Joey Lynch was on hand as Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson gave opportunities to some fringe players before more established stars helped turn the friendly around.
More in the match report:
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Summary
Right, it’s Friday night, you don’t need me clogging up your free time any longer.
Remember there’s a second friendly with China on Monday, this time in Sydney. We can complete a full debrief after that and weigh up how things look ahead of the Olympics.
You’d have to think Gustavsson will select something closer to a first choice XI for game two, with the picture over the remaining squad members emerging out of the fog.
I’ll catch you here then but leave you with Michelle Heyman’s equaliser:
Michelle Heyman, never say die 🙌
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) May 31, 2024
🎥 @10FootballAU #AUSvCHN #Matildas #TilItsDone pic.twitter.com/RV4Eq3Gp2S
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“Hard to know where to begin, but Alanna Kennedy in the ‘Franz Beckenbauer Role’ surely isn’t the solution to the Tillies’ struggles on the ball,” begins Chris Paraskevas. “Having said that, I’m not too sure Tony G and his Tillies even want the ball. They certainly don’t want it for prolonged periods near the opposition area: it is almost always recycled to the centre-backs (via ponderous touches) allowing the Chinese defence plenty of time to reorganise (Milicic is a wiley old fox, was as a player and is as a coach).
The likes of Carpenter and Raso seem much more comfortable running at defences with more room in front of them (they struggle when stationary in wide areas). Meanwhile, Cooney-Cross and Van Egmond are deep-lying midfield schemers.
This is why Fowler is so, so important. She’s the only one willing to stay up there, carry the ball into danger zones and try things. But she had an off night, and so the Tillies did.
Very, very concerning...”
I agree with all of that Chris.
“We want to have that never say die attitude,” gushes goalscorer Michelle Heyman. “It wasn’t our best performance but we stuck it out to the very last minute for our Aussie fans on home soil. We want to be scoring so it is nice to get one in the back of the net for them.”
Heyman revealed the message from coach Tony Gustavsson midway through the first half when he presented his side with a colourful tactics board. “I think we were holding onto the ball and we were static in the front lines. That is something we’re trying to work on within training. Now we continue to work on the process and go for it by the time we’re at the Olympics.”
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Tony Gustavsson will not be so thrilled. The first half, with a side full of fringe players, was poor. Nobody on the margins enhanced their claims for a spot in Paris, and a few senior figures will be relying on prior form for their places after disappointing. The energy in Adelaide Oval changed after a quintuple substitution on the hour mark but even that turned sour when Caitlin Foord walked off not long afterwards with a hamstring injury.
That was harsh on China, who were the better side over the 90 minutes. They were better organised in defence and created the most dangerous opportunities in attack, and regrouped well after the Matildas played the final half hour with a full-strength line-up. Ante Milicic can feel very proud of his efforts.
Full-time: Australia 1-1 China
The Matildas spare their blushes with a last-gasp draw in the closing seconds.
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90+5 mins: Fowler drills in the free-kick with purpose – but straight at the keeper – who extends her horrendous couple of minutes by spilling the shot straight into the path of Heyman, who pounces on the loose ball and stabs home.
GOAL! Australia 1-1 China (Heyman, 90+5)
With seconds left the Matildas equalise!
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90+4 mins: What on earth? What looks like a routine gather for the Chinese keeper on the right edge of her box turns into chaos when she slips over and handles the ball outside the penalty area. Free-kick Australia with seconds remaining.
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90+3 mins: Australia cannot get the ball forward at speed. After a laboured build-up Van Egmond gives it away.
90+2 mins: Chengshu almost seals it! China break and the substitute carries the ball with intent at Catley who backs off and backs off until she’s almost inside her own box. Finally Chengshu curls a shot around her – but straight at Arnold.
90+1 mins: The past four or five minutes have been scrappy. China have restructured well following a raft of substitutions. Australia have failed to execute enough forward passes.
90 minutes: Five minutes of added time.
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88 mins: Following a promising 15 minute burst the sting has gone out of the Matildas again.
87 mins: Hunt goes down under a heavy aerial challenge, but she picks herself up and dusts herself down.
86 mins: Kennedy is now playing up front. This is starting to look desperate for Tony Gustavsson.
85 mins: While China make use of their bench, there’s a chance to recognise another banner night in the stands, if not on the pitch, for the Matildas.
5️⃣2️⃣, 9️⃣1️⃣2️⃣ in the house tonight 🤯
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) May 31, 2024
Thank you for your support Adelaide 👏👏#AUSvCHN #TilItsDone #Matildas pic.twitter.com/swghmPi6T6
84 mins: Another poor giveaway from China, who are tiring now. Heyman profits on the edge of the box, turns and looks set to unleash a strike on goal, but instead tries to play in Raso to her right, but a defender gets a toe to the ball and the change goes begging.
83 mins: Fowler shows neat feet in midfield, Carpenter adds verve – but Van Egmond gives the ball away cheaply just as the move was building momentum.
82 mins: The set piece doesn’t cause any harm but the second ball is nodded across goal by Raso for Kennedy to hook – over the bar.
81 mins: Freier with a superb cross from the left that’s begging for Heyman to head home but the Canberra forward is well marshalled in the box. A bit of pinball follows until Australia are awarded a corner.
80 mins: China fail to clear their lines from the goal-kick and Van Egmond tries to free Heyman, but Fowler gets in the way. The ball eventually reaches Raso, but her cross is sliced harmlessly into the goalkeeper’s arms. Raso’s control hasn’t looked spot on since coming on as a sub. She looks short of touch and confidence.
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79 mins: Kennedy blasts the free-kick way over the bar.
78 mins: Van Egmond is tripped just outside the D in a central area.
76 mins: Hmmmm, this isn’t good. Caitlin Foord has gone to ground gesturing her right hamstring isn’t 100%. She’s able to walk off the field after an investigation by Australia’s physiotherapists, but the Matildas cannot afford more injuries to leading forwards. On comes Sharn Freier for her second cap.
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75 mins: Fowler whips a snapshot over the bar from the edge of the box after a lovely pullback from Raso. If this was the start of the match you’d say the Matildas look a little rusty but the signs are good.
74 mins: Catley and Fowler work well down the left but when Van Egmond tires to make the triangle she gives the ball away. The skipper has been among the under-performers tonight.
72 mins: Carpenter and Raso get busy down the right. The latter goes down in the box under pressure but the referee’s not interested in a penalty. Looked like a good call in real time with Raso going to ground easily.
70 mins: Australia are building. Heyman does superbly with her back to goal to lay off a through-ball to Foord hat is fed onto Fowler on the left. She cuts inside and sees her shot deflected behind. Another corner carries little threat.
68 mins: Australia have pushed China back into their own half, and with Cooney-Cross setting the tempo, are bolder in their ball movement. But the Arsenal midfielder concedes a foul reaching to regain possession and China break dangerously. Kennedy does her best to hold up the counterattack but a ricochet ends with Liu Jing with only Arnold to beat – but she crashes a shot against the bar! Not that it would have counted anyway with the flag up for offside.
66 mins: Following Raso, Cooney-Cross then Carpenter both drive forward with the ball. There is a very different energy to this iteration of the Matildas, which only serves to highlight the chasm between the best XI and the rest.
64 mins: The Matildas are now much more familiar in shape and tempo. Raso finds space on the right and her cross has potential but Australia don’t have enough bodies in the box.
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62 mins: Here comes the cavalry. Raso, Foord, Carpenter, Cooney-Cross, and Catley come on. Torpey, Vine, Yallop, Grant, and Wheeler make way. Not a great night for any of those fringe squad members, or for Gustavsson’s selection headache.
61 mins: Grant forces the turnover and Australia finally string a series of passes together until the ball reaches Vine on the right. Play then grinds to a halt as China get bodies behind the ball and the Matildas lose the impetus.
60 mins: Kennedy is becoming increasingly cavalier stepping out of defence as her frustration builds. She’s robbed by Zhang and China continue their excellent spell.
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59 mins: This has not been an hour of football full of the bravery Gustavsson talked of pregame. China, by contrast, are full of bravery, in and out of possession, and worth their lead.
58 mins: Yallop with time and space on the left. She lays the ball off to Grant on her outside, but her pass infield is easily cut out.
57 mins: Gustavsson is readying five first-teamers off the bench. Of note will be the players he takes off.
56 mins: Much better from Torpey – and Australia should equalise! The fullback overlaps down the right and dinks over a sublime cross that reaches Fowler at the far post. The Manchester City star can’t fashion a shot quick enough, and by the time she lets rip the Chinese goalkeeper is out smartly to smother the effort at source. Excellent goalkeeping.
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55 mins: Australia’s midfield has not worked at all tonight. There are big gaps as Van Egmond looks for a teammate with Torpey eventually punting a poor long ball that’s easily cut out.
53 mins: Vine forces the turnover, then links well with Heyman and Fowler to burst clear down the right, but – as is becoming habit in her international career – there is no final ball. She tries her guts out, Cortnee Vine, but the lack of composure in the final third holds her back.
51 mins: Meanwhile, China work the best moment of the second half so far, passing the ball crisply before Wheeler makes a mess of a clearance in the box. From the second effort the curled shot is well wide.
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50 mins: Tony G’s got his whiteboard out again. He’s giving animated instructions to five of his possible six substitutes.
49 mins: Now we’re back to balls in the channel for Vine, and the Sydney winger does well to keep the ball alive and force a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.
48 mins: In midfield, Van Egmond has dropped deep, alongside Wheeler, with Fowler pushed into a more advanced role – her third position of the night. Not that any of them are involved much as China sit deep and invite the Matildas to come at them, which Kennedy reluctantly does, striding forward with purpose until Torpey is robbed by a strong challenge.
47 mins: Vine again is offered the ball tight to the right touchline and she does well to earn an attacking throw-in.
46 mins: The second half begins by Australia immediately feeding Vine under enormous pressure.
There’s been a tactical switch with fullbacks Torpey and Grant switching flanks.
Gustavsson has a tricky task on his hands. He will not want to waste any more game time with an XI that isn’t going to play together in Paris, but he also needs to find out if some members of this group have it in them to fight back.
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Nobody in gold enhanced their reputations in that half of football, which is particularly bad news for the fringe squad members battling for the final spots in Paris. Tameka Yallop, in particular, must be somewhat perturbed at how she was shunted out wide midway through the half to allow Mark Fowler more time on the ball.
Credit to China though, and Ante Milicic, who has set his side up perfectly. Australia don’t know what to do with the ball from deep when their opponents drop off, and the Matildas then look vulnerable turning to face their own goal when the red shirts stream forward on the counter.
Half-time: Australia 0-1 China
Absolutely not what Tony Gustavsson wanted at the break in Adelaide.
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45+3 mins: China have been clearly the better side this half. Organised in defence and decisive in attack.
45+1 mins: Van Egmond squeezes out a cross from the right, then the second ball almost reaches Heyman, but China clear. And how! Zhang Linyan carries the ball at pace for 30 or so metres before peeling off a shot that Arnold has to tip over the bar.
45 mins: Fowler almost feeds Heyman at one end then Wurigumula nearly steals in at the far post at the other.
42 mins: Stoppage in play while Hunt and Wurigumula receive treatment for a clash of heads.
@JPHowcroft for a highly talented and capable group of players, the Matildas do seem to have an incredible ability to shoot themselves in the foot...
— phil withall (@phil_withall) May 31, 2024
I think the main takeaway from this half has to be that the gap between Australia’s best XI from the obvious 12 or 13 players, to any other XI is vast. The fringe players can be introduced as individuals but not en masse.
41 mins: Awful pass from Kennedy. Her latest attempt to find Vine on the right squirts off the outside of her boot and dribbles out of play. Vine is eventually found a few moments later but China have Australia’s sole outlet quadruple teamed.
39 mins: Not for the first time tonight Vine is almost released on the right following some neat one-touch play by Wheeler and Van Egmond. They try again with the skipper doing her best to influence the game but Grant gives the ball away cheaply.
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38 mins: China are really growing into the game now, showing quick feet and excellent control in midfield to retain territory. Australia, like they have been all half, look uninspired.
36 mins: “Geez this had been excruciating so far,” emails Raf Kaplan. “The Matildas defenders and second string midfield seem to be trying to play like Brighton, foot on the ball, inviting a press and then trying to beat it. Only most of the time China is content to watch the Matildas defence essentially time waste, and the rest of the Matildas look like conceding a goal to the press with loose passing.
The Matildas look far more dangerous when they just gain territory and then if they lose the ball have the opportunity to create turnovers high up the pitch to start attacks.”
35 mins: Fowler’s concession of that corner is a reflection of her new role in central midfield. She appears to have swapped places with Yallop, who is now stationed on the left.
34 mins: China get back on the ball and enjoy a series of repeat phases in Australia’s half. The goalscorer Zhang remains a menace down the left and Fowler has to scramble to concede a corner.
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32 mins: The Matildas fashion their best opening of the game in response. Fowler’s deep free-kick is nodded across the six-yard box by Hunt and Heyman threatens to stab the ball home but cannot find contact under pressure.
31 mins: China have been the more dynamic of the two sides going forward but that was a soft goal defensively for Australia. Wurigumula, the Central Coast Mariner, bullied the Matildas down the right, and there should have been enough bodies in the penalty area to deal with the threat.
GOAL! Australia 0-1 China (Zhang Linyan, 30)
China open the scoring! Wurigumula battles her way down the right and proves too strong for Torpey. From the byline she hooks a cross back that Zhang Linyan gets enough onto with a scuffed right-footed shot that evades Arnold and creeps in at the far post.
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29 mins: Almost a break for Vine on the right who engineers some space with her speed but instead of driving assertively towards goal she checks back and is crowded out.
28 mins: The crowd are doing their best to encourage their heroes, but there isn’t much for the packed Adelaide Oval to get excited about.
27 mins: Hunt takes a clattering as she makes a good clearance. Heyman then shows excellent close control as she buys her defence time to step up. She needs support but Van Egmond’s run is unhelpful.
26 mins: Plan B for now still appears to be Kennedy trying to release Vine on the right. The latest effort skips off the turf and out for a goal kick.
25 mins: Torpey does well to step out of defence and shut down China in midfield. She has been an immediate success at international level, and a manager’s dream for a major tournament with her versatility.
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23 mins: And now down goes Arnold for a tactical ankle injury. Immediately the other 10 Australians on the pitch race over to Gustavsson to receive instructions and study the tactics board. Time for Plan B.
22 mins: Tony Gustavsson is sat fiddling with magnets in the dugout like he’s shuffling a deck of dominoes.
21 mins: Vine continues to be Australia’s primary outlet. Her pace has worried Chen Qiaozhu but the Chinese fullback has stuck to her task well, with teammates on hand to support her quickly.
20 mins: China enjoy a nice spell of possession, building nicely down the right then recycling to the left under instruction of Milicic on the touchline. Matildas fans will recognise that pattern of play well.
18 mins: Emily van Egmond is skipper for the night, and she has been peripheral so far, struggling to get into the game. Australia do look far less threatening when Fowler or Foord are not in that No 10 role.
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16 mins: A scrappy couple of minutes works for the Matildas as China are pulled out of shape. Fowler almost unlocks the defence with a cute floated ball to Heyman, who very nearly controls a lob over her marker and into a shooting position, but the trick didn’t come off.
14 mins: This has quickly become an exercise in problem solving for the Matildas. Arnold, Hunt, and Kennedy have been offered as much possession as they wish with China closing off all options in front of them. Wheeler and Yallop in midfield need to start getting on the ball and breaking the lines.
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12 mins: China with the first shot of the night, but it’s off target from Wang Shuang, cutting in from the right and curling over with her left. An indication of the quality of the visitors on the break when they’re able to win possession high up the field.
11 mins: The match is being played at near-walking pace now with China increasingly happy to sit back in their shape and wait for Australia to come at them, before springing into action. The Matildas’ out ball is Kennedy’s lofted diagonal to Vine on the right, with Grant supporting from full back.
9 mins: China’s defensive discipline is excellent in these early phases. They are all moving as one, forwards and backwards, denying Australia passing lanes through the middle of the pitch or space between the lines for forwards to drop into.
7 mins: Vine again fails to find a target after being found by Kennedy’s delightful diagonal. Grant was charging forward but to no avail.
6 mins: Finally something for the crowd to scream about as Australia gamble in defence and make the most of broken play after Wheeler loses her footing. Heyman provides a lovely return pass to the speedy Vine but her cross from wide on the right never threatens to reach Fowler at the far post. Excellent link-up striker play from Heyman.
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5 mins: Australia continue to possess the ball in their own half, inviting China to come at them, but when they do it’s organised and assertive, and when they don’t the mid block is well structured. No way through in these early stages for the Matildas.
3 mins: Not a great start for Hunt who gets caught in possession as the Matildas stroke the ball around their back four. Thankfully Torpey was alert to the danger. The Matildas are trying to pick their way methodically through China, but they are yet to figure out the visiting forward press.
1 min: Australia line up as expected with Vine and Fowler flanking Heyman with Van Egmond tucking in behind. The midfield pair of Wheeler and Yallop have plenty of responsibility and lots to gain from strong performances.
Kick-off!
The Matildas’ countdown to Paris has begun.
Formalities have been taken care of. Kick-off is imminent.
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Out stride the two teams onto the Adelaide Oval turf. The PA is thumping, and sounds like Quadrant Park in 1987. There are fireworks, plumes of smoke, and a real sense of occasion for what is an offseason friendly.
China are ranked 19th in the world by FIFA but their form is hard to gauge because they haven’t played yet in 2024. Their final matches of 2023 were a pair of away defeats to the USA. They won the Asian Cup as recently as 2022, but they have been in a rebuild since then, a process led by former Matildas coach Ante Milicic.
Earlier in 2023 China were based in Adelaide for the Women’s World Cup, but their stay included a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of England.
Adelaide Oval is one of the great venues in world sport and it provides a fitting backdrop to arguably Australia’s favourite national team. It is a 13th consecutive sell-out crowd for the Matildas, which means a bumper crowd in the city of churches.
It is cold in Adelaide tonight, but it will be dry and still during the match.
Ante Milicic has spoken to Australian TV. Once a regular in front of the mic as coach of the Matildas, the former Socceroo is now responsible for the fortunes of the Chinese women’s team. “We will take it one day at a time,” he said, tempering expectations. “We have only spent a week together. It is also for the girls getting to know myself and the staff and me getting to know the girls so we have not had time to work on a lot of things but in a short space of time they have been open to adjustments and hopefully we can see some positive things tonight.”
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Australia are three from three in 2024 so far. That includes two victories over Uzbekistan in Olympic qualifying, and an away win over Mexico last time out.
The Matildas will be in their traditional gold and green tonight.
Tonight's threads 🧵
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) May 31, 2024
⏰: 7.40pm ACST / 8.10pm AEST
📺💻📱: @10FootballAU#Matildas #TilitsDone pic.twitter.com/qmcEFmh1IK
Tony Gustavsson has spoken to the host broadcaster about his team selection and what he’s aiming to get out of tonight. “We have six changes because we want to give the players an opportunity to show what they have got. Like a last chance before we make selection this week… We spoke about it before we got to the stadium, be true to who we are, play high octane and play our game.”
As for the players looking to force their way into the squad for Paris, Gustavsson is looking for individuals who feel at home at the highest level. “Be brave and enjoy this and feed off the energy we get from the stands because this is a way for us to collect all the energy we get from the fans and use that insight and bring it to Paris.”
Australia XI
Gustavsson has gone for a mix-and-match XI, with five likely Olympic starters: Arnold, Kennedy, Hunt, Fowler, and Heyman joined by three nailed-on squad members: Vine, Torpey, and van Egmond, with the trio of Wheeler, Yallop, and Grant handed the opportunity to stake their claim for a seat on the plane to France.
STARTING XI 🗒
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) May 31, 2024
Here's how we line up for our game against China PR at Adelaide Oval 👊
⏰: 7.40pm ACST / 8.10pm AEST
📺💻📱: @10FootballAU#Matildas #TilitsDone pic.twitter.com/CNUepe7WsP
In case you need reminding, the task facing Australia at the Olympics could hardly be more daunting. The Matildas were drawn in Group B alongside four-time gold medallists USA and 2016 champions Germany. Lowly Zambia make up the numbers.
Australia’s campaign gets under way against fifth-ranked Germany in Marseille on Thursday July 25. Then it’s outsiders Zambia in Nice on July 28. With everything on the line against fourth-ranked USA back in Marseille on July 31.
All matches are 3am (AEST) kick-offs.
One player who will not feature at the Olympics is striker Sam Kerr. She has conceded defeat in her race to regain fitness following an ACL injury in January.
Amy Sayer also misses out through injury, while Gorry and Avi Luik will have to prove their fitness after the China friendlies.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Australia v China from Adelaide Oval. Kick-off in this Olympic warm up is 7:40pm (8:10 AEST).
I’m going to keep this brief because Jack Snape has already done the scene setting heavy lifting in his piece below.
Long story short: the Matildas play their first match at the Paris Olympics in less than eight weeks. By then, Tony Gustavsson will have selected his 18-strong squad (with four reserves). This pair of friendlies against China (the second is on Monday in Sydney) are the final opportunities to nail down selection.
Nobody wants to flirt with form, so the results in these matches matter, but they are not the primary objective. More attention will be paid to establishing patterns of play to be used during the Games. In particular, continuing to adapt to Michelle Heyman’s status as goalscorer-in-chief, and working on options in midfield if stalwart Katrina Gorry fails to prove her fitness for all three group matches in France.
Beyond that, it’s an audition for those final squad places. For which, I’ll hand you over to Jack.
If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
Tonight we play on Tarntanya Wama on Kaurna Country.
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) May 31, 2024
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Kaurna people, and pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. pic.twitter.com/6tVnvay944
