Matildas beat Iran, but trail in race for Asian Cup group top spot

A much improved Matildas book their place in the quarter finals.

They end the night as 4-0 winners, having taken 30 shots and 78.6 per cent of the ball.

Domination on the Gold Coast.

We’ll see you back here on Sunday, when the Matildas and South Korea will face off for top spot in Group A.

Until then, go well!

Joe Montemurro is speaking to Paramount Plus and he’s clearly a lot happier with today’s performance than he was on Sunday.

“We were braver, we created many opportunities, we did look to break lines a lot earlier,” Montemurro says.

“You can see that the rhythm and the tempo was a little bit more than Sunday – but all good steps forward.”

But his team hasn’t really been tested defensively yet at the tournament, and that’s something that’s bound to change against the Korea Republic on Sunday.

His response is typically ideological.

“If we have the ball, then we don’t have to defend,” Montemurro says.

Alanna Kennedy would have been far, far down the list of players likely to score a brace tonight, but the centre-half-turned-defensive-midfielder took her two goals brilliantly.

Her snapshot made it 3-0 before half-time, before she rose expertly to head home Emily van Egmond’s pinpoint corner.

She’s speaking to Paramount Plus and lauding her team’s performance.

“We’re growing into the tournament, we wanted to have a good collective performance as a team and I think that was our aim as a team,” Kennedy says.

And she gives a nod to the Matildas’ generation next, after both Amy Sayer and Mary Fowler showed up in a big way on the Gold Coast.

“It’s amazing to see the talent that we have coming through in the next generation,” Kennedy says.

“A lot of us have been here for a long time but seeing them step up in big occasions in front of a big crowd is great to see and we love to see them doing well

The Matildas will be happy with that result. Despite ringing in several changes to the starting XI, the Australians looked slick in the first half.

The Iranians didn’t put as much pressure on them defensively compared to the Philippines in the opener, and the Matildas reveled in the extra space.

The midfield in particular was impressive, Alanna Kennedy did a great job controlling things in a more defensive role, Emily van Egmond was given plenty of freedom to roam and created havoc from the corners she took, and Amy Sayer looked dangerous every time she had the ball – highlighted by her stunning goal.

The quality of the game dropped off after Kennedy’s second half goal, unsurprisingly, as Joe Montemurro substituted his entire forward line, and he made a couple of defensive substitutions too with Steph Catley and Kaitlyn Torpey coming on in the last quarter.

There are some concerns over Hayley Raso’s health though. She copped two balls to the face, at some force, and could very well miss the next game with concussion. Here’s hoping she’s ok.

It’s also worth noting that the Matildas’ goal difference is now 5-0, while South Korea has a difference of 6-0. That means if the final group game between those teams in Sydney on Sunday is drawn, the South Koreans would finish on top of the group and stay in Sydney, sending Australia back to Perth for the quarter-finals.

But as Montemurro said pre-game, he’s not worried about goal difference, he’s counting on his side winning all three games.

A much-improved Matildas make it two wins from two, proving too strong for a plucky Iran.

Australia was red-hot in the first half on the Gold Coast, with Amy Sayer, Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy all finding the back of the net.

Kennedy nabbed her second for the night after the break, rising like a salmon to a pinpoint Emily van Egmond corner.

It was a fairly subdued second half performance from Australia, with the forward-line substitutes struggling to make impact amidst a host of prolonged stoppages.

Haly Raso, off the bench, copped not one but two balls flush to the face. She will be in doubt for Sunday’s clash with South Korea.

That’s quarterfinal qualification achieved for the Matildas, with the South Korea showdown to determine who tops Group A.

90+7′ Oh gosh. Hayley Raso, that is awful.

Once again, she cops a ball straight to the head from point blank range.

This time the ball flies from an Iranian foot and catches her more side on.

It looks really bad.

If she wasn’t concussed before, she certainly is now.

Really awful.

After a prolonged assessment from medical staff, Raso eventually makes her way.

That could well rule her out of Sunday’s clash with South Korea.

Michelle Heyman, the A-League’s all time leading goalscorer is on for the final few minutes.

90+5′ This game has stuttered to what is looking like will be a very uninspiring conclusion.

The many stoppages have successfully robbed the Matildas of any momentum, while Australia’s second half substitutes have failed to really impact the game.

Courtney Nevin has time and space on the edge of the area, but can’t make the most of it.

She blazes her shot high and wide, and Raha Yazdani eventually gets us back underway with a long goal-kick.

Five minutes of stoppage time to play.

90′ The clock ticks past 90 and, as expected, we’re treated to some significant stoppage time.

11 added minutes.

Meanwhile, Kosar Anbari becomes the final Iranian player to join the game from the bench, replacing captain Zahra Ghanbari.

86′ The Matildas have their first meaningful raid forward for quite some time.

Emily van Egmond plays a lovely ball through to the on-rushing Holly McNamara, who is quick enough to fizz a low cross into the pnealty area.

The ball is put behind for a corner and Steph Catley plays in another probing cross.

Raha Yazdani strides forward and punches the ball away with authority, but she cops a knock to the head in the process.

Yazdani stays down and we’re in the midst of another lengthy stoppage as the Iranian medical team once again rush onto the field.

81′ Things are really slowing down out there.

There’s another pause in play as Iranian goalkeeper Raha Yazdani receives some treatment after going down awkwardly and appearing to hurt her shoulder.

It’s a really long stoppage – close to five minutes.

Eventually, Yazdani is back to her feet we’re good to continue, with eight minutes to play plus injury time.

And as we flagged earlier, it’s not a sell-out as had initially been predicted by organisers, with 22,398 fans filling Gold Coast Stadium. The capacity of the stadium is close to 28,000.

The rain, which has fallen in spurts throughout this game, may have kept some fans away. But it’s a shame that they couldn’t fill the smallest stadium the Matildas are playing at during the group stage. 

But I will say, despite that, it’s still a really good atmosphere here, with plenty of noise and excitement from fans.

75′ Oh no. This doesn’t look good for Hayley Raso, only just on as a substitute.

She cops a ball flush in the head from point blank range, and goes to ground immediately, taking a rather awkward fall in the process.

The medical team is on the field in a flash and takes some time in assessing the Australian attacker.

Eventually, she’s up and undergoing concussion tests on the sideline – which, thankfully, she passes.

Raso returns to the field, albeit with a rather red face.

72′ It is an unfortunate end to the evening for Fatemeh Pasandideh, who is stretchered off after a nasty tangle of legs with Charlize Rule – who is living slightly dangerously considering she is on a yellow card.

Meanwhile, Montemurro turns to his bench once more.

Steph Catley and Kaitlyn Torpey enter the fray, with Ellie Carpenter and Clare Hunt making way.

68′ The Matildas are taking a moment to readjust after those attacking substitutions, with rain still falling heavily at Gold Coast Stadium.

Clare Hunt wallops one from well outside the area, the shot takes a big deflection and balloons onto the roof of the net.

Emily van Egmond lifts in another tempting corner, but Iran just about gets this one away.

60′ Joe Montemurro turns to his bench.

The starting front three – Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler – all make way.

Hayley Raso, Remy Siemsen and A-League top scorer Holy McNamara enter the fray.

A big opportunity for these three.

58′ Emily van Egmond floats in a wonderful corner from the right, curling away just enough to find the head of the rising Alanna Kennedy.

It’s a great, authoritative header from Kennedy, into the ground and then the back of the net.

Her second of the night and the Matildas’ fourth.

57′ The Matildas are playing some neat stuff on the wings, and Ellie Carpenter is stretching to find a cross on the byline.

The ball flies off an Iranian head and out for a corner.

Meanwhile, Sara Didar, just on as a substitute, is down in the penalty area.

She’s requiring some medical attention and eventually gets it.

’50 Charlize Rule is given the first yellow card of the night, mistiming a tackle just forward of halfway.

Iran has a rare opportunity from the set piece.

The ball is lifted into the penalty area and met by an Australian head.

Fatemeh Pasandideh arrows in an effort from just outside the penalty area and the ball flies wide of the post.

That’s Iran’s first shot of the evening.

46′ Australia has a penalty. Amy Sayer prods the ball into the penalty area and it brushes an Iranian arm.

However, this doesn’t look like it will stand.

The ball hit Golnoosh Khosravi’s body and bounced up into her arm.

Relief for Khosravi, who is on as a second half substitute.

The decision goes to the video assistant referee – who is having a very busy night – and the right decision is made.

The penalty is chalked off and play resums.