The ruthless Matildas have thrashed Uzbekistan 10-0 to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in style, with Michelle Heyman scoring four goals to put her hand up for a ticket to Paris.
Australia led the tie 3-0 after Saturday’s first leg in Tashkent but blew Uzbekistan out of the water to win 13-0 on aggregate, with Caitlin Foord, Kaitlyn Torpey, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Amy Sayer also scoring.
Temperatures hit 36C in Melbourne earlier on Wednesday, but it didn’t deter a crowd of 54,120, which included Olympic greats Cathy Freeman and Anna Meares.
The Matildas took the lead inside 34 seconds at Marvel Stadium and never looked back, with Fowler at her spellbinding best in an eight-goal first-half rout.
Heyman, 35, who also scored in Tashkent, replaced Emily van Egmond for her first international start since March 2018.
The striker’s movement and guile proved far too hot for Uzbekistan to handle as she snared a hat-trick inside the first 16 minutes.
Second-gamer Torpey, 23, had a hand in three goals and scored her first international goal in her own compelling audition for the 18-player Olympics squad.
Australia took the lead when Torpey’s squaring ball deflected off Uzbek defender Dilrabo Asadova for an own goal.
Three minutes later, Fowler launched a diagonal ball from the left and Torpey brilliantly stuck out her right leg to cut the ball across goal.
Clare Hunt fluffed her shot but Heyman was on hand to tuck it away.
For the third, in the eighth minute, Steph Catley lofted a ball in from the left that dipped for Heyman to nod home.
Heyman sealed her hat-trick when Fowler threaded a great ball behind the Uzbek defence for the striker to put away.
Torpey scored the fifth in the 22nd minute when Uzbekistan failed to clear a corner and she rifled a close-range strike into the roof of the net.
Rarely troubled, Mackenzie Arnold made a strong save to deny Uzbekistan captain Lyudmila Karachik in the 28th minute.
Six minutes later, Katrina Gorry picked out Fowler with a wonderful inside pass and the playmaker rifled home.
In the 38th minute, Uzbekistan failed to deal with a Kyra Cooney-Cross free kick and Foord pounced for Australia’s seventh.
On the stroke of half-time, Uzbekistan cleared a corner off the line but Torpey squared it for Heyman to stoop and head home her fourth.
Heyman, Foord, Gorry and Ellie Carpenter came off at half-time, for Sayer, Tameka Yallop, van Egmond and Raso, while Charli Grant replaced Catley in the 65th minute.
Raso rifled home in the 68th while Sayer’s first international goal in the fourth minute of injury time put an exclamation mark on the victory.
Check out how the game unfolded in our live blog below.
Key events
Final thoughts
Well, what a way to qualify for your third Olympic Games in a row!
An absolute masterclass from the Matildas saw them sweep aside the underdog Uzbeks, taking out the two-legged tie 13-0 on aggregate.
The first half was particularly brutal, with the tone set within the first 45 seconds by Kaitlyn Torpey’s torpedo cross that was spun into the net by an Uzbekistan defender.
The goals came thick and fast after that, with Michelle Heyman scoring four in the first 45 minutes alone.
Torpey, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso, and Amy Sayer all added to the scoreboard, and while a host of rotations made the second half a little less thrilling, there is very little to complain about from this completely dominant display by Australia’s fave sports team.
The players are about to be congratulated with a special presentation on the field: a giant “QUALIFIED” sign has been set up on half-way, with a giant novelty plane ticket being presented to them by Olympic legend Anna Meares.
It’s been a long road through qualifying, but finally the Matildas can prepare properly for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
And you bet your butts I’ll be back here on the blog when they do, as well as for a friendly they’ve got set up against Mexico on April 10.
Until then, take it easy!
Your reactions!
What a game! I’d hoped we’d win, but I never expected this!
– Mickey from Canberra
Love it
– Julian
Thanks for another great live blog, Sam! ⚽️💚💛
– Leo
Uzbekistan have been much better this half both defensively and in terms of capitalising on chances they get but ultimately you do have to feel for them having lost their keeper to injury and losing by a large margin for the first time since their Asian Games semi and third-place matches against North Korea and China.
– Adam
All this time we’ve been looking for another striker and she has been hiding in plain sight at Canberra…
– Mike
Ms Sayer! Relief written large on a young face. I suspect this second half, like the first half a few days ago, has made Tony’s squad selection decision making a little easier. All solid, a well oiled machine he’s built, complete with sub parts, and a couple of high profile busted elements. Finally he has the depth and breadth they’ve all worked for. It’s a joy to experience. Thanks Sam!
– Big Ben
THE MATILDAS ARE GOING TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS!!!!
To: the blog. From: the Matildas.
Will I ever get my ten goals 😂
– Julian
C’mon ladies, let’s make it a nice round 10!
– C
Full-time: Australia 10 – 0 Uzbekistan
93′ GOAL AUSTRALIA
Aaaaaand that’s 10!
It’s Amy Sayer’s turn to get on the scoreboard after a nice series of one-two passes between Tameka Yallop and Mary Fowler slice right through Uzbekistan’s midfield, before the ball is fed down the left wing for the onrushing Charlie Grant.
The left-back then clips a dangerous ball back across the six-yard area, spinning chaotically through a bunch of legs, before falling to Sayer at the back post, who swings her left foot through it and finally finds the back of the net.
10-0.
90′ Five minutes of added time
Uzbekistan, to their full credit, haven’t stopped trying.
They’ve had a handful of moves that have ended in the Matildas’ penalty box, including one just now as a handful of players try to build some triangles through the middle before Karachik Lyudmila chips the ball over the top to nobody except Mackenzie Arnold.
They’ve kept Australia to just one goal in this whole half, which is something.
Get ’em out, I say
What’s with the rolled up sleeves? Kennedy, Raso and now Grant.
– Ronan
What, you’re saying you wouldn’t roll up your sleeves if you had the incredible athletic arms of these players?
I don’t think I’d ever wear sleeves again, personally.
Anyone else keen for a Matildas sleeveless guernsey?
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Maybe “Mystical Mary” is a more apt alliteration
It’s interesting you mention Fowler appearing to operate in a different dimension – I think she might be a shape-shifter. There are times she takes the ball into congested traffic and somehow effortlessly appears on the other side still with the ball, or approach in-possession opposition players from behind, pass through them and continue on with the ball…
– Mike
Meanwhile…
Loving the meme posted about Japan v N. Korea. I literally only eat popcorn in for dinner in Matilda’s nights!
– Lulu
Japan lead North Korea 1-0 just after the hour-mark.
It’s been a pretty even affair once again, though: Japan have had 8 shots to 9 (including 2 on target v 4), 58% possession to 42%, and zero corners to 1.
The DPRK could very well claw a goal back and push this second Olympic qualifier all the way to the edge.
You love to see it
I’m in the crowd and there is definitely a growing minority cheering on Uzbekistan… only to be drowned by the manic roar when the Tillies scored that ninth goal!
– Tess
There’s definitely a small Uzbek community here in Australia, and what a joy it must be for them to see their women’s national team playing here in a stadium like this. Love that they’re still cheering for their team, even though they’re 9-0 down.
Wow!
54,120 !!! Wow, a stark contrast to the 2,000 locals at Milliy stadium 5 days ago. It was still amazing to there. 29 other Aussies and myself.
– I Was in Tashkent
I was there in Tashkent 5 days ago. There was 30 Australians in attendance and about 2,000 locals. It was free entry to the match. It was amazing to see them inperson and up close.
– Travelling with Russell
Shout-out to the small group of die-hard Matildas fans who travelled all the way to Tashkent for the first leg, then flew back here to Melbourne for the second.
What an awesome experience!
79′ Uzbekistan substitution
The substitute goalkeeper seems to have had her foot trodden on by her own player during a challenge that involved Amy Sayer, but has stayed in the grass, so the Matildas take the opportunity to grab a quick drink on the sidelines.
There doesn’t seem to be much tactical chat happening. They’re just chilling out until the game ends, really. Mackenzie Arnold, Alanna Kennedy, and Clare Hunt are still on the field, talking amongst themselves. Raso and Torpey are on the far side doing the same.
76′ Shot after shot after shot
It’s honestly been hard to blog this match because the number of chances the Matildas have had is… stratospheric.
Just as I finish describing the build-up to one shot, they’ve found a way to create and let off another. So you just have to imagine the way things have gone based on the below:
Australia have registered 37 shots in total so far, including 17 on target.
70% possession, 85% pass accuracy, and 1 corners.
They’ve been completely, utterly, dominant. That’s the story of the game.
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