Humiliated by Spain eight months in the past, the Matildas survived a late scare to achieve candy revenge on the European heavyweights with a 3-2 Cup of Nations win on Sunday evening.
Beaten 7-0 by the rampant Spaniards in June final 12 months when fielding an experimental aspect in Huelva, the Australians ensured an analogous embarrassment wasn’t going to happen on dwelling soil with a dominant first-half show at CommBank Stadium.
The Matildas led 3-0 at halftime because of objectives from Cortnee Vine, Clare Polkinghorne and Caitlin Foord.
Spain improved within the second half, and had been rewarded with a aim from left-back Olga Carmona within the 73rd minute.
A stoppage-time volley from Alba Redondo ensured the hosts had a nervous watch for the ultimate whistle.
However, the Australians held on in entrance of a crowd of 17,333 to rejoice a second successive Cup of Nations win after final Thursday evening’s 4-0 demolition of Czechia in Gosford.
“I don’t know if the second-half was to my liking but it was an exciting game,” Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson informed Network 10.
“I don’t think the first-half was a 3-0 half ,,, and I don’t think the second half was as bad as the result showed.
“If we would have had that final pass a couple of times on the break, we could have scored two or three more goals.”
The Matildas solely want a draw in opposition to Jamaica in Newcastle on Wednesday evening to clinch the four-nation event.
But nothing lower than one other victory is more likely to fulfill Gustavsson because the Australians search to keep up successful kind forward of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which begins in July.
The Matildas dominated from the outset in opposition to a Spanish workforce lacking 15 of its finest gamers, together with celebrity Alexia Putellas, as a part of a protest in opposition to the continued tenure of coach Jorge Vilda.
The hosts had been rewarded for his or her energetic begin to the competition with the lead after simply 11 minutes.
Winger Hayley Raso laid the ball into the trail of fellow attacker Vine, whose first-time strike from simply exterior the penalty space was too good for Spanish goalkeeper Misa” Rodríguez.
The Australians doubled their lead 5 minutes later by veteran defender Polkinghorne.
In a continuation of the celebrations from final Thursday evening when she scored in her record-breaking Matildas look, Polkinghorne once more discovered the again of the online after the Spaniards didn’t clear a Raso cross.
Foord put the outcome past doubt within the 42md minute, with the Arsenal attacker making the most of some poor Spanish marking to go dwelling a cross from her Gunners teammate Steph Catley.
And it may very effectively have been 4-0 at halftime, with Matildas captain Sam Kerr having been controversially dominated off-side after discovering the again of the online with a header within the thirty eighth minute,
It was a possible fourth aim that was nearly wanted after Spain’s late comeback, however with the help of some advantageous work from goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, the Matildas secured the win they deserved.
Originally revealed as Matildas keep successful kind with 3-2 defeat of European heavyweights Spain
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
