The Matildas are through to the Asian Cup quarter-finals after a jammy 2-1 win over 2018 semi-finalists Thailand.
With passage through to the knock-outs already assured ahead of the team's third and final group match, Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson decided to rest a number of core players — including captain Sam Kerr — and instead used their final group-stage match against the world number 38 to test the depth of his wider squad.
Five tournament starting debuts were handed out to young and fringe players including Courtney Nevin, Holly McNamara, Remy Siemsen, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Cortnee Vine, while emerging midfielder Clare Wheeler also returned to the starting XI.
Just two players — Steph Catley and Emily Van Egmond — remained from the team's 4-0 win over the Philippines, and the impact of that mass rotation was evident in the opening half.
It took half an hour of stuttering build-up play and difficulty breaking down Thailand's deep, organised defensive block before van Egmond opened the scoring, firing home a Siemsen square-pass from just outside the area.
Australia's best attacking sequences came from wide positions through wingers McNamara and Vine, but a lack of overlapping options due to the absent Ellie Carpenter and a centrally-stationed Steph Catley made the Matildas more one-dimensional going forward and overly-reliant on individual players instead of combination play.
It took a few more substitutions in the second half for the team to show the kind of dominance they had in the previous two matches, with Kyah Simon, Mary Fowler, Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, and Emily Gielnik injecting energy and unpredictability into a tiring young side.
Indeed, it was Kerr who doubled Australia's lead in the 80th minute, tapping home a Simon cross that Thailand goalkeeper Tiffany Sornpao spilled between her own legs.
However, the Matildas will rue the game's final minute which saw their clean-sheet record denied. A rare Thailand corner was cleared into the path of substitute Nipawan Panyosuk, who lobbed goalkeeper Lydia Williams from outside the box to make the final score 2-1.
Thailand has now qualified for the quarter-finals in third position after being leap-frogged by the Philippines, who defeated Indonesia 6-0 in Group B's other match.
While Australia's only conceded goal of the group stage appears miniscule in contrast to the 24 goals they've scored, Gustavsson said he was pleased by the frustrated reaction from the players after the match, particularly given their historically shaky defensive record.
"I'm happy [with] how upset the team were after the game," he said.
"The players were really upset we conceded that goal, to not keep that clean sheet. And that says a lot about the mission of this team now; it says a lot about their mindset."
He also reiterated that Australia had achieved its goal of winning its group and entering the knock-out stage with as many players available and "peaking" as possible. The late substitution of Gielnik meant each one of the 23 Matildas has now received minutes on the pitch in the past three games.
While the future of midfielder Tameka Yallop is in doubt after she tested positive to COVID-19 on the eve of the match, as well as youngster McNamara who limped off in the second half, all players, for now, appear to be fit and available heading into Sunday's must-win quarter-final against South Korea.
"We worked really hard defensively throughout the match, and the last goal really lifted our spirits up to get ready for our qualifiers," Thailand coach Miyo Okamoto said afterwards.
"Our game-plan was to stay 0-0 for as long as we could.
"We prepared for this and we talked about defending well and never giving up. In that sense, we did [the] best we could.
"We accomplished our minimum goal of going through to the quarter-finals, so I'm happy about that."
Look back at how the match unfolded in our live-blog below.
Live updates
By Samantha L
Full-time: Australia 2 - 1 Thailand
Well, that was a chaotic ending to a game that didn't hit the energetic heights of the previous two.
A big squad rotation, which included five starting debuts, was evident in the difficulty Australia had in breaking down Thailand's organised defence and replicating the kind of dynamic, free-flowing football we'd seen from more experienced players earlier in the group stage.
A fifth goal of the tournament to midfielder Emily Van Egmond broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, while a tap-in to Sam Kerr off a Thailand error ensured the Matildas safe passage through to the quarter-final, but not before Thailand reminded us of their sensational 2018 semi-final performance with a final-minute goal that took everyone by surprise.
Australia will now face South Korea in Sunday night's knock-out match, while Thailand - who finished third in Group B after being leap-frogged by the Philippines - will wait to see who they face in the next stage.
All in all, Australia got the job done. They've had nine different goal-scorers, and each of their 23 players have received minutes across the group stage. Rotation, experience, chemistry-building, problem-solving: these three games have been useful for lots of players for lots of reasons.
Now, the stakes are raised, and the Matildas will need to refine their sloppy finishing and shore up a sometimes-porous defence if they want to get as far as we all think they can.
Thank you once again for joining me in the wee hours for this final group-stage game, and I'll see you again on Sunday!
By Samantha L
GOAL THAILAND!
Their second corner of the match is initially punched out by Lydia Williams, but the ball falls right into the path of substitute Panyosuk, who lobs it into the far corner.
That's the final action of the match and the first goals Australia have conceded all tournament.
Incredible scenes from the Thais, who celebrate as though they'd won.
2-1.
By Samantha L
Another dropped ball from the former FFA.
Anyway another Q. Is Clare Wheeler potentially the player the Matildas have needed to fill Elise Kelond-Knight's position.
-mediocre-midfielder
We spoke about patience and decision-making earlier, and of all the "new" players Gustavsson has introduced over the past few months, Wheeler is the one who shows this kind of maturity that is beyond her years and her number of caps.
She's come a long way in the past 18 months, and I think is the best available replacement for the huge hole left by Kellond-Knight and Aivi Luik post-India.
By Samantha L
Five minutes to go
Taking into account that it is currently 2:45am AEDT so my judgement is perhaps somewhat skewed, but it does feel like the match is petering out.
Thailand introduced two of their better, more experienced players about five minutes ago - including their leading scorer - but these final moments feel more about just not getting injured than trying to produce anything major.
By Samantha L
Sign of the cross
Another lovely cut-back from Fowler down the right is deflected by a Thai defender, but the ball spins perilously off the crossbar and out for a corner.
That was lucky.
By Samantha L
GOAL AUSTRALIA!
Simon sends a fierce cross into the six-yard box that goalkeeper Sornpao fumbles through her own legs somehow.
And who else is there to tap home but Sam Kerr.
2-0.
By Samantha L
Chance!
A lovely in-field run and reverse pass from Gielnik finds Foord, who made a good run off the Thai defender's shoulder, but her cut-back is missed and cleared for a corner.
By Samantha L
Emily Gielnik arrives!
She comes on in the 75th minute to replace Cortnee Vine.
By Samantha L
Chance Australia!
A stunning, curling cross from Vine on the right side is deflected out to Mary Fowler, whose strike fizzes just over the crossbar.
You get the feeling a second goal isn't too far away.
By Samantha L
I can't see Courtney Vine not being picked up, she's too good. She could definitely play in the WSL. Whatever happened to the NWSL/A-League partner***p thing that was supposed to allow talent sharing throughout the year?
-mediocre-midfielder
Great question. Personally, the partnership Australia originally had with the NWSL was never sustainable because the USA is ambitious in the women's club space. They've aggressively expanded the number of clubs in the competition over the past two years, and have added a second tournament (the Challenge Cup) to their regular season. As a result, the windows between the two competitions are simply too short for players to juggle both. Which is ideal, really, because several players developed stress injuries and fatigue as a result of jumping across both for several seasons.
What's unfortunate is that the A-League Women's competition doesn't seem to have the same rapid ambition as the USA in the club space, and you worry that we're being left behind the longer we wait to turn the league into a full-time, fully-professional one so that players like Vine don't have to seek opportunities overseas.
By Samantha L
Turning the screw
Australia are looking confident now, sending wave after wave of attack down both wings.
A Fowler cut-back from the right sits perfectly for Caitlin Foord on the penalty spot but she air-swings at it.
Wheeler retrieves the clearance and the Matildas recycle again. Kerr, Simon and Foord combine in the penalty area but a foul to a Thai defender off the ball stops play.
By Samantha L
Chance Aus!
Charli Grant gallops onto a Kyah Simon cross-field pass and charges down the left, but her cross is just too strong and zips past everybody.
By Samantha L
Super subs
It's the 63rd minute and Tony Gustavsson reckons we need some more firepower.
Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler come on to replace Remy Siemsen and Emily Van Egmond.
By Samantha L
Chance Aus!
Vine makes a sizzling run down the right wing and squares a perfect pass for Kyah Simon, who's all alone near the penalty spot, but her strike is scuffed.
It falls to Remy Siemsen, who tries to bury it, but it's fluffed out for a goal kick.
By Samantha L
The Philippines leapfrog Thailand
They're now 3-0 up against Indonesia in the other match of Group B, and their goal difference has taken them above Thailand.
The Thais need to shore up their defence if they want to be one of the best third-placed teams to qualify for the quarter-finals now.
By Samantha L
CHANCE THAILAND!
A poor back-pass from Vine is intercepted by Suchawadee Nildhamrong, who's all alone in the penalty area for a moment, but Aivi Luik immediately swoops in to pressure the midfielder near the front post. Her panicked shot deflects out for a goal kick.
Whew.
By Samantha L
Holly McNamara is down
She seemed to fall a little awkwardly into the turf and the trainers have been called on to help her walk gingerly off the field.
The teenager has a history of major knee injuries affecting her international career, so you'd hope this is just precautionary.
Striker Caitlin Foord has been subbed on in her place.
By Samantha L
Decision making and patience mostly. The veterans seemingly have all the time in the world on the ball the rookies are constantly rushed. But yes the future is very bright.
-mediocre-midfielder
And this just comes down to exposure to international-level football, you'd say.
Not just in the Matildas set-up, either, but also at club level. There's no doubt that the A-League Women's competition - where five of Australia's starting XI play - is a gear below the competitions that the more experienced players like Van Egmond (NWSL in the USA), Catley (FA Women's Super League in England), and Luik (Serie A in Italy) play week-in, week-out.
What intrigues me is what these Australia-based players do after the tournament. Will they realise that Matildas-level football requires more regular game-time at the highest club level? Or will they stick around in the A-League Women's competition?
By Samantha L
Thailand chance!
Waenngoen slips in behind Grant down the right side and latches onto a good through-ball, but Grant makes a blitzing recovery run to block the eventual shot.
Thailand's first corner of the match goes immediately out for a goal kick.
Story of their night so far, really.
