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Andy Harper’s summary of the two-match series is brutal. After rhapsodising about all the things Canada have learned on their tour, he concludes with: “and Australia played well for a half.”
Full-time: Australia 1-2 Canada
For the second time in a week, Canada have defeated Australia by a goal. More disappointment for the Matildas.
90+7 mins: Almost! The ball into the box is dangerous but after bouncing it lands at the feet of a red shirted player and cleared. The second ball finds Kerr but her glancing header is saved.
90+6 mins: Surely this is the final action of the night. Beckie is booked for a collision with Gorry on the right wing. Free-kick to the Matildas. Can they snatch something at the death?
90 + 5 mins: Still the Matildas push. Another long ball. This one isn’t cleared first time, but it matters not because Gielnik thwacks an aimless hoof at a 30m volley that flies miles wide.
90+4 mins: Canada are now just happy to see out the result. Australia are still desperate for an equalizer. A lofted ball into the area is cut out by – you know the rest. Give Jade Rose the matchball.
90+2 mins: there will be at least six minutes of injury time. Canada are in a mess all of a sudden with players off the field injured, others limping harmlessly behind play. Not to worry, Jade Rose is all they need. For the umpteenth time tonight the teenage central defender is strong and composed for her side. Then she wins an ugly 50-50 header. Super player.
89 mins: Nevin thumps a long ball to Kerr but Rose again does well in the air. Sheridan then makes a mess of the clearance and in broken play Australia have a chance! Kerr seizes the chance to run with the loose ball but her shot is blocked. It ricochets towards Chidiac, who shapes to shoot, but a Canadian defender flies across to block at the last. That was a superb desperate intervention from Quinn. But they have injured themselves in the process.
88 mins: From the resulting throw-in the ball works well for Australia but the cross is again weak and Canada clear. Both sides look disjointed and tired.
87 mins: Chidiac and Cooney-Cross do well to press and force a turnover on the left. The noise lifts a factor of decibels inside the stadium as the attack shifts to the right, but the low cross is cut out.
86 mins: Jade Rose; please and thank you.
84 mins: Australia have some rare possession but after seeing all the passing lanes blocked the ball is pumped long to Kerr and Crummer, who lose out in the aerial duel.
82 mins: Very closing-minutes-of-an-international-friendly areas at the moment with players down receiving treatment, subs left right and centre, and a weird noise coming from the crowd unrelated to the action.
81 mins: Australia look disjointed and rudderless after all those substitutions and the way the second-half has gone. Canada are pushing hard for a clincher.
80 mins: A very healthy crowd of 26,997 has just been announced.
79 mins: Lovely move from Canada. It starts with Rose – who else – striding out of defence. Grosso turns nicely and once she’s facing forward the move builds and it takes a smart intervention from Williams at the near post to prevent an excellent team goal.
78 mins: Loads of subs from both sides. Too many to list. Mary Fowler is one of the players to come off. She had another good game tonight. Like many teammates she faded in the second half, but she has rare quality.
76 mins: Another Canada pressing win in midfield turns possession over. Football Clichés klaxon: this really has been a game of two halves. Maybe there’s a big magnet in one end of the revamped Allianz Stadium, meaning teams attacking only one end can gather momentum?
74 mins: It’s end-to-end at the moment with the field stretched and tired bodies in midfield. Neither side can take advantage with Rose continuing to keep Kerr in her pocket and Leon unable to bully her way past Yallop.
72 mins: Better from Australia with Fowler and Grant probing on the edge of Canada’s box, but neither can deliver the killer pass into Kerr and Canada clear.
70 mins: Gustavsson is now sat on the bench arms crossed with a face like thunder. Meanwhile his team complete their first proper attack of the half with neat build-up play through midfield and down the left almost resulting in a chance for Cooney-Cross. Going the other way Canada should do better in transition but the runner leaves too soon is caught unnecessarily offside.
68 mins: The excellent Prince takes a spell for Canada but even in her absence the visitors are all over Australia. The Matildas can’t get hold of the ball, and after Williams is drawn into action Gorry is soon dispossessed. This has very quickly become very ugly for the hosts.
66 mins: One of those hopeful balls to Kerr almost pays off with a snapshot drawing a good save from Sheridan. Nonetheless, it’s slim pickings for the Matildas since half-time and the host broadcaster is rattling off the long list of poor results in recnt months.
GOAL! Australia 1-2 Canada (Leon, 64)
Jade Rose! JADE ROSE! What a player. She steps out of the line to intercept, turns away from pressure, strides forward then strokes a perfectly weight through-ball for Leon to run onto, compose herself and hammer beyond Williams. There was a hint of offside but it was a lovely goal. Australia can’t say they haven’t been warned.
63 mins: Foord, who was very dangerous in the opening half, leaves the field with what looks like a calf injury. Let’s hope that’s just a knock.
62 mins: The match is now being played very much on Canada’s terms but the final ball has not matched the quality of the build-up play. Australia are resorting to balls into the channel but in Rose, Kerr has a foe who has pace and strength to go with incredible composure. Football Clichés klaxon: she is a Rolls Royce of a defender.
60 mins: From the resulting set-piece, Leon hammers a free-kick that Williams claims in her bread basket with excellent positioning and footwork.
58 mins: Luik does well defensively but then she coughs up possession allowing Canada to pour forward. The ball into the box is repelled but Gorry is booked soon afterwards for a lunging challenge in the scramble for the loose ball.
56 mins: Australia’s intensity has dropped after the interval, and Canada’s has ramped up. There are spaces opening up for red shirts in midfield and it feels like the inverse of the opening half. Prince shows she’s not just a one-way footballer with an excellent defensive tracking run to keep Grant honest after nice work from Gielnik.
54 mins: Now it’s Kerr’s turn to miss-time her run. Australia already looking for those early long-ish balls at the start of the half, the latest of which goes out for a throw-in. Canada meanwhile are starting to hit their straps and Prince is again looking threatening before St Georges draws a simple save from Williams.
52 mins: Hmmm, what will we see now from the Matildas? Can they regroup and return to the form of the opening period? Canada remain on the front foot and Prince probes down the left before her angled ball into the box is cut out. The visitors are doing much better at recycling play and after retaining possession well in midfield there’s a driving run, a throughball, and Prince scores! Or not. The offside flag is up and the marginal call goes Australia’s way.
50 mins: Fowler’s distribution has been outstanding tonight and another sweeping ball into the run of Foord invites the winger to drive into the box, but her delivery is easily cut out. Canada go straight down the other end and earn a corner that Williams claims confidently.
GOAL! Australia 1-1 Canada (Leon, 48)
All that good work in the first half undone in seconds. Canada built nicely down the left and after Sinclair drifted wide to accept possession, Leon took up a neat position at the near post and finished smartly after Sinclair initial cross was blocked.
47 mins: The second half is underway. The camera zooms in tight on Tony Gustavsson, who, with his blonde centre-part and stadium mic, ooks like H from Steps… oh oh, tragedy!
Changes at the break… for Australia Gielnik replaces Vine and for Canada Grosso comes on for Scott and Beckie for Levasseur.
Half-time: Australia 1-0 Canada
Superb half from the Matildas. They dominated the Olympic gold medallists from start to finish. They would not be flattered by a much healthier scoreline.
44 mins: Canada with a rare incursion down the right but Polkinghorne stands firm in the box. Gorry then releases Kerr early but once again the brilliant Rose is across to time a perfect tackle. Jade Rose is a very good footballer.
42 mins: Foord drags a shot wide of the near post after cutting in from the left. That was the first slow-ish build-up from the Matildas that demonstrated control of tempo, unpicking the Canadian midfield.
Soon afterwards Vine fluffs her lines again, failing to hit a target with a cross from the byline with plenty of time to do better.
41 mins: The work-rate from the Matildas has been exceptional. Canada just haven’t been given time to breathe.
40 mins: Australia are winning the ball back at will, and every time they do it threatens to catch Canada shorthanded in transition.
38 mins: Another drive forward, this time from Gorry, comes to nought. Foord does superbly on the counter-press to win the ball back, then she goes over in the box – penalty surely!? Not given! Still Australia press, and with Canada in disarray Vine is played through with only Sheridan to beat – and she makes an absolute Horlicks of it, stabbing a weak effort with the outside of her right boot instead of taking command of the situation. The Matildas should be more than one up.
35 mins: Foord again drives towards goal but this time she invites Vine to cross and her dangerous ball across the six-yard box is punched clear by a diving Sheridan. Australia are well on top in Sydney but they’re struggling to convert their dominance into chances.
33 mins: Williams does superbly to punch the corner clear. It sparks a counter that should result in a chance but Vine fluffs her line in transition. Australia recycle the ball well and mount another raid down the right, then Foord carves through the middle and shapes to shoot but takes one touch too many and Canada clear. The Matildas are stationed well though and they regain possession easily.
32 mins: Of course, that means a rare cross is skewed awkwardly over her crossbar by an off-balance Polkinghorne.
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