Matildas star rebounds from 'uncharacteristic' opening

1 year ago 100

The Matildas made past connected Thursday night, marking the archetypal World Cup successful Australia with a 1-0 triumph implicit Ireland.

After devastating quality broke close earlier the crippled that Sam Kerr would beryllium retired for the archetypal 2 matches, the Matildas had to propulsion guardant without their prima subordinate and captain.

Wide World of Sports' Sebastian Kalos has tally the regularisation implicit the Matildas' show and assessed the starting broadside on with its substitutes.

MATILDAS

18. Mackenzie Arnold

Australia's goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold celebrates the team's archetypal goal. (Getty)

Neat and tidy and was decisive erstwhile called upon. Commanded her container well, particularly from Irish set-pieces, and came up with a immense prevention successful wounded clip to sphere Australia's lead.

Rating: 7

5. Cortnee Vine

Struggled to impact herself successful the game, did get down the Irish defence astatine the extremity of the archetypal fractional to play a unsafe shot crossed to Caitlin Ford, but lacked her accustomed dynamism and was yet substituted disconnected for Van Egmond successful the 2nd half.

Rating: 4

7. Steph Catley (C)

Steph Catley and her Matildas teammates respond aft the winning penalty. (Edwina Pickles)

Always unsafe from set-pieces but was not progressive successful the attacking play retired wide arsenic overmuch arsenic she tin be. Solid defensively, scored the lone extremity of the crippled from the punishment spot.

Rating: 7

9. Caitlin Foord

Created immoderate fractional chances and looked to propulsion retired wide but her last shot fto her down, volition beryllium looking to amended arsenic the tourney progresses.

Rating: 5

14. Alana Kennedy

Australia's Alanna Kennedy reacts to the last whistle astatine the extremity of her side's triumph implicit Ireland. (AP)

Solid astatine the back, won everything successful the aerial and was neat successful possession alongside Clare Hunt.

Rating: 6

15. Clare Hunt

The champion of the backmost four, composed connected the shot portion physically commanding against a consenting Irish team, particularly successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile Ireland was pressing.

Rating: 7.5

16. Hayley Raso

Raso cleaned up by unsmooth challenge

Sloppy successful possession with immoderate uncharacteristic turnovers successful midfield, did person the champion accidental successful the archetypal fractional erstwhile she headed wide from a Steph Catley country and won the punishment for Australia's extremity successful the 2nd half.

Rating: 4.5

19. Katrina Gorry

Was industrious successful in the midfield arsenic ever but produced immoderate inexpensive turnovers and struggled to enactment the Australian onslaught from deep.

Rating: 5

21. Ellie Carpenter

Looked to overlap and onslaught from deep, last shot though lacked erstwhile uncovering herself successful decent areas, was coagulated defensively each night.

Wilkinson makes history

Rating: 5.5

23. Kyra Cooney-Cross

Struggled to get touches and impact herself successful the game, came wrong to let Raso to propulsion retired wide.

Rating: 4

11. Mary Fowler

Best subordinate connected the transportation successful the archetypal fractional and looked the astir apt Australian subordinate to unfastened the Irish defence. Dropped heavy to prime the shot up and create, bushed successful the 2nd fractional and was replaced by the experienced Clare Polkinghorne.

Rating: 7.5

Subs:

4. Clare Polkinghorne (substituted 84th min, Fowler off)

Clare Polkinghorne looks pumped up portion Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland is dejected aft the opening Group B fixture. (Getty)

Rating: N/A

10. Emily Van Egmond (substituted connected 74th min, Cortnee Vine off)

Came connected to assistance Australia spot retired the pb and adhd immoderate carnal presence.

Rating: 3

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!