LIVE: Returning Matildas captain Sam Kerr has handed Australia the lead over giants England in a sold-out clash in London that is a crucial test ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 99 days.
A 32nd-minute long ball from centre-back Clare Hunt floated over England’s defensive line in search of the – potentially marginally offside – striker.
England captain Leah Williamson failed to deal with the danger, with her attempted header back to keeper Mary Earps falling well short as Kerr pounced.
The Australian dinked Manchester United’s Earps and raced away to celebrate her 63rd international goal with a knee slide in the pouring rain.
The match is taking place in front of a sold-out crowd at the home of Premier League side Brentford in London, where the weather is typically atrocious — dismally wet and windy.
England dominated possession but struggled to implement their game plan against Australia’s organised defence and pressing, with the hosts showing flashes of danger out wide but tamed by the Australian defensive midfield in the central channels.
MATCH CENTRE: LIVE STATS AND COMMENTARY
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The Matildas started well, with right-winger Hayley Raso threatening down the right wing repeatedly in the opening quarter of an hour – and fashioning a good chance when she poached the ball from a loose pass from Walsh and raced pass Esme Morgan towards goal.
She was shepherded wide and hesitated on a possible cross before her eventual shot was blocked.
But England were threatening too, with Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold forced to deal with a couple of crosses close to the six-yard area – which she did with aplomb, punching one clear and flattening Manchester United’s Alessia Russo in the process.
Left-back Charlotte Grant was sent flying across the turf by some strong work near the box from Georgia Stanway, but her resulting ball into the box was cleared after some desperate defending.
In the 20th minute, Sam Kerr showed her trademark directness in transition, charging towards the area but failing to find any numbers in the box in support. She flicked the ball into the box anyway, but it was cleared as the Australians didn’t make it in time.
12 minutes later Kerr found the net after an uncharacteristic error from Arsenal’s Leah Williamson, who failed to head the ball back to her keeper after a long ball from Australia’s Clare Hunt.
Five minutes later the Matildas copped yet another injury blow, with Tameka Yallop collapsing to the ground when the ball slammed into her left foot after a driven cross.
Yallop had recently returned from ankle surgery on the other foot, but has had a torrid run of injuries in recent years. She was replaced by Cortnee Vine – the player Yallop had replaced in the starting XI.
But it was England that was most rattled by their injury-forced change and Kerr’s goal against the run of play, which came with Australia’s first shot on target.
Mary Fowler nicked the ball from Stanway in the 44th minute and had the Aussies in a dangerous position again, a two-on-one against England’s Williamson. But her ball to Kerr was well shielded by the Arsenal defender and cleared by Earps.
West Ham keeper Arnold, who was outstanding in the Cup of Nations in February, was a standout throughout the first half, confidently claiming the ball time and again despite the tricky conditions.
MATCH CENTRE: LIVE STATS AND COMMENTARY
Scotland shock Matildas with 1-0 win | 01:18
TEAM NEWS
Matildas captain Sam Kerr missed the defeat to Scotland for unnamed reasons but was able to start in this clash, a crucial return given a series of injuries elsewhere.
The likes of veterans Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Emily Gielnik, Elise Kellond-Knight, Alanna Kennedy, and Chloe Logarzo were ruled out of these friendlies through injury. Emily van Egmond and Holly McNamara were sent back to their clubs over the weekend after also suffering injuries.
England made two changes from the side that beat Brazil in the Finalissima, with Lauren James dropping to the bench and Alex Greenwood leaving the squad after concussion symptoms. Esme Morgan and Chloe Kelly (who scored the winning penalty against Brazil) start in their places. But Lauren Hemp – wearing a face mask and sporting a black eye underneath – appeared to struggle with light-headedness after the first 25 minutes and was substituted for Lauren James in the 27th minute.
Australia: Arnold, Polkinghorne, Yallop, Fowler, Raso, Gorry, Kerr, Carpenter, Grant, Cooney-Cross, Hunt.
Substitutes: Williams, Micah, Whyman, Nevin, Luik, Vine, Crummer, Wheeler, Chidiac, Siemsen, Sayer, McNamara.
England: Earps, Bronze, Carter, Williamson, Morgan, Stanway, Walsh, Toone, Hemp, Russo, Kelly
Substitutes: Roebuck, Hampton, Le Tissier, Wubben-Moy, Charles, Nobbs, James, Coombs, Daly, Park , Robinson, Parker.
England vs CommBank Matildas
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, London
Kick-Off: 4:45am, Wed, 12 April (AEST)
Broadcast: Network 10
Kerr hopes World Cup delivers dreams | 01:18
PREVIEW
An understrength Australian side fell to a 1-0 defeat to Scotland – who failed to qualify for the World Cup – on Friday night. A series of familiar problems resurfaced as a seven-match winning streak came crashing to a halt.
Now, the world number 10 Aussies face off against world number four England in arguably their toughest test in years – where an upset victory could demonstrate that the Matildas are genuine contenders for the World Cup.
Coach Tony Gustavsson labelled the Lionessess the “team in the world to beat” on the back of a 30-game unbeaten run. That remarkable streak was capped off on Friday by victory for the European champions over South American champs Brazil in the first-ever Women’s Finalissima in front of 83,132 fans at Wembley Stadium.
England are firmly among the favourites to hoist the most cherished silverware in the game, the Women’s World Cup, with a star-studded attack and depth that makes selecting a 23-player squad for the tournament a headache-inducing task.
“Thirty games unbeaten, they play modern football with high intensity, extremely high tempo in everything they do. Their pressing game is fantastic, and their goal movement brilliant,” Gustavsson said.
Defender Charli Grant similarly said: “England is going to be a really exciting challenge for us to see where we’re at especially so close to a World Cup.
“I think they definitely have probably one of the best forwards in the world at the moment and that’s going to be a really good challenge for our backline but also they’re great defensively to see how well they’ve done in the Euros and even recently in friendly matches.”
By contrast, the Matildas are currently battling a host of injuries, with Gustavsson stating he is missing ‘eight to 10’ players for the massive clash.
Gustavsson said: “We’re not going to shy away from this challenge, it’s the toughest maybe ever since I came on board, and all these players won’t shy away either. That’s who they are.”
It is the final match before Gustavsson names his 23-player squad for the tournament proper, and could well provide a harsh lesson. Of course, all that matters is whether the coach and team learn those lessons by the time it really counts.
