Source : ABC NEWS
The Matildas are in the final four at the Women’s Asian Cup, and take on the defending champion China in the first semifinal at Perth Stadium tonight.
Both teams have already secured automatic qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, but now want to ensure their spot in the final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Saturday night.
China has won this tournament nine times, while the Matildas have only ever won a single major international trophy, the 2010 Asian Cup.
The match also pits two Australian coaches against each other — the Matildas’ Joe Montemurro and Steel Roses’s Ante Milicic.
ABC Sport is covering all the action, so make sure to bookmark abc.net.au/news/sport on your phone and computer.
This is how to watch and follow the Matildas vs China.
What time do the Matildas play China?
The Matildas’ semifinal is on Tuesday, March 17, at Perth Stadium, 6pm AWST, which is:
- 9pm in NSW, ACT, Victoria, Tasmania
- 8:30pm in South Australia
- 8pm in Queensland
- 7:30pm in the Northern Territory
How can I watch and follow the Matildas?
ABC Sport is live blogging the match, and we have extensive coverage of all the tournament’s biggest storylines here.
We are also calling the game live on radio, with a dedicated Asian Cup button on ABC Listen.
You can also watch all Matildas matches live on Network 10, with the entire tournament being streamed on Paramount+.
What has happened so far?
The Matildas were unbeaten in the group stage, with comfortable wins over the Philippines and Iran, but a frustrating draw against South Korea saw them finish second in their group.
They faced the fired-up North Koreans in the quarterfinals, who were sizzling in attack everywhere except where it counted.
The visitors could only convert one of their many chances, while the Australians made it two from two to win 2-1.
China won all its group stage matches, but was pushed by a determined Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals.
Taiwan managed to resist the Steel Roses’s waves of attack for most of the match, but finally fell apart in extra time, with China coming away with a 2-0 win.
Those extra minutes for China, plus one less rest day, could work in the Matildas’ favour.
Who is in the Matildas squad?
Steph Catley and Hayley Raso missed the win over North Korea due to a concussion.
It meant Mary Fowler once again started in place of Raso, while Kaitlyn Torpey produced a good performance filling in at left back.
If selected, Emily van Egmond would break the record for the most Matildas’ caps, with her 170th appearance.
Montemurro rotated his players during the group stage, but is likely to stick with his strongest XI, injuries permitting, for this one.
Click here for our analysis of the Matildas’ quarterfinal win, and here for a complete guide to the entire Matildas squad.
How do I sign up for ABC Sport alerts?
If you want to be alerted about all the tournament’s biggest news, make sure to download the ABC News app on your mobile phone.
Then head to “profile and settings”, tap “notifications”, then switch on the “breaking news” slider and tap “sport” under the topics section.
