The Matildas and China were tied 1-1 in an exciting AFC Women’s Asian Cup semi final at Perth Stadium on Tuesday night. Caitlin Foord put Australia in front before Zhang Linyan scored from the penalty spot to level the match.
At the time of writing, the match was still going, so the full time result of this China vs Australia clash was not yet confirmed.
Australia started better and scored first in the 17th minute, when Foord finished a smooth move involving Mary Fowler and Ellie Carpenter.
It was Foord’s 40th international goal and gave the home side early control in a match that meant a lot to the Matildas and to China, the defending champions of the women’s Asian Cup.
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China responded quickly, and the key moment came after a VAR review. Mackenzie Arnold was judged to have fouled Zhang inside the area.
The call clearly frustrated the Australian keeper and changed the mood inside Perth Stadium. Zhang then scored from the spot in the 26th minute to bring Australia vs China level again and show how close the semi final was.
The match was seen as one of the toughest tests yet for Matildas coach Joe Montemurro, especially with former Australia coach Ante Milicic in the opposite dugout.
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Steph Catley returned to the starting side, while Kyra Cooney-Cross was brought in for her first start of the tournament, as Australia chased a place in the Asian Cup final on home soil.
The stakes were high before the match even started. Australia reached the last four with a 2-1 win over DPR Korea, while China needed extra time to beat Chinese Taipei 2-0.
The winner of the Matildas v China contest will move on to Saturday’s final in Sydney against either Japan or South Korea. That is why this Australia v China meeting already had the noise, pressure and tension of a title match long before the final whistle.
For fans wondering where to watch Matildas vs China, the semi final was scheduled on Network 10 and Paramount+, with ABC Sport and ABC Listen providing radio coverage.
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