Coach Tom Sermanni believes the nation’s favourite team has risen again after the Matildas downed powerhouses Germany with courage, character and a moment of unalloyed gold in Duisburg.
Kyra Cooney-Cross marked her 50th cap with a 40-yard wonder strike while Clare Hunt also netted a maiden international header to gift Australia’s soccer women the most unlikely, backs-to-the-wall 2-1 triumph on Monday evening (Tuesday AEDT).
More than 26,000 came to pay an emotional farewell to departing heroine Alexandra Popp at the MSV Arena but ended up having to salute a glorious piece of party-pooping by Arsenal midfielder Cooney-Cross.
It was an astounding strike against the run of play six minutes before halftime – hailed by Sermanni as “one of the great goals” – after Selina Cerci’s fifth-minute opener for the dominant hosts.
Yet up against it largely throughout, the Matildas held firm, grew stronger and pounced again, central defender Hunt heading home a winner from captain Steph Catley’s corner in the 79th minute.
The first international goals for two of the London-based Matildas gave Australia only their second win ever against the world’s No.4 outfit, 19 years since Sermanni orchestrated the first.
It warmed the 70-year-old caretaker boss after their 3-0 hammering by Germany during their woeful Olympics campaign just three months ago.
“The thing we talked about going into this game was that we wanted to see the Matildas, wanted to see a team that looked like what we want the Matildas to be, and what we feel the Matildas are about.
“Against Switzerland (in Friday’s 1-1 draw) we were a little bit passive, but tonight showed the foundation of what we want to build from, what the Matildas are.
“And that’s that ability to compete for 90 minutes, mixed in with some real quality, attacking football.”
Yet it had all felt so unlikely after a nightmarish start following the pre-match presentation to 33-year-old Olympic great Popp, who made a cameo on her 145th and final appearance.
Her teammates seemed inspired to give her the perfect send-off, taking advantage of a sloppy midfield giveaway with Vivien Endemann’s right-flank cross met by an unmarked close-range header from Cerci.
Full-back Felicitas Rauch hit the post, and Popp had a close-range free-kick blocked before she departed after quarter-of-an-hour, leaving the field to a cheering, standing ovation. The tears flowed – and so did the German chances as the Matildas looked set to capitulate as they’d done in Marseille.
Yet the shackles were suddenly broken by the magnificent tireless burrower Caitlin Foord up front, freed first by a busy Mary Fowler and then Cooney-Cross in the space of three minutes, only to be thwarted by German keeper Stina Johannes.
But she could do nothing to halt the stupendous goal that 22-year-old Cooney-Cross then conjured. Endemann was robbed in her own half and the ball fell to the Queenslander, who saw Johannes off her line, hitting a perfectly struck shot that arched over the desperate, back-pedalling keeper. Wondrous.
Still Germany attacked, Endemann and Sjoeke Nusken missing sitters. Kaitlyn Torpey had to be replaced because of a hamstring injury, with Michelle Heyman brought on to lead the line and Foord dropping back.
It gave the visitors a more solid feel after the break, helped too by Germany’s experimentation, with the six changes to their starting line-up followed by six substitutions before the hour mark, as Australia increasingly clawed their way back.
Rusty sub Heyman had to come off in the second half as Sermanni gave an international debut to Brisbane Roar’s Winonah Heatley, who got booked for a foul within two minutes.
Germany ended with 18 shots on goal to the Australians’ six, but keeper Mackenzie Arnold was a tower of strength throughout, pulling off one final key save at full-length to thwart sub Pia-Sophie Wolter’s 79th-minute strike.
“This win’s huge. I think it restores confidence in individual players, and confidence in the team, and it brings that belief back,” said Sermanni, who expects to still be in charge for the next international bloc.
