Australia 2-0 IR Iran
by Kelechi Osunwa at HBF Park in Perth for Impetus (26/10/23).
Above: Ellie Carpenter (centre) shows her delight after putting Australia ahead against Iran today with Emily van Egmond (left) and Charli Grant (right). Photo: Football Australia.
Australia kicked off their 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic qualifying campaign in style, securing a comfortable yet at times frustrating 2-0 victory over the Islamic Republic of Iran at HBF Park. The match marked a long-awaited return to Perth for the Matildas, and local hero Sam Kerr, following their last appearance in 2018.
As expected coach Tony Gustavsson used the fixture as an opportunity to provide critical minutes to fringe World Cup players like Charlotte Grant, Courtney Neven, Teagan Micah, Amy Sayers, and Alex Chidiac with the local favourite Kerr content with a position on the bench. Indeed, a number of those fringe players put forward terrific displays with Grant playing a key role in the opening goal.
Courtnee Vine’s deep cross found Grant, and the tireless fullback kept her composure to find her fullback counter-part Ellie Carpenter who exorcised some of her World Cup demons with a powerful finish past an outstretched Zahra Khajavi, much to the delight of the 18,798 in attendance.
The goal seemed to settle both teams as an intricate pattern of play developed. Iran would sit deep in a bank of five defenders and four midfielders, inviting Australia to play down the wing with Carpenter and Grant overlapping past Vine and Temeka Yallop, while disrupting play through Fatemeh Adeli and Melika Mohammadi in the heart of the defence and trying their best to find the silky Zahra Ghanbari on the very rare moments of possession.
The Matildas continued to grow into the game and so did the influence of Chidiac, Clare Wheeler, and Emily van Egmond in the Australian midfield as they treaded passes to all too willing runners in Carpenter, Vine, and Sayer.
Iran remained resolute and defiant in their role of spoiler for Matildas’ home coming with key blocks, and interceptions aplenty. The most notable from Fatemeh Amineh and Melika Mohammadi. Amineh reacted brilliantly to deny a powerful goal-bound effort from van Egmond, and Mohammadi making a last ditch clearance to deny a tireless Vine.
Moments before halftime the Matildas should have made it 2-0. Chidiac was offered too much space and found Carpenter in terrific position, but the full-back failed to convert with the Matildas settling for a 1-0 lead into the break.
They started the second half with real intensity and added physicality in attempts to overcome the Shirzanan’s disruptive style. The more direct approach led to searching cross-field balls from Van-Egmond and mazy bursts from midfield by Wheeler who’s deft control and fleet feet delighted the home crowd who resorted first to boos over the visitors’ disruptive tactics and then to cheers each time Iran’s medical staff rushed to attend to injured players.
But the biggest cheers for the crowd were of course reserved for Kerr as she jogged up and down the sidelines during her warm-up. At times it felt as if coach Gustavsson was teasing the home fans as players were sent to keep warm before he finally readied a trio of substitutes in Steph Catley, Mary Fowler, and Kerr. The substitutions seemed to jolt Iran into life with the visitors having their best chance and only chance of the night seconds later.
Negin Zandi, who had been an isolated figure for much of the match, found some joy with the ball breaking her way from a throw-in and the skilful forward broke at pace, however, her touch took her wide and her shot failed to trouble Micah in goal.
From there, it become the Kerr show.
A well-worked corner presented the East Fremantle-born star with a guilt-edge chance with the striker blazing over the bar in a goalmouth full of bodies. The home crowd were primed to take the proverbial roof off the stadium and while disappointed with that effort, they wouldn’t have to wait for long to see a goal from their local heroine.
Indeed was fitting that the goal came from a terrific attacking move with the three substitutes combining. Fowler found an overlapping Catley and the fullback kept her composure to find Kerr for the simplest of finishes which sent the home crowd into raptures.
Kerr almost made it 3-0 moments later after the striker latched onto a long ball but was thwarted by Khajavi who reacted quickly to move off her line.
With the match all but done the Matildas pressed for the third with Alana Kennedy coming close from a guilt-edged head and Kerr spurning two efforts to add to her goal tally. The first was when the Chelsea striker dinked over the bar and the second when a header was blocked on the line by a teammate.
The match would end 2-0 and both sides largely content with the result. For Australia, it’s a home win, a clean sheet and no injuries. For Iran, it’s a terrific showing for the 63 ranked team in the world who stay alive in the group and will look to get a result against Chinese Taipei.
To follow – Impetus’ exclusive match photo gallery from our pitchside photographers Cat Bryant and Kris Goman.
Teams: AUSTRALIA (4-2-3-1): Micah, Nevin, Polkinghorne, Vine, Wheeler, Chidiac, Van-Egmond, Yallop, Sayer, Carpenter, Grant. Substitutes: Williams, Cooney-Cross, Catley, Foord, Fowler, Kennedy, Raso, Gorry, Kerr
Scorers: Carpenter 19’, Kerr 79’.
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN (5-4-1): Khajavi, Amineh, Basatshir, Sarbali, Chatrenoor, Behesht, Ghanbari, Taherkhani, Zandi, Mohammadi, Adeli. Substitutes: Abbaspour, Shaban, Chahkandi, Yazdani, Makhdoumi, Foroozandeh, Hamoudi, Zolfi, Tasavvori, Khosravi, Nafeei
Referee: Oh Hyeon Jeong.
Attendance: 18,789.
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