The Matildas wanted a win towards Canada to maintain their Women’s World Cup marketing campaign alive and Australia couldn’t have had a greater end result.
Not solely have the Matildas claimed a shocking 4-0 end result over Canada, knocking the reigning Olympic champions out of the World Cup, however Australia will high group B after a 0-all draw between Ireland and Nigeria.
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It was dubbed the Group of Death, nonetheless the Matildas topped the group, the primary time they’ve achieve this at a Women’s World Cup.
It was an unimaginable end result as Canada had previously held the wooden towards the Matildas. Australia had not overwhelmed Canada throughout all competitions since a 2-1 pleasant win in May 2008 in Australia.
But historical past is there to be made and the Matildas added a reasonably superb chapter to the historical past books in Melbourne with the unimaginable victory towards the Canadians.
The end result means the Matildas will high group B, and except England suffers an upset loss to China, will probably face Denmark on Monday August 7 at Stadium Australia from 8.30pm AEST.
However, group D is up within the air with all 4 groups capable of end second, even the winless Haiti, who play Denmark. Group D is determined on Tuesday night time with the matches performed concurrently at 9pm.
Post-match on Channel 7, Bruce McAvaney highlighted the very fact it was the best World Cup successful margin in Matildas historical past and in addition the primary time the defending Olympic champs hadn’t made at the least the quarterfinals.
“I think the head of FIFA is almost as relieved as we are that the host nation goes on, at least in the round of 16,” McAvaney mentioned.
“What an awful, awful evening for the Olympic champions,” Simon Hill mentioned on Optus Sport after Steph Catley kicked a penalty for the fourth aim.
It was Australia’s night time from the outset with Hayley Raso unleashing a shocking strike for the primary aim after some nervous moments when the choice went to VAR.
In the lead up, Steph Catley was known as off-side by the road choose but it surely was overturned because the Aussie skipper was properly onside.
Australia regarded to have doubled the rating across the 30 minute mark when Mary Fowler blasted the ball into the again of the online however the name went the opposite method with a controversial name towards Aussie defender Ellie Carpenter, a lot to Australia’s chagrin.
But it was shortly forgotten when Raso did it once more, slotting a bouncing ball from a nook to present Australia the 2-0 lead.
It acquired even higher within the second half when Fowler acquired a aim after a Caitlin Foord cross deflected off the far put up and bounced in.
While the celebration was already properly below method, Catley sealed the end result with an harm time penalty to make it 4-0.
10.02pm — MATILDAS SCORE AGAIN
4-0 — that is insanity.
Steph Catley has made no mistake with the harm time penalty after the Canadians gave away a penalty on the sting of the field.
The Aussie skipper nailed the spot kick to present the Matildas the historical past end result.
Even higher, Australia have topped the group of loss of life.
9.38pm — Hayley Raso, what a efficiency
It’s the seventy fifth minute and Hayley Raso has as a result of Australia’s first sub of the match.
If anybody deserves an early mark it’s Raso after her good brace which has put Australia within the field seat to go to the knockout phases.
9.20pm — 3-0 MATILDAS!
Australia are up 3-0 towards Canada after Mary Fowler solely simply dragged a Caitlin Foord cross onto the far put up and in.
It’s a shocking end result that has the Matildas on the cusp of going to the knockout phases after scoring a 3rd within the 58th minute.
Fowler regarded shocked by the aim, seemingly uncertain whether or not she had scored.
On Optus Sport, Simon Hill mentioned she regarded “almost apologetic”.
9.02pm — Matildas within the field seat at halftime
Australia is 45 minutes from punching its ticket to the spherical of 16 after the right half towards the Olympic champions.
The 2-0 lead on the again of two objectives from Hayley Raso had the Matildas flying excessive.
“Couldn’t have gone any better, 2-0 at halftime I would take that any day of the week,” ex-Matilda Elise Kellond-Knight mentioned on Channel 7.
And it may get even higher.
The Ireland-Nigeria match can also be occurring concurrently the Matildas-Canada match and at halftime it’s 0-all.
If each matches have scoreless second halves, Australia will high group B.
8.34pm — Matildas rating after VAR theft
Mary Fowler regarded to have doubled the lead however Australia isn’t pleased after Ellie Carpenter was dominated off-side.
Melbourne might have been a bit quieter earlier within the day however the metropolis has gone completely wild as Fowler blasted the ball into the again of the online.
It got here after Kailen Sheridan made a fingertip save off an enormous strike from Hayley Raso however deflected the ball behind the chasing gamers overran the ball, with Ellie Carpenter operating again as Fowler blasted the ball into the online.
The crowd went wild, earlier than its displeasure when the referee denied the aim.
“After the review No. 21 is in an off-side position, she is off-side,” the referee mentioned.
It was seemingly her again heel and proper shoulder that was off-side.
But the Matildas didn’t have to attend lengthy as Hayley Raso scored her second of the half, slotting the aim after a nook fell to her near the aim line.
It’s 2-0 after 39 minutes.
8.10pm — MATILDAS GOAL!!!
10 minutes in, the Matildas are 1-0 up.
Hayley Raso has scored a crushing blow off her proper foot.
Aussie skipper Steph Catley was initially known as off-side by the road choose however the VAR overturned the choice, giving the Matildas a 1-0 lead.
It was an distinctive strike from Raso and it’s the right begin.
“The early goal is just what Australia was looking for and needed in this tournament,” David Basheer mentioned in commentary on Channel 7.
It’s a controversial second with some believing Catley was properly off-side.
However, the VAR disagreed with the replay displaying Catley was properly onside.
While Canada is likely to be resenting the decision, Australia was rejoicing.
Raso virtually doubled up however was solely simply denied by Canada’s Kailen Sheridan.
8.01pm — Kick-off – and we’re underway
Can Australia do the unthinkable and beat the Olympic champions to maneuver into the knockout phases of the World Cup?
We’ll discover out in 90 minutes.
7.15pm — Worrying photograph spells hassle for Australia
The Matildas have named Sam Kerr on the bench for its should win conflict with Canada however the Aussie skipper has not warmed up with the workforce.
While the remainder of the aspect warmed up, Kerr stayed in her large parka and didn’t run.
While it was dismissed as “she doesn’t need to run at the start of the game”, it’s an indication Kerr’s involvement will likely be restricted at greatest for the star who hasn’t performed any time within the match to date this World Cup.
But CODE Sports and Seven’s Adam Peacock mentioned: “Sam Kerr not warming up with group. Not unusual, no point warming up given her role at best is off the bench in the second half.”
Others weren’t so positive.
Chelsea assistant coach Tanya Oxtoby advised Optus Sport: “If you’re not planning to use them in the first half and worried about loading, it’s not unusual, but it’s a concern.”
If it’s only a precaution as a result of Kerr will play very restricted minutes, the commentators have questioned whether or not it wouldn’t be a greater plan to heat Kerr as much as give the group — and all of Australia — a carry.
7pm — Why will the Matildas be in blue?
If you tune in to observe the Matildas and don’t see the aspect’s conventional inexperienced and gold, it’s as a result of the Matildas would be the away workforce for the match.
So as an alternative of gold, we’ll be in mild blue.
Could the Matildas comply with within the footsteps of the Socceroos and win of their alternate strip?
The Socceroos beat Tunisia in final years’ males’s World Cup to e book its place within the spherical of 16.
OK, it might be a protracted bow however we’ll take something if it sees the Matildas by means of to the following spherical.
6.30pm – Matildas’ bombshell Sam Kerr name revealed
The Matildas have named Sam Kerr to come back off the bench for the aspect’s must-win conflict towards Olympic champions Canada.
Kerr declared herself match and out there for the match towards Canada over the weekend however didn’t say rather more.
While the world has been determined to see if and the way Kerr will likely be used, the Matildas have been capable of hold their playing cards near their chest.
But Mary Fowler will begin for the Matildas on her return from concussion whereas Kerr will come off the bench.
Before the news got here by means of, former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer mentioned Fowler could be anticipated to come back straight again into the Matildas aspect, however he mentioned the Sam Kerr resolution was nonetheless up within the air.
“We don’t know whether she’s going to start, whether she’s going to come off the bench — my gut feeling is she’s going to come off the bench if needed,” Schwarzer mentioned on Optus Sport.
“I think they’ll also be hoping that they don’t need her off the bench.”
He added that coach Tony Gustavsson wasn’t committal about Kerr’s function however added that Fowler was out there.
He additionally believed Emily van Egmond would additionally retain her spot within the aspect.
Source: www.news.com.au
