The CommBank Matildas celebrated legendary goalkeeper Lydia Williams’ final home game with a 2-0 victory over China PR in front of 76,798 fans at Accor Stadium.
Report by ! M.Naveed
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Head Coach Tony Gustavsson made five changes to the side that started on Friday night in Adelaide. Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley came in right and left back respectively, replacing Charli Grant and Kaitlyn Torpey. Hayley Raso and Kyra Cooney-Cross also started from the outset.
Lydia Williams started between the sticks in an emotional final home outing for the national team. She replaced Mackenzie Arnold in the Starting XI, who started in match one.
Gustavsson said pre-match that the team wanted to be more “energised,” “powerful,” “attacking-minded” and “aggressive” in the second game of the series, and that mindset was apparent from the outset.
In the opening minutes, a line-breaking pass from centre-back Alanna Kennedy found Hayley Raso, who turned away from her defender to cross. The cross didn’t find a teammate, but it was emblematic of the pressure that was to come.
China goalkeeper Xu Huan was tested by two in-swinging corners in a row by Steph Catley in the 14th minute, punching away well both times. She stood tall again in the next phases of play, making sure that there was no way through for Hayley Raso after two good opportunities.
The right-side combination between Ellie Carpenter and Raso was incredibly fruitful throughout the 90 minutes, particularly in the first half. Carpenter’s pace and power were causing the opposition defence all sorts of issues, regularly surging forward and feeding her teammates the ball.
Michelle Heyman came inches away from scoring what would have been a wonder goal in the 40th minute. She beat several China PR defenders after picking up the ball in midfield in a marauding run towards goal. To the dismay of the home fans, her shot flew just wide.
Gustavsson said before the game that the match would be an emotional one for the players. There was no moment more affecting than just before half-time. Lydia Williams was given a standing ovation as she left the field of play for the final time at home in an Australia shirt, embraced by her teammates and the crowd in equal measure. She was substituted for Mackenzie Arnold.
While it was scoreless at half-time, it was a promising first-half performance, and it wouldn’t be long before they made their dominance count. Clare Wheeler – a half-time substitute, along with Cortnee Vine, replacing Michelle Heyman and Emily van Egmond – found herself on the end of a Steph Catley set piece in the 48th minute. Her header found its way into the back of the net to wild celebrations at Accor Stadium. It was her second goal for the CommBank Matildas.
Cortnee Vine stamped her mark on the match eight minutes later. After receiving the ball in her own half, she spotted the run of Hayley Raso and played a perfectly weighted ball through to the winger. Raso’s first touch took her around the goalkeeper, and her second touch slotted it home.
Tameka Yallop had two good opportunities soon after, flashing across the face of the goal and then hitting a shot just after the crossbar, before being replaced by Kaitlyn Torpey in the 65th minute.
Gustavsson spun the decks a final time in the last ten minutes of the match, with Charli Grant and Clare Polkinghorne replacing Ellie Carpenter and Alanna Kennedy.
Despite some late half-chances from China, the match finished 2-0 – a clean sheet and comfortable victory, which was a fitting way for Lydia Williams to see out her final home game.
