December 25, 2024

Matildas 10-0 Uzbekistan: Paris Olympics qualifier, second leg – as it happened

Uzbekistan #Uzbekistan

Key events

  • 9h ago

    Summary

  • 9h ago

    Australia 10-0 Uzbekistan (13-0 agg)

  • 9h ago

    GOAL! Australia 10-0 Uzbekistan (Sayer, 90+4)

  • 9h ago

    GOAL! Australia 9-0 Uzbekistan (Raso, 68)

  • 10h ago

    Half-time: Australia 8-0 Uzbekistan (11-0 agg)

  • 10h ago

    GOAL! Australia 8-0 Uzbekistan (Heyman, 45+2)

  • 10h ago

    GOAL! Australia 7-0 Uzbekistan (Foord, 38)

  • 10h ago

    GOAL! Australia 6-0 Uzbekistan (Fowler, 36)

  • 11h ago

    GOAL! Australia 5-0 Uzbekistan (Torpey, 22)

  • 11h ago

    GOAL! Australia 4-0 Uzbekistan (Heyman, 15)

  • 11h ago

    GOAL! Australia 3-0 Uzbekistan (Heyman, 9)

  • 11h ago

    GOAL! Australia 2-0 Uzbekistan (Heyman, 4)

  • 11h ago

    GOAL! Australia 1-0 Uzbekistan (Qisi Asadova OG, 1)

  • 11h ago

    Kick-off!

  • 11h ago

    Australia XI

  • 12h ago

    Preamble

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    Summary

    Thank you for joining me tonight for another celebration of the Matildas. 10-0, a full house, and passage to the Olympics is quite the satisfying night’s work.

    I’ll leave you with Joey Lynch’s match report, and see you in France in July.

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    The Paris Games will be tough, no question. The qualified teams along with Australia are: France, USA, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, New Zealand, and Japan – who defeated North Korea 2-1 tonight.

    To that list will be added either Germany or the Netherlands, and two nations from Africa.

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    “Paris will be different,” warns Chris Paraskevas. “A difficult place to play football if you aren’t streetwise. It’ll be sudden death and the French will want the gold badly. At the very least, we have an “X-Factor” in Heyman, who proved her worth in Tashkent when it was looking dicey.”

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    “Can’t complain, though would have liked to see Wheeler get some minutes,” emails David Meiklejohn. “Actually enjoyed the second half watching potential future starters, like Sayer, get tested.”

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    There is now just one international window left for Gustavsson to nail down his squad of 18 for Paris. He can’t have many decisions left to make.

    The first XI now selects itself with Heyman slotting into the Kerr role. Micah or Williams will travel as the reserve goalkeeper. Vine, Polkinghorne, Yallop, van Egmond, and now Torpey look trusted for squad places, leaving little room for anyone else to command a jersey – barring accidents.

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    Joey Lynch has been at Marvel Stadium, and his report will land right here:

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    Steph Catley has had a quick chat to the host broadcaster.

    This is the last of a long process. Through the qualification process we have played good football and challenged ourselves. We have scored goals and kept clean sheets so everything we set out to do we have done, so it’s a proud moment for us to get to another Olympics, so very special.

    The team is hungry to win something. Now we have qualified for the Olympics there will be a lot of steps in place to make sure that we are ready to go and challenge as far as we can get and get something out of the tournament.

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    That was as close to perfect as Tony Gustavsson could have imagined. A thumping victory, a decisive performance from the player in the spotlight, and a deepening of the relationship between team and supporters at a sold out Marvel Stadium. The Matildas are the hottest property in Australian sport.

    ShareAustralia 10-0 Uzbekistan (13-0 agg)

    The Matildas have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

    ShareGOAL! Australia 10-0 Uzbekistan (Sayer, 90+4)

    Amy Sayer finally finds the back of the net! The goal that caps off a perfect night for the Matildas. Grant is found in acres of space down the left. She runs to the byline, pulls the ball back into the box, and through a forest of legs, until it reaches the 22-year-old who ends her international duck.

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    90 mins: There will be five minutes of added time.

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    87 mins: Yallop somehow contrives to batter the ball straight at Golumova from six yards out when it would have been easier to score. Sayer did well to create the opening.

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    85 mins: A quick look at the stats sheet: Australia have had 39 shots tonight.

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    82 mins: Now Ergasheva is down. This match is starting to tail off.

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    80 mins: Uzbekistan’s substitute keeper needs some treatment after having her food stepped on. There will be a good chunk of injury time at the end of the 90.

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    78 mins: Fowler’s fizzing inswinging corner is headed over by Hunt.

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    76 mins: Now Yallop tests the tensile strength of the side netting.

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    75 mins: If Sayer doesn’t score tonight, you worry she might never find the back of the net for the Matildas. Another glorious chance goes begging when she fails to hit the target from the edge of the box after neat work by van Egmond.

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    74 mins: Australia probe patiently in midfield until the ball finds Raso free on the right. Her driven cross is begging to be stabbed home by a Heyman-like striker, but none is found in the Uzbekistan box.

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    72 mins: Hunt with a free header from a corner but Golumova gathers it easily on the line.

    ShareGOAL! Australia 9-0 Uzbekistan (Raso, 68)

    Finally Australia get a second-half goal. It had been building for an age down the right with Raso eventually engineering space to fire off a shot off that arrows into the far corner. The assist will go to Yallop for a neat pass but it was van Egmond who added the stardust with a well disguised dummy.

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    Updated at 05.40 EST

    68 mins: Now Yallop and Sayer play a delightful one-two on the edge of the box but the former can’t quite fashion a finish on the stretch.

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    67 mins: From the resulting corner Yallop curls a decent effort towards goal from the edge of the box. It’s parried out as far as Sayer but she can only find the side netting.

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    66 mins: Sayer and Raso swap roles briefly with the former turning provider down the right but again Raso is closed out at the near post.

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    65 mins: Australia make their final substitution of the night with Charli Grant coming on for Steph Catley.

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    64 mins: The resulting corner is floated onto the head of Hunt with Sayer almost nodding the second effort into the net but Gulomova was alert to the danger.

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    63 mins: Another driving run from Raso on the right threatens to lead to a goal but Uzbekistan get enough bodies around the scampering winger before she can pick out a teammate in the box.

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    62 mins: Another shot over the bar, this time from Cooney-Cross.

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    60 mins: It has to be nine! Yallop does well in midfield to spot Raso on the burst on the right. The quickest player on the field uses all her speed to reach the ball and round the goalkeeper in the process, but from a narrow angle shoots into the side netting. She had teammates begging for a tap-in a few yards away.

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    59 mins: Fowler drifts in from the left with that elegant swaying style of hers, feinting to go to the outside only to continue on a straight line towards goal before letting fly with her right foot and sending a powerful shot over the bar.

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    58 mins: The TV cameras pan to the bench to show Foord and Heyman with ice on their right knees. Neither looks in major discomfort but taking them off in the circumstances is clearly the sensible ploy.

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    57 mins: Sayer should make it nine but she heads over from the six-yard line after excellent build-up work from Raso.

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    55 mins: Uzbekistan have another sight of goal with Karachik again feeding off sloppy Australian play in midfield to slip through Khabibullaeva, on as a substitute, but the offside flag is up.

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    54 mins: It’s noticeable, and unsurprising, how disjointed the Matildas have looked since half-time. Clearly still on top, but without the zip that comes with the understanding brought about by regular combinations – especially that of Gorry and Cooney-Cross in midfield.

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    52 mins: Uzbekistan have their second look at goal for the night. Karachik feeds off a poor clearance from Arnold and drives to the left side of the box but Arnold recovers well to clear.

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    50 mins: Gulomova’s first act of note is to fumble a Raso shot onto her post.

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    48 mins: Jonimqulova looks in agony in the goalmouth. The Uzbekistan keeper is in tears as a stretcher comes on to take her off the field. It looks like a left ankle injury. Kumushoy Gulomova makes her way on as a substitute.

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    47 mins: Sayer should break her Matildas duck just seconds after the restart following good work down the right by Raso. Her cross is deflected into the path of the No 17 but she can’t steer her effort past Jonimqulova from point blank range. The Uzbekistan keeper is now down in pain.

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    46 mins: Four subs at the break for the Matildas. On come: Yallop, Raso, van Egmond, and Sayer for Carpenter, Heyman, Gorry, and Foord.

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    I’ve spent half-time dealing with a moth infestation in my pantry. How about you?

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    Even accounting for the obvious gulf in class between the two groups of players, that was an awesome show of force by the Matildas. From the outset they were hungry for goals and played at full pelt in stifling conditions for the full 45 minutes, putting on one heck of a show for the full house. Every player has contributed and looked at ease on the big stage, but Michelle Heyman has once again stolen the show, bagging four goals of her own and putting to rest any debate about her presence in Australia’s Olympic 18.

    ShareHalf-time: Australia 8-0 Uzbekistan (11-0 agg)

    That’s right, Australia 8 (eight) to the good at half-time. That’s 11-0 on aggregate.

    ShareGOAL! Australia 8-0 Uzbekistan (Heyman, 45+2)

    Another corner, another goalmouth scramble, another Torpey assist, another instinctive Heyman finish close to the line.

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    45+1 mins: Now Gorry stabs wide from point blank range after meeting Catley’s cross at the near post. Relentless, absolutely relentless.

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    45 mins: Foord shoots straight at Jonimqulova after being played through one-on-one.

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    43 mins: Catley should do better with time and space on the left, then Gorry gets caught in two minds when put through by a sumptuous through-ball form Kennedy. The XG tonight could already be in triple figures.

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    42 mins: I recognise the Matildas have lots of young fans and have attracted supporters new to football. Let me assure you, this is not normal. Enjoy it while you can.

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    41 mins: Nearly eight, twice. Catley’s corner leads to another goalmouth scramble that almost sees Heyman score, then the ball ricochets out to Foord but her effort is blocked wide.

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    39 mins: “Apparently, instead of makeshift solutions, all we needed was a tall striker….who knew?” asks David Meiklejohn. Thankfully, the evidence is so emphatic we can put that particular conversation to bed.

    ShareGOAL! Australia 7-0 Uzbekistan (Foord, 38)

    A long free-kick is won in the air by Uzbekistan, but headed straight against another white jersey. The ball falls kindly for Foord who swivels and drills in a low finish from six yards.

    ShareGOAL! Australia 6-0 Uzbekistan (Fowler, 36)

    Thumping finish from Mary Fowler, sending her laces through the ball from 10 yards out to complete a lovely attacking move. Heyman and Gorry were busy keeping the ball alive in the final third, working the angles until the opportunity fell on a platter for the Manchester City star.

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    35 mins: Foord hammers a shot that’s parried behind, then Catley lifts an effort over the bar. The Matildas risk not scoring a stupidly large number of goals simply because everyone is trying to get in on the act.

    Lol. Not really…

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    33 mins: Another Heyman dart in front of her marker, another Fowler cross, another free header. This time over the bar.

    This, from Chris Paraskevas is quite something, referring back to Tony Gustavsson’s prematch interview.

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    32 mins: Carpenter almost joins in the fun but with the goal at her mercy she suddenly finds Nabikulova flying across to make an incredible sliding block.

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    31 mins: “This game is reminding me of our Coffs Harbour record (31-0 against a hapless American Samoa),” emails James Paraksevas. “Heyman could be the new Archie Thompson.”

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