Matildas reach final
Australia beat China 2–1 in a March 17 Asian Cup semifinal, with goals from Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr sending the Matildas into the final (abc.net.au) (sportstar.thehindu.com). They'll face the winner of Japan vs. South Korea for a shot at their first continental crown since 2010 (abc.net.au).
The semi was played at Perth’s Optus Stadium — the tournament venue that hosted the opening match and helped push total Asian Cup attendances past 82,000 across Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast. (afc.com) The scoring came early and often: a 17th‑minute strike, a 26th‑minute spot‑kick that levelled the game, and a decisive finish in the 58th minute that broke the deadlock. (espn.com) China’s equaliser arrived from Zhang Linyan’s converted penalty after a Clare Hunt defensive error and a VAR review, and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold received a yellow card for the incident. (football360.com.au) The late match‑winner was the Matildas captain’s fourth goal of the tournament, moving her clear as one of the competition’s top scorers. (abc.net.au) Head coach Joe Montemurro credited the squad’s belief and momentum after the win, saying their performances had been “far from perfect” but that the team’s confidence had carried them through. (matildas.com.au) Earlier quarter‑final success over DPR Korea had already secured Australia a spot at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, meaning the semifinal also served as tournament progression rather than World Cup qualification. (fifa.com) Japan beat South Korea 2–0 in the other semi (goals by Riko Ueki and Maika Hamano), setting up a March 21 final between Australia and Japan at Sydney’s Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium). (espn.com)
