Australia 1-0 South Korea
By Kieran Yap (4/4/25).
Above: Emily Van Egmond celebrates the goal. Photo: Damien Briggs /Football Australia)
An Emily van Egmond cross provided Australia with a 1-0 win against South Korea in Sydney. A physical game opened up in the second half, and van Egmond’s curling cross was turned into goal via a misplaced defensive header by Lim Seon-joo.
The Matildas lineup was the results of some forced changes, but that provided opportunities to some popular fringe players. Ellie Carpenter and Hayley Raso’s injuries meant starts for Charli Grant and Winonah Heatley, while Jamilla Rankin started at left back, with Steph Catley partnering Alana Kennedy in the centre of defence.
Melbourne City star, Holly McNamara started in attack alongside Caitlin Foord and the A-League Women Golden Boot leader was a menace throughout the first half. The South Korean defence struggled with her acceleration and mobility. They often resorted to desperate physical challenges and professional fouls to slow her down.
The brightest attack of The Matildas’ first half, was when McNamara played through Caitlin Foord, and despite her shot being on target and taken in plenty of space, it was blocked by Kim Min-jeong in the Korean goal.
Kyra Cooney-Cross made a statement in the opening moments of the second half. Her surging run direct from kickout sent defenders lunging and scrambling. Once again it took a cynical foul to stop her.
The Matildas often looked at their best in these moments. The passing was good, and kept them largely in control of the match, but when the Australian’s were able to run at their opponents they were at their most dangerous. Cooney-Cross typified this and her confidence visibly grew throughout the game as she began to exhibit her rare pace through the middle of the ground.
It was through a Foord solo run that the goal was created. The Arsenal attacker ran toward goal, and had the defence guessing while they back-pedaled. Foord sized up her options, passed wide to van Egmond and her curling cross was sent over the sprawling goalkeeper by her own defender.
Clare Wheeler’s introduction was another reminder of what the Everton midfielder can bring to this side. She was aggressive with the ball and dogged without it. Often described as a defensive midfielder, Wheeler added spark and creativity when she came on. Mary Fowler’s eventual appearance brought cheers from the crowd and chances on goal. She was unlucky not to score, especially as her well crafted effort bobbled agonizingly wide.
Despite a late Korean rally that brought out a diving fingertip save by the excellent Teagan Micah, Australia held on to the slim lead. The 1-0 win provided some relief for fans after the struggles of the She Believes Cup, and although this was far from a complete performance, it was an entertaining one. In crucial moments, The Matildas were in full flight and if they once again back their individual skills, they should hit the scoreboard more on Monday night.
Check out our Instagram feed @ImpetusFootball for exclusive photo galleries from the game by Impetus’ Pat Charalambous.
Teams: AUSTRALIA (4-4-2): Micah, Grant, Kennedy, Catley, Rankin, Yallop, Heatley, Cooney-Cross, Foord’s, van Egmond, McNamara. Substitutes: Nevin, Hunt, Wheeler, Torpey, Fowler, Heyman, Prior, Lincoln, Davidson.
Scorer: Lim 54’ (OG).
SOUTH KOREA (4-2-3-1): M. Kim, H.R Kim, S.J Lim, N Shin, H.J Choo, S. Kim, Y.J Lee, Y.R Choe, S.Y Ji, G.M Lee, Phair. Substitutes: Mun, Chois, E. Lee, Kang, K. Kim, Jeong, Bae, Ko, Y. Choi, D.J Lee, Jung, M. Kim.
Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (JPN).
Attendance: 37,199.
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