"The speed, sharpness, and choreographed passing that saw them finish runners-up in Group B were evident in the opening few minutes, with Korea regularly finding passing lanes and pockets of space in between the Matildas' midfield and back-line. Kennedy, who made her second straight start of the tournament in midfield alongside Emily van Egmond and Katrina Gorry, was largely chasing shadows in the opening stages as North Korea dominated possession and scythed through Australia's lines."
"An early goal to midfielder Alanna Kennedy was doubled by a Sam Kerr screamer early in the second half, though a relentless North Korea side who clawed a goal back in the 64th minute and registered almost five times as many shots over the course of the game did not make it easy. Indeed, North Korea dominated in every area of the match aside from the scoreline."
Australia's Matildas narrowly defeated North Korea 2-1 in a Women's Asian Cup match at Perth Rectangular Stadium, advancing to the next stage and qualifying for their ninth consecutive Women's World Cup. Alanna Kennedy scored early in the eighth minute, followed by Sam Kerr's second-half goal. North Korea pulled one back in the 64th minute but could not equalize. Despite Australia's victory, North Korea dominated possession and shot attempts throughout the match, creating a tense contest. The Matildas' clinical finishing proved decisive against a technically proficient North Korean side that had impressed during group play.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]