Returning veteran Michelle Heyman scored her first Matildas objective in eight years as Australia moved a step nearer to Paris with a 3-0 win over Uzbekistan within the first-leg of the Olympic Games qualifier in Tashkent.
Despite dominating possession, the Matildas wasted a bunch of alternatives earlier than Uzbekistan’s resistance was lastly damaged within the closing 20 minutes of the competition to make sure the Australians would have a useful benefit heading into Wednesday night time’s second-leg at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.
The injury-enforced absence of celebrity striker Sam Kerr was telling for almost all of the competition, and it wasn’t till the entry of Canberra United striker Heyman within the sixty fifth minute that the Matildas lastly upped their sport in entrance of objective.
In her first nationwide look since 2018, Heyman broke the impasse within the 72nd minute, heading the ball dwelling from shut vary after Uzbekistan didn’t cope with a Steph Catley nook.
It was 35-year-old Heyman’s twenty first objective for the Matildas and her first since discovering the again of the web towards Zimbabwe on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“Back playing for my country, to come on and score a goal, it’s a dream come true,” Heyman mentioned.
“It’s what I wanted and I’m so happy to get it done – it’s a really nice feeling.”
The Matildas then additional upped the ante with targets from Mary Fowler and substitute Caitlin Foord within the closing 10 minutes making certain the Australians would benefit from the prolonged journey dwelling forward of the second leg.
“When you come home to home soil, and see the fans, and the memories we had from Melbourne from the World Cup, that’s going to recharge them so much, so the energy is not going to be a problem in that game,” Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson promised.
Earlier, it appeared it was going to be a kind of days for the Australians, who lacked efficiency for a big a part of the competition.
The Matildas had the primary probability of the sport within the eleventh minute when Fowler discovered some area on the sting of Uzbekistan’s penalty space.
The Manchester City star unleashed a right-foot shot that was effectively saved by goalkeeper Maftuna Jonimqulova.
Debutant Kaitlyn Torpey had an awesome alternative to offer the Matildas the lead within the twenty first minute after Hayley Raso discovered her unmarked on the far submit with a well-placed low cross.
However, as a substitute of capturing, Torpey tried to sq. the ball into the trail of Emily van Egmond however failed to seek out her new San Diego Wave teammate.
The Matildas had one other probability on the half-hour mark, however Raso couldn’t hit the goal after the ball had been in the reduction of into her path by right-back Ellie Carpenter.
A minute later it was van Egmond’s flip to waste a gilt-edged probability after Uzbekistan keeper Jonimqulova didn’t correctly cope with a Torpey cross.
Jonimqulova punched the ball straight to van Egmond, however the Matildas stalwart blazed her shot over the crossbar.
Van Egmond was once more wasteful in first-half stoppage time when she couldn’t direct a header on course after Catley discovered her teammate unmarked with a harmful cross.
The Matildas continued to assault after half-time, with midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross’ long-distance strike within the forty sixth minute tipped over the crossbar by Jonimqulova.
Three minutes later Foord, who got here for Torpey, blew a golden probability when she couldn’t hit the goal after being discovered unmarked within the penalty space by a Raso cross.
There was extra agony for the Matildas within the 54t minute when van Egmond one way or the other failed to attain from contained in the six-yard field after operating on to a superbly positioned cross from Fowler.
However, the Matildas’ persistence was to lastly repay, with Heyman’s introduction proving essential.
Shock omission
Arsenal star Caitlin Foord, the Matildas’ greatest attacker within the absence of Kerr, was disregarded of the beginning facet.
Team officers mentioned Foord wasn’t injured, together with her omission as a substitute a part of “managing her load” forward of Wednesday night time’s second leg in Melbourne resulting from her latest busy schedule with the Gunners within the English Women’s Super League.
With the Matildas’ assault missing efficiency, Foord was introduced on in the beginning of the second half for Torpey.
Source: www.news.com.au
