Australia 3-0 Chinese Taipei
Report by Kelechi Osunwa, exclusive photo gallery from Kris Goman at HBF Park, Perth (1/11/23).
Above: Sam Kerr celebrates her goal against Chinese Taipei today. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Australia wrapped up top spot in their group for round two of the 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic qualifying stage and secured a spot in the playoffs after a professional 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei at HBF Park.
The Matildas were made to work for the win over the Mulans with all goals occurring deep into the second half after a spirited first-half display.
A long-range strike by Mary Fowler proved to be the catalyst and laid the platform for Sam Kerr to double the lead before substitute Tameka Yallop put the icing on the cake to make it 3-0.
While the Matildas were guaranteed to finish top of their group, barring an extraordinary 15-goal loss against the Chinese Taipei, there was added motivation for the team to secure the much-coveted number-one seed in the playoffs.
Their intent was evident from the first whistle with Chinese Taipei encamped at the edge of their box and Katrina Gorry striking the first shot in anger in the first five minutes. Mulans’ custodian Cheng Ssu-yu was kept busy in the opening stages saving the effort from Goory and then pushing away a Caitlin Foord effort from distance.
The Matildas increased the pressure and looked to exploit space on the wing with Fowler, Steph Catley, and Foord combining well on the left side. The trio often found themselves in great positions but Chen Ying-Hui and Wu Kia-Ching placed their body on the line to block several shots and crosses.
Australia’s best chance of the opening moments came from an in-swinging Catley corner that found the head of Alanna Kennedy. The defender did well to evade her marker and rose brilliantly to meet the ball but headed wide.
It was corners galore for the Matildas, and Fowler had guilt-edged opportunities from two of them. The first was when she reacted quickest to a half clearance from Ssu Yu’s punch, only to see her half volley cannoned off the cross and away to safety. The second came after a well-worked set-piece routine saw Catley lay the ball on a plate for Fowler only for the winger to snatch at the chance and blaze over.
Foord and Fowler combined to give the Matildas their best chance in open play. The two shifted the ball from the left and to find Gorry. But the midfield sent a tame effort straight to the grateful arms of Ssu-yu.
Australia kept knocking, and Taipei stood firm. While they lacked an outlet to relieve pressure, the Mulans’ defensive shape and scrambling cover kept them in the contest. The best example came from two point-blank blocks to deny Fowler.
After an incisive run into the box by Kyra Cooney-Cross, the ball broke to Fowler on the edge of the six-yard box. But the duo of Chiung-Ying and Ying-Hui reacted terrifically to block the initial shot and the follow-up.
Sam Kerr who, earlier had been named runner-up in the Ballon d’Or Féminin and crowed best player in Asia, remained subdued for much of the first half, headed over the bar from a good position to ensure that the two sides remained goalless at the break.
Kerr had the first chance of the second half with substitute Grant breaking the Chinese Taipei offside trap but Kerr seemed to get caught in two minds between controlling the ball and shooting first time. The striker’s indecision led to her doing neither and Ssu-Yu smothering the opportunity.
Ssu-Yu seemed to grow in confidence and became more commanding as she stopped a number of long-range efforts before rushing and reacting quickly to stop Kerr from latching onto a dangerous cross and frustrate Foord who looked to recreate her effort from the weekend when she skipped past one defender and shot from a tight angle only to be equalled by the Mulans’ custodian.
As Chinese Taipei remained resolute and disciplined it looked like it would take something spectacular to break the deadlock and it came from Fowler.
The forward controlled a cross-field pass before gliding infield and unleashing a right foot effort high into the far post and sending the home faithful into a frenzy.
Kerr was able to double the Matildas’ lead with her last touch of the ball before being substituted. The tireless Foord beat her marker down the line and let in a low driven cross that Zhuo Li-Ping could only inadvertently deflect into the path of Kerr to tap home before walking off the pitch to a standing ovation from the home faithful.
Gorry nearly made it 3-0 after stealing the ball from a high press. The midfielder strode into the box and powered an effort that forced an outstanding full-stretch save from Ssu-yu to frustrate the midfielder once more.
Australia did eventually make it three when substitute Yallop got on the end of Amy Sayer’s pass to tap home. The goal owed much to the industrious effort of Foord who did well to hold off her marker and force a shot-come-pass across the Chinese Taipei goalmouth for Sayers to lay off to Yallop.
It finished 3-0 and while the Matildas will claim the win, points, and qualification, the Mulans’ head coach Chan Hiu Ming will be buoyed by the spirited nature of his team’s performance as they defended valiantly and attempted to play out the back whenever presented with the opportunity. He will be most pleased that Ssu-yu ensured the score remained respectable with some timely claims from crosses late in the game.
Job done for the Matildas as the result ensures that they finish as the highest ranked first place team and they will now go on to face Uzbekistan over two legs, first away on 24th February before the home leg four days later.
What is evident from the three fixtures here in Perth is that the Matildas have gone some way in improving their performances against deep-lying defences and will go into the next stage with added hopes of being their in Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
Kris Goman’s EXCLUSIVE photo gallery from HBF Park for Impetus
Still to come from HBF Park – further photo galleries from Rob Lizzi and Cat Bryant for Impetus.
Teams: AUSTRALIA (4-4-2): Arnold, Wheeler, Hunt, Kennedy, Catley, Raso, Gorry, Cooney-Cross, Fowler, Kerr, Foord. Substitutes: Williams, Nevin, Polkinghorne, Chidiac, Micah, Yallop, Sayer, Grant
Scorers: Fowler 62’, Kerr 68’, Yallop 76’.
CHINESE TAIPEI (5-4-1 ) Ying, Li-Ping, Hsiang-Huei, Yi-Yun, Yu-Hsuan, Ching, Chia-Ying, Yu-Chieh, Chi, Ssu-Yu, Ying-Hui. Substitutes: Yu-Ting, Wen-Chieh, Yi-Wen, Shin-Yu, Jin-Wen, Hsiu-Chin, Li-Chin, Fang-Yi, Hsin-Hui, Pi-Han, Chi-Lan.
Referee: Oh Hyeon Jeong
Attendance: 19,084.
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