Asian Cup: Australia reach final four with win over Iran

Australia secured safe passage through to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup with a dominant win over Iran on the Gold Coast. Goals from Amy Sayer, Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy set the Matildas up for a thrilling encounter with South Korea.

Sayer makes immediate impact

Following a narrow win over the Philippines in the tournament’s opening game in Perth on Sunday, manager Joe Montemurro opted to rotate his team with five changes.

One of those changes saw Amy Sayer come into the starting lineup. She made an immediate impact, giving Australia the lead when her ninth minute. Her well-placed cross floated over the head of Iranian goalkeeper Maryam Yektaei and into the top corner. In a game that quickly turned into attack vs defence, Caitlin Foord thought she’d doubled the Matildas’ lead after 18 minutes. She lashed the ball past Yektaei, only to be denied by a marginal offside call following a long VAR check.

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Mary Fowler capped her comeback from injury when the forward doubled Australia’s lead prior to the half-hour mark. Foord’s ball into the box tempted Sam Kerr into an attempted header. The No.20 couldn’t quite meet the flight of the ball as it flew into the area. Her effort, however, was enough to cause Yaktaei to lose sight of the ball as it cannoned off her chest. Fowler was on hand to tap home the loose ball. After another VAR check, the goal was given and the floodgates looked to have opened.

Kennedy at the double

Looking to run up a big score to overhaul South Korea’s goal difference advantage at the top of Group A, Montemurro’s side continued to pour forward. Ten minutes before half-time, Alanna Kennedy drilled home a third from the edge of the box. Yet again, VAR intervened to the bewilderment of the crowd, before the goal was given the okay.

Kerr thought she’d added a fourth just before the break, only for VAR to intervene yet again and chalk a goal off for the second time of the evening. Early into the second half, Australia were awarded a penalty for a handball in the area. Kerr already had the ball in her grasp when the video assistant stepped in again to reverse the decision.

The crowd were becoming increasingly frustrated at the continued interruptions. Both VAR and gamesmanship of the Iranian side were continually disrupting the momentum of the game. Kennedy added a fourth just before the hour with a towering header from a corner. The goal was the last of the match as Iran defended stoically.

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Substitute Remy Siemsen was denied by a wonderful smothering stop from Yaktaei during the eleven minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game. The game ended on a sour note from an Australian perspective when the Gold Coast’s own Hayley Raso was forced off with a suspected concussion after taking a second blow to the head of the night.

The win sealed progression to the knock-outs for Australia and also South Korea. It sets up an intriguing encounter between the two sides in Sydney on Sunday. The game will decide who tops the group as the tournament moves to the knockout stages.