Mins: Gorry’s return to the Matildas under Gustavsson, one of the unabashed successes of the Swede’s tenure, saw her largely deployed as a creative, deep lying midfielder – as a regista. Tonight, however, she’s been played further up the pitch, in the position she was crowned as Asia’s Player of the Year over a decade ago: as a ten.
2 Mins: An aggressive start by the Matildas. They win the ball back and Foord drives a delivery into the penalty area looking for Kerr. It goes over the striker’s head but the Australian’s high-press wins the ball back straight away.
1 Min: A header from Gorry springs Wheeler towards the penalty area but the defence is able to collapse on the ball quickly and prevent her from claiming clean possesion.
Kick-off
The Matildas clash with South Korea is underway at Stadium Australia
The last time the Matildas played at Stadium Australia? Back in June, 2024, when they defeated China 2-0 in an Olympic Games send-off. Wheeler, who starts tonight, was on the scoresheet that day, as was Raso, who is absent tonight with concussion.
The anthems are being sung and kick-off is imminent in Sydney.
It’s currently 21 degrees with light rain at Homebush, adding another dimension to tonight’s game.
There’s a lot of Oscar Piastri x Matildas fans with a bit riding on this one.
Playing on home soil and featuring a line-up loaded with players that are key cogs for some of the world’s biggest clubs, it’s not an unfair expectation that the Matildas win this game. Add to that that, under interim coach Tom Sermanni, the Australians secured back-to-back wins over the Taegeuk Warriors last April and, indeed, it will be a letdown if they don’t.
The Koreans, however, handily represent the best opposition that the Matildas have faced this tournament. Indeed, it’s arguable that the Matildas have only played one opponent of a greater quality, England last October, since that two-game series.
Under coach Shin Sang-woo, the Koreans have rebuilt their XI in recent years in a manner that should allow them to challenge for this tournament and they, too, will be eager to avoid a showdown with defending champions China or their ‘derby’ foes North Korea.
The last time these two nations met at a Women’s Asian Cup? Back in 2022, when Tony Gustavsson’s vaunted “performance mode” went bust as the Koreans dumped the Matildas out in the last eight.
It was a result that, had Australia not been hosting the Women’s World Cup the following year, would have seen them miss out on qualification for the global showpiece event.
This being the final matchday of the group stages, kick-offs across the three groups will take place simultaneously in an anti-biscotto measure.
That means that at the same time the Matildas and South Korea kick off at Stadium Australia, Iran and the Philippines will commence their meeting at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast.
Having dodged thrashings against both the Matildas and Koreans, the Philippines are well-placed to advance through to the knockout stages as one of the two-best third-placed finishers if they’re able to get a win this evening.
While Vietnam, having actually won a game, rank as the best third-placed finisher thus far, the Filipinas goal difference of -4 sees them occupy the other slot heading into this round of games and a convincing win over Iran should see Mark Torcaso’s side through to the last eight.
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Much of the fallout from the Matildas’ win over Iran has centred upon the dangers facing down the Iranian players, with news emerging the day after the game that a conservative, state-aligned commentator in the country had described them as “wartime traitors” after they refrained from singing the national anthem of the Islamic state ahead of their first game.
The Australian government has been urged to offer protection to the players, while there is also pressure on the AFC and Fifa to step in and advocate on their behalf.
To the AFC and FIFA: Human Rights Must Be Granted to All Athletes During Competition
The rights of all athletes must be the paramount consideration at all times.
Under FIFA’s human rights policy, the safety of all players takes precedence over the protocols of a member… pic.twitter.com/kM7rB90ntW
South Korean XI
Coach Sang-Woo Shin makes five changes to the Korean side defeated the Philippines 3-0 in their last game, a score line reprised from their opening game win over Iran.
Ji So-yun, Choe Yu-ri, Jang Sel-gi, Noh Jin-Young, and Kim Hye-Ri all come into the side – Ji a former teammate of Kerr at Chelsea and the scorer of the goal that sealed the Matildas’ 1-0 defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2022 iteration of this tournament.
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Matildas XI
After missing the Matildas opening two games with a calf issue, Arnold has been named to start her first game of the Women’s Asian Cup this evening, starting in goal behind a backline of Steph Catley (seemingly at LB once again), Wini Heatley, Clare Hunt, and Ellie Carpenter.
Amy Sayer’s turn in the midfield against Iran hasn’t been enough to retain her place in the side, with Clare Wheeler and Katrina Gorry, the former of whom was, admittedly, superb against the Philippines in the opening game, coming into the XI. Alanna Kennedy remains as a six after netting a brace against the Iranians but Emily Van Egmond has also made way.
Up top, Raso’s concussion has ensured that Mary Fowler will make it back-to-back starts after scoring on her return to the XI earlier in the week, with Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord making it three starts in three games.
Hayley Raso out after suffering a concussion in win over Iran
The big availability news heading into the game for the Matildas is that winger Hayley Raso is out after suffering a concussion in the win over Iran.
The veteran attacker didn’t train with the side on Saturday but Montemurro doesn’t believe that she won’t be ruled out for the rest of the tournament – whichever quarterfinal the Australians take part in set to be staged more than a week on from the Iran clash.
“We’re just following the medical protocols in terms of a light concussion,” said the coach.
“From my own personal perspective it is something we don’t mess around with.
“We just want to make sure that everything’s right and she’s progressing really well but she won’t be available.
“We just follow the seven-day protocol at the moment and we will assess from there but all signs are positive but she is not out for the tournament.”
Montemurro also hinted that midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold would be in line for their first minutes of the tournament.
Having gone from not in the squad to starter within the space of one injury-ravaged week for the Matildas, Chloe Lincoln has started between the posts in place of Arnold across the side’s opening two games.
The Matildas dominance against the Philippines and Iran, however, means that the Brisbane Roar keeper has faced just a single shot during the 180 minutes she’s played, an effort which wasn’t on target.
Preamble
Joey Lynch
Howdy all, it’s ya boi Joey Lynch, once more bringing you live coverage of the Matildas’ Women’s Asian Cup campaign, which tonight brings them to Sydney to take on South Korea in a Group A deciding match.
The scenario facing down Joe Montemurro’s side for this evening’s fixture is a simple one: win and they will top Group A and head into a Sydney-based quarter-final against either Taiwan or Vietnam, where a place in not only the last four will be on the line but, also, a spot at the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Conversely, fail to pick up all three points and they’ll finish second in Group A – the South Koreans coming into this contest top of the group by virtue of their superior goal difference – and they’ll have to jump on a plane and head out to Perth for a quarter-final clash with either China or North Korea – two of the few nations that entered this tournament being considered as potential, if longshot, winners.
Thus, while the Matildas’ progression through to the knockout stages was already secured by a thumping win over Iran on the Gold Coast earlier in the week, there’s still plenty of stakes attached to the outcome of this contest.
Kick-off is at 8pm AEDT/6pm KST/9am GMT
