AUSSIES CONKERR GEELONG
Matildas waltz to 5-1 rout
The all-conquering Matildas fired a warning shot to their rivals, dismantling China 5-1 at GMHBA Stadium yesterday, led by a brace from superstar Sam Kerr.
FOUR seasons in one day, four goals in 39 minutes.
Yesterday’s international friendly between the Matildas and China at GMHBA Stadium had it all.
Event organisers could have been forgiven for singing the old children’s nursery rhyme Rain, rain, go away, come again another day after the downpour that hit Geelong in the morning, and the weather gods again flirted with the idea of causing a nuisance before bathing the arena in sunshine.
The warm weather would not last, though, and the threat of lightning caused the match to be suspended for half an hour after what had been a pulsating opening 39 minutes.
Outside the stadium before the game it felt more like a carnival than an international sporting event, with games and activities keeping kids occupied as parents implored them to drink water and keep their hats on.
But that friendly atmosphere had little bearing on the events inside, with the roar from the 6338-strong crowd in the Reg Hickey Stand setting the tone for the afternoon as the Matildas set about taking their winning streak to seven.
A Xu Yanlu header went over the bar but the collective ooohs and aaahs from the crowd showed they were as keen on a positive result as Matildas coach Alan Stajcic.
Xu then intercepted a defensive pass and went on a searching run before finding Ren Guixin inside the box, who put the ball past keeper Lydia Williams and into the back of the net with little trouble.
But while the 1-0 Chinese lead might not have been part of the Matildas script, seven minutes later Kyah Simon had the stunned crowd back on its feet with a wonder goal from 30m, slotting the ball into the top corner after seeing Chinese keeper Bi Xiaolin off her line.
The scoreboard parity only lasted 10 minutes, with a dangerous Caitlin Foord cross into the box ricocheting off Chinese defender Li Danyang into the back of the net to give the Matildas a 2-1 advantage.
That piece of play also resulted in an injury to Bi, which saw her substituted out of the game for Lu Feifei, who would have her work cut out for her soon after.
Crowd favourite Sam Kerr, who had scored in the past five Matildas victories, won the ball from Xue Jiao inside the box and hammered it towards the net.
Despite Lu’s best efforts, the Kyah Simon 14m, Li Danyang 25m og, Sam Kerr 38m, 58m, Chloe Logarzo 68m Ren Guixin 7m 6338 sheer power of Kerr’s shot saw the ball spill free and dribble across the line to extend her team’s lead to two.
The match referee, Sandra Strub, then had little choice but to suspend play after learning of thunder and lightning in the area.
FIFA rules dictate if lightning is seen and thunder is heard within 30 seconds of the MATILDAS champion Sam Kerr praised the GMHBA surface after her team’s 5-1 win over China yesterday.
The tick of approval will be a relief for Kardinia Park Stadium Trust staff who worked tirelessly to have the pitch in pristine condition for the international friendly.
Kerr scored two goals for the Matildas and set up another for Chloe Logarzo before being substituted out late in the game, and said the GMHBA Stadium surface held up well after a heavy morning downpour. “The pitch was beautiful,” she said. “It was a bit quicker and our touches were a bit off, but that was down to us, not down to the pitch, the pitch was amazing.”
Kerr also paid tribute to the vocal Geelong crowd, who turned out in strong numbers despite a miserable forecast.
The 24-year-old striker said the support of locals did not go unnoticed out on the park.
“Any time we get support we’re stoked and we’re very thankful for everyone who came out,” she said.
“It was a big buzz and I thought the crowd number (6338) came up smaller than I thought it was because the crowd was so loud, so that was really nice.
“I love playing in front of a home crowd.”
The Matildas will now take a break before ramping up preparations for next year’s Asian Cup, where they are expected to be a genuine championship contender after registering seven straight wins to round out a stellar year. lightning strike the game must be delayed by a half an hour, but play resumed without a hiccup and fans who had stuck around were rewarded.
Some brilliance in goals from Williams was backed up by a second goal to Kerr, who headed home a free kick from Emily Van Egmond to notch a brace in the 58th minute, and when the star striker found Chloe Logarzo inside the box ten minutes later to gift her teammate her first international goal, the result was beyond doubt.
In the face of several unforeseen impediments, a major sporting event in Geelong that had promised so much only to again appear destined to be spoiled by poor weather, ultimately delivered.