2 months ago
In a repetition of their past 2 finals, Japan has beaten Australia 1-0 to triumph their 3rd Women’s Asian Cup title successful beforehand of a grounds crowd successful Sydney connected Saturday night.
A first-half extremity to winger Maika Hamano was capable for Asia’s only Women’s World Cup winners, viewed mostly arsenic nan favourites coming into their seventh tourney final, to unafraid their first awesome trophy since 2018.
But having skated done nan Asian Cup mostly untested, nan Matildas presented a acold much difficult situation from nan opening whistle, inspired by a rousing nationalist anthem and nan roar of 74,397 fans astatine their backs.
Indeed, nan Matildas recovered themselves successful Japan’s punishment area hardly a infinitesimal successful aft Mary Fowler, playing successful a fluid midfield role, speared a walk done Japan’s midfield to find Caitlin Foord. With her backmost pressed against nan torso of Japan seasoned Saki Kumagai, Foord laid disconnected to an on-rushing Sam Kerr, who forced a astonishment prevention retired of goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita.
Foord and Kerr were Australia’s astir vulnerable players each night, hovering precocious and utilizing their velocity to musculus past Japan’s centre-backs earlier trying to transverse to each other.
The tireless Foord almost put nan Matildas up successful nan 10th infinitesimal aft Fowler shouldered Kumagai disconnected nan shot and sent a heavy transverse into nan punishment area, but nan Arsenal winger seemed amazed by nan opportunity and shanked her changeable astatine Yamashita.
She would regret nan missed aureate chance 5 minutes later arsenic Japan, having absorbed astir of Australia’s unit successful nan early stages, recovered nan game’s only goal.
With a trio of bluish shirts turning nan screw adjacent nan apical area of nan Matildas’ punishment area, Hamano ghosted successful down Alanna Kennedy to person a walk from midfield earlier turning connected a dime and curling nan shot into nan acold bottommost area past a diving Mackenzie Arnold.
It was a uncommon weakness successful Australia’s different dependable protect statement successful nan first half. Making conscionable 1 alteration from nan broadside who defeated China 2-1 to make it to nan final, Joe Montemurro opted for nan fleet-footed Winonah Heatley successful spot of Clare Hunt, pinch nan Roma centre-back making a number of important blocks, headers, and clearances alongside Steph Catley.
The Matildas’ champion chance came conscionable aft nan half-hour aft a gritty solo property from Foord resulted successful her opinionated correct successful beforehand of Yamashita arsenic nan goalkeeper scuffed a walk retired from nan back. And yet, opinionated each unsocial adjacent nan area of nan six-yard box, Foord’s panicked changeable spun wildly disconnected target and bounced retired for a throw.
The 2 historical Asian Cup rivals exchanged chances arsenic nan first half coiled down, pinch a scything cross-field walk into nan container by Hinata Miyazawa being intercepted by a launching Kyra Cooney-Cross header, earlier yet different Kerr sprint-and-cross recovered Foord adjacent nan punishment spot, only for nan attacker to pirouette and sprout wide of nan station aft a gaffe by Toko Koga.
Both sides were comparatively moreover going into half-time, pinch Australia’s velocity and physicality forcing errors and hesitations from a usually hyper-controlled Japan side. The Matildas came retired swinging successful nan 2nd half, pinch Fowler shimmying past 2 defenders earlier curling a delicious transverse into nan box, but neither Foord nor Kerr could link earlier Japan scrambled it clear.
Japan almost went up nan different extremity to double their tally aft a heavy transverse by nan outstanding Hikaru Kitagawa recovered Riko Ueki, but nan striker headed conscionable wide of nan post. The Golden Boot-leader had different one-on-one chance minutes later, sprinting connected to a through-ball by skipper Yui Hasegawa, but her onslaught was collected neatly by Arnold.
Wanting to support nan precocious attacking line, Montemurro opted to bring Hayley Raso connected conscionable aft nan hr successful spot of nan battle-worn Katrina Gorry, pinch nan inspired Fowler floating backmost into nan midfield. The Matildas continued to find channels down nan near helping done Caitlin Foord, but their aggregate crosses and quadrate balls were good defended by a resolute Japan.
Australia turned up nan unit successful nan last 10 minutes, maintaining possession successful and astir Japan’s punishment area, but mediocre touches and misplaced passes meant they could ne'er rather ace unfastened their opponents. Double substitutions by some sides saw Japan statement up their defence, while Montemurro opted to replenish his midfield pinch Emily van Egmond and Clare Wheeler replacing Fowler and Cooney-Cross.
Van Egmond had a dazzling chance to equalise successful nan last 5 minutes aft a driving tally from Carpenter into nan container saw nan shot trim backmost to nan veteran, but some her shots were blocked by desperate, lunging Japan defenders.
An 88th infinitesimal transverse by Carpenter landed quadrate connected nan caput of Kennedy, thrown up beforehand for nan last gasping moments, but her header was saved by a diving Yamashita, earlier a last Matildas area successful stoppage time, which saw moreover Arnold sprint up from her area to attack, was bravely cleared by an outstanding Japan defence.
