Matildas let US off the hook
IT was the ultimate sting in the tail. Twenty-seven long meetings the Matildas had waited to beat the US, a breakthrough that kicked off last year’s victorious Tournament of Nations campaign.
Exactly 12 months on, right up until the death of the two nations’ 28th encounter yesterday, it appeared likely they would pull it off again.
Last Friday’s title defenceopening 3-1 win over Brazil indicated the form was there. Sam Kerr was on song and her teammates in the mood.
But in the world No.1, Australia faced a foe that had not lost a game since that historic day last July, when Alen Stajcic’s side shocked them 1-0 to snap one of the sport’s longest hoodoos.
With three World Cups and a glut of world-class players, there were always going to be dangers afoot as the allconquering US sought vengeance in Connecticut.
Regardless, the Matildas held a 1-0 advantage for 68 minutes. It was a lead foiled only in stoppage time when Lindsey Horan headed home a corner at the back post to burst the giant balloon of optimism that had been inflating over the course of a pulsating contest.
Six minutes more and they would have claimed not only a second consecutive win over their perennial nemesis, but picked up a sizeable psychological advantage to carry into next year’s World Cup.
Still, Australia’s unyielding performance will have shaken the Americans and reminded others they are very much contenders for the trophy in France next year.
Not least due to the manner of Chloe Logarzo’s 22nd-minute goal, one so brilliantly orchestrated by Lisa De Vanna.
In a flash and against the run of play, the veteran broke, turned and embarked on a blinding run. Sixty-odd metres she bolted, evading and tricking challengers before threading a deft through ball for Logarzo to finish with aplomb.
The only addition to coach Alen Stajcic’s starting XI yesterday, the Matildas’ all-time top scorer displayed speed and movement that belied her 33 years. Granted, the eye-catching 12 seconds did not hide the fact the US dominated play throughout the opening half.
They could be thankful the lively Megan Rapinoe could not quite get her eye in — until she delivered that controversial deciding set piece — and that ever-reliable goalkeeper Lydia Williams was on her game in the tense moments.
But incessant pressing and probing does not always equate to goals, and America’s greenand-gold adversaries were up for the fight.
Stajcic praised his team’s “desperate” defensive display as one of the best he had seen but identified issues in possession.
“Despite being under pressure for large portions of the match we didn’t really give away too many clear-cut chances,” Stajcic said.
“On the ball we probably didn’t have as much composure as we normally do and that’s a part we need to fix up before we play them again.
“But so proud of the group the way they knuckled down, did the hard yards and really fought to the end.
“Bar maybe a goal-kick call there that was given as a corner we could have hung on that little bit extra.”