Matildas end six-month drought with thumping win

2 years ago 96

The Matildashave returned to the winner's ellipse aft six months, cruising to a 4-1 triumph implicit South Africa successful London.

After a disappointing brace of losses to Canada, the second coming successful the first-ever shot crippled played astatine the caller Allianz Stadium, Australia were moving retired of chances to make immoderate affirmative headlines up of adjacent year's World Cup.

But 2 goals to Cortnee Vine and a 3rd conscionable earlier halftime from Clare Polkinghorne gave Tony Gustavsson's squad a steadfast buffer, earlier Arsenal's Caitlin Foord made it 4 conscionable aft the interval.

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Hildah Magaia grabbed a precocious consolation for South Africa, a top-class decorativeness that robbed the Aussies of a cleanable sheet.

The squad was capable to invited backmost Chloe Logarzo aft she tore her ACL much than a twelvemonth ago, portion Sam Kerr besides came disconnected the seat owed to illness.

The manager credited the five-day campy that the squad had up of the match, which took spot astatine Chelsea's location crushed astatine Kingsmeadow.

"I deliberation you could spot that we've been looking for a coagulated show of 90 minutes for a agelong time," Gustavsson said afterwards.

"And this was the astir coagulated show implicit time. We've seen 50 minutes here, a fractional here, 30 minutes here, but haven't seen a 90 minutes show arsenic of today."

Australia volition person a mates a speedy turnaround earlier a lucifer against Denmark on Wednesday astatine 3am AEDT.

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