Matildas lay ground for Asian Cup with vital win over South Korea

The Matildas have kicked off their 2026 Asian Cup preparations with a 1-0 win on home soil over local rivals South Korea.

Australia broke the deadlock at Allianz Stadium in Sydney by way of an own goal in the 54th minute before withstanding a late South Korean challenge in front of 37,199 fans on Friday night.

Their victory over the world No 19 team is their first of the year following a disastrous SheBelieves Cup campaign in February.

The Matildas had left the US-based tournament without a single point and slumped to No 16 in the world, their equal-worst position in the history of the Fifa world rankings.

It was also Australia’s first win over South Korea since their heartbreaking Asian Cup quarter-final loss in 2022.

View image in fullscreen Charlotte Grant and Korea’s goalkeeper Kim Min-Jeong watch as Lim Seonjoo deflects Emily van Egmond’s cross into the goal. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Caitlin Foord had won the ball back in their defensive half and broke away from the pack to pass off to Emily van Egmond on the left wing.

Van Egmond sent a slicing cross towards goal before Lim Seon-Joo intercepted with a header.

But the deflection proved unfavourable for the visitors, with the ball crossing the line despite the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Kim Min-Jeong.

Mary Fowler came on for Tameka Yallop in the 72nd minute and almost scored seven minutes later when her left-footed shot missed by centimetres.

South Korea burst to life in the final 20 minutes of regulation time, with Shin Na-Yeong almost equalising with a header.

But Australia’s goalkeeper Teagan Micah, standing in for injured Mackenzie Arnold, held her nerve to keep the clean sheet.

Foord had the best opportunity in the first half, testing keeper Kim Min-jeong in the 45th minute after a scorching run down the corridor.

The powerful Arsenal forward had sent a scare through the Matildas camp, already without a raft of stars, when she went down in agony in the 20th minute.

Foord had gone face-first into the back of opposition Choe Yu-ri’s head.

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View image in fullscreen South Korea’s Kim Hye-Ri tries to block Australia’s Mary Fowler. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images

But she was able to return to the game, having only suffered a bleeding nose.

Australia had lost No 1 goalkeeper Arnold just hours before kick-off to an arm injury picked up in training.

Arnold joins Ellie Carpenter (ankle), Hayley Raso (thigh), Katrina Gorry (ankle) and captain Sam Kerr (knee) on the sidelines.

Gorry had withdrawn ahead of the international window while Carpenter and Raso were ruled out earlier in the week with pre-existing injuries.

Kerr was flanked by the injured quartet on the sidelines at Allianz Stadium in her first Matildas camp since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in January last year.

The superstar striker, who avoided being stripped of the Matildas captaincy following her high-profile UK court case in February, was met with thunderous applause when shown on the stadium’s big screens.

Australia will play South Korea again on Monday at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium.

The match should be the last under interim coach Tom Sermanni, with Football Australia keen to have Tony Gustavsson’s permanent successor in place by mid-year.

Lyon coach Joe Montemurro is the clear front runner for the position, though he is contracted for next season.

Western United coach John Aloisi looms as an outside chance, after leading a youth-filled team to second place on the A-League Men table.

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