Australia’s women’s football team the CommBank Matildas played a dominating game of football against The Czech Republic aka Czechia at Gosford’s Industree Group Stadium on Thursday night, February, 16, winning the game 4-0.
Star players from around the world have flown in for a four nations tournament the FFA have called The Cup of Nations.
The national women’s teams from Jamacia, Spain, Czechia and Australia are playing in the cup tournament in the lead up to this year’s FIFA Womens Football World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand from July.
The Matildas spent much of the first half probing for an opening against a side that they knew would present a disciplined defensive front.
Kyra Cooney-Cross looked threatening in midfield, and Raso and Steph Catley provided a relentless combination on the left.
The first major opportunity of the game came in the 6th minute. Cortnee Vine found herself free on the right-hand side and cut it back to Cooney-Cross on the edge of the area. The midfielder shot just over in a warning of what was to come.
While Australia had the better of the first half, Czechia created a dangerous spell around the 30th minute. After a free kick, the ball fell for Australian based forward Jitka Chlastáková, who was unable to convert on a one-on-one with Mackenzie Arnold. Michaela Khyrová’s shot was saved soon after by Arnold.
Australia came out of the blocks quickly in the second half with the rewards almost instant. Raso, a threat all game, latched onto a Kerr through ball to open the scoring. She was helped by a deflection from Anna Dlaskova, but it couldn’t take the shine off the well taken finish.
The Queenslander doubled the Matildas’ lead soon after with a well-placed Catley corner, finding debutant Hunt at the back post. She headed it back across the face of the goal to the unmarked Raso, who gratefully accepted the invitation to head her second goal.
The 68th minute saw a triple substitution – Larissa Crummer, Emily van Egmond and Alex Chidiac entered the field in place of Vine, Mary Fowler and Katrina Gorry.
The substitutions almost immediately paid dividends. Chidiac was able to get a shot away after great work from Charlie Grant to find a cross into the box.
The resulting deflection found the path of Kerr who slammed home her 62nd goal for Australia.
The final goal came off the foot of the night’s captain. A Chidiac corner found Raso, who was able to steer the ball into Polkinghorne’s path and she prodded home for a milestone goal.
Next up for the CommBank Matildas is a game against world number seven Spain at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Sunday, February 19, with kick-off at 6pm.
Then the Matildas play Jamaica on Wednesday, February 22, at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle with kick-off at 7.10pm.
David Abrahams