Uzbekistan 0-3 Australia
by Ben Gilby (24/2/24)
Above: Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson makes a point to his team today. Photo: Football Australia.
In a fairytale return to the international scene after six years away, Michelle Heyman took no more than 10 minutes to score the opening goal that set The Matildas on the way to a 3-0 win in chilly Tashkent.
Up until her arrival on the pitch just after the hour mark, Australia were paying the price for failing to field a recognised striker as whilst the work rate, approach play, and game management were fine, the finishing was not.
Heyman gave The Matildas the penalty box know-how and consummate skill that they needed to get over the line. Clever runs to the near post at set-pieces to beat defenders – those elements in the end were the difference. It was what was needed to break down the stubborn resistance of Uzbekistan.
In his media conference the day before this game, Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson raised the point that, whilst many were expecting an ultra-defensive display, it was perfectly possible that their hosts would be looking to make home advantage pay and try to get a first leg lead.
However, in reality, Uzbekistan’s tactics and formation were virtually identical to that which they displayed in the previous round of the Olympic qualification tournament. They were happy to let Australia have possession in their own half, sitting off until they broke into the attacking half of the pitch. This was particularly advantageous for Kyra Cooney-Cross, who had time and space to attempt to launch attacking moves.
The beneficiaries of that freedom were Ellie Carpenter and Hayley Raso. The Olympique Lyonnais star was able to penetrate along the right flank with pace and poise to link up with Raso inside her – but whilst the build-up play was full of the patience and tempo that Gustavsson called for, the finishing was never quite up to par.
Uzbekistan were defending in two main banks with a central line of four that was protected by a further line of three immediately in front. Australia were able to pull that line out to the left in order to then free up further space for the marauding runners along the right. In the face of tight defenders in front of them, The Matildas were working hard as a team to always have an outlet nearby to link with to maintain possession and work the ball at pace to find the breakthrough opportunity.
A key component of the Matildas’ attacking play in the opening half was debutant Kaitlyn Torpey. Despite speaking earlier in the camp about feeling “overwhelmed” at times by the call-up, San Diego Wave’s new signing looked at home in international football. She was full of intelligent running and subtle changes of position in a bid to link up with Carpenter and Raso as well as more centrally on occasion.
With the match moving towards the interval, a curling Steph Catley free kick from 30 yards right of centre caused momentary chaos in the Uzbekistan box as Feruza Bobokhujaeva’s back header needed rapid action from goalkeeper Maftuna Jonimqulova.
Deep into stoppage time, Mary Fowler showed another potentially fruitful outlet for the Matildas as she used her pace to drive forward through the centre, sucking in four defenders as she did so, earning a set-piece parallel to the penalty area. If Fowler could get this sort of momentum more frequently in the second half and link up with those dropping across to support, then there could be better times in front of goal ahead for Australia – but the issue remained a lack of a finisher in the box.
Raso and Carpenter resumed their creativity within moments of the second-half opening as they combined to create a chance that eventually found Cooney-Cross picked up to fire a shot goalwards that Jonimqulova had to push over. Shortly afterwards, their combination play resulted in Caitlin Foord, on as a replacement for Torpey, directing a mishit effort over the top.
Fowler was involved two minutes later with a peach of a cross for van Egmond who put her effort over the bar. Patience, tempo, and support play were all there, but once more the absence of a player to turn the ball home was the missing link.
In a bid to try and remedy that situation just after the hour mark, Michelle Heyman was brought back for her first international cap in six years. Within moments of stepping onto the field, the striker got up at the near post from Cooney-Cross’ corner to flick a fiendishly tough header that went narrowly over the top.
However, just eight minutes later, Heyman showed her timeless striker’s instinct to put the Matildas ahead. Catley’s corner on the left was flicked goalwards by the returning star onto the bar and bounced back towards the Canberra star to head home.
Another burst from Fowler in the final eight minutes brought a sizzling cross into the box which took out the whole of the Uzbekistan defence and found Carpenter at the back post who headed over. There would be better luck shortly afterwards.
Jonimqulova’s goal kick could only find Fowler around 30 yards out. The Manchester City attacker showed a combination of speed and close control to dance her way through and beat two defenders to let fly with a low shot on the edge of the box that beat Jonimqulova’s despairing dive to double Australia’s advantage.
It would get better still just two minutes later when a move that went from flank to flank resulted in Catley providing a pinpoint curler of a cross for an unmarked Foord to head home.
Australia showed the patience, tempo, and belief that was called for. Their “game changers” provided the necessary spark to do what was necessary. The presence of Heyman and Foord provided the momentum to provide clinical ability in front of goal that was missing for the opening hour to put the Matildas three-quarters of the way towards the Olympic Games.
Teams: UZBEKISTAN (4-2-3-1): Jonimqulova, Kuchkorova, Nabikulova, Shoyimova, Asadova, Zoirova, Bobokhujaeva, Kudratova, Khabibullaeva, Mamatkarimova, Zarachik. Substitutes used: Ablyakimova (for Mamatkarimova 67′).
AUSTRALIA (4-4-2): Arnold, Catley, Kennedy, Hunt, Carpenter, Torpey, Cooney-Cross, Gorry, Raso, Fowler, van Egmond. Substitutes used: Foord (for Torpey 46′), Heyman (for van Egmond 63′), Luik (for Kennedy 82′), Yallop (for Raso 82′), Grant (for Carpenter 90’).
Scorer: Heyman 72′, Fowler 84′, Foord 86′.
Attendance: 2,347.
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