Matildas thrash Philippines 8-0: Olympic women’s football qualifying – as it happened

Here is Jo Khan’s match report:
Through a brooding sky the clouds parted directly above the turf as if to say, “Matildas, it’s time to shine.” And so they did, with unforgiving ferocity against the Philippines, delivering an 8-0 thrashing in front of an adoring crowd of nearly 60,000 as hat-tricks from Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord and another a level of class from Mary Fowler and Clare Wheeler put the Matildas that bit closer to 2024 Olympic qualification.
Thank you for joining me today for a thoroughly satisfying outing for Australia. The Matildas’ first XI shone in front of almost 60,000 fans in Perth to take another confident step on the road to the Paris Olympics.
Hat-tricks to Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord will hog the headlines but there were individual stars aplenty with Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso, Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley all excelling.
Moreover it was the style of play that made those performances so satisfying with Australia pinging the ball around crisply with sophisticated one-touch pass-and-move football suggesting Tony Gustavsson is ready to take his side to another level freed from the pressure of a world cup on home soil.
Stay tuned for more from Perth over the coming days and live coverage of Wednesday’s clash with Chinese Taipei.
These two sides are back in action again on Wednesday in Perth, Australia against Chinese Taipei, Philippines v Iran.
This is when the play-off picture will be resolved. Australia, Japan, and South Korea are your likely group winners, but the final contender is the best placed group runner-up. After today’s hammering, the odds of the Philippines being overtaken by North Korea or Uzbekistan have increased significantly.
“Is it fair to say that the minimum expectation is for the Matildas to win a medal at the Olympics?” asks Chris Paraskevas. Yes, Chris, I’d say so.
“There’s increasing (and interesting depth to this squad beyond the first XI. Tony G just needs to cast his tactical net a bit wider and anything is possible.”
The thing with the Olympics is there are only 12 teams in it, and of the qualified nations Australia know they can match it with France, Canada, Brazil, and Colombia, and the USA are in a rebuild. Should they make it (which is still not a given considering they have a tricky two-legged playoff still to come) expectations deserve to be high.
Perth local Sam Kerr has been on the mic with the host broadcaster.
It was amazing to play here in front of a packed crowd, and walking out it was pretty nice. But a great performance by the girls.
We have been training for this weekend. We had a few things to work on, but I think we just came out again 100% and we worked our butts off today.
That was pretty close to faultless from Australia. A brilliant performance from start to finish. 8-0 does not flatter the Matildas.
The Matildas go from strength to strength, dominating the Philippines in Perth in front of almost 60,000 fans. One step closer to Paris 2024.
90+2 mins: The Philippines threaten to break but Wheeler and Carpenter deal with the trouble, the latter still with enough gas in the tank to mount a counter-raid. The ball ends on the edge of the box with van Egmond ready to pull the trigger, but instead she opts for a reverse pass to Sayer that is intercepted.
Top @TheMatildas home crowds, standalone:75784 20-07-23 v Ireland Sydney75784 07-08-23 Denmark “75784 16-08-23 England “59155 29-10-23 #PHIvAUS PERTH50629 14-07-23 France Melbourne49461 12-08-23 France Brisbane49461 19-08-23 Sweden “49156 27-07-23 Nigeria ”
90 mins: Four minutes of added time remaining as Sayer and Chidiac combine neatly in the box only to find themselves crowded out.
89 mins: Another inch-perfect set-piece from Catley, this time a deep free-kick, is headed over by Sayer on the burst.
88 mins: Take your pick of any of the Australian front six for player of the match. Foord’s hat-trick was so superb she probably gets the nod, but Fowler and Raso also deserve honourable mentions.
86 mins: Catley’s teasing in-swinging corner is headed just over the bar by Hunt, who was unsighted by the ball skimming the head of a Philippines defender, and also the massive shiner growing by the second beneath her right eye.
84 mins: Soon afterwards Sayer is late on McDaniel after the Philippines keeper had done well to claim Carpenter’s cross ahead of the Australian.
83 mins: Chidiac looks like she deserves a penalty after winning the ball ahead of Flanigan in the penalty area then tumbling over an outstretched boot. Perhaps out of sympathy the benefit of the doubt goes to the Philippines.
81 mins: Wheeler is doing her best to keep the tempo high as the Optus Stadium pitch is fully clothed in shadow. Passes are now starting to go astray though as fatigue creeps in.
79 mins: Carpenter could do better with a cross from the right as the TV camera cuts to Vine on the bench with an ice pack on her left hamstring.
77 mins: A crowd of 59,155 is announced on the public address system. They have got what they came for this Sunday afternoon in Perth.
@JPHowcroft that swarm of substitutions just seems so cruel on the Philippines. As if they haven’t suffered enough…
75 mins: Sad news for Cortnee Vine who lasts only ten minutes as a substitute. She might have just tweaked something sliding in for that chance just after coming on. Alex Chidiac comes on in her place just as Steph Catley stings McDaniel’s palms following a corner.
Right on cue, Clare Wheeler keeps up with Carpenter’s raid down the right flank and is in the right place at the right time on the edge of the penalty area for Foord’s lay-off, ready to bang a scud missile into the far corner. Gustavsson celebrates the goal as passionately as any this afternoon.
70 mins: Gustavsson has been sat calmly in the dugout most of the day, but with four new faces on the field he is on the touchline gesticulating and instructing. Wheeler in particular looks to be a significant work-in-progress for the Swede.
69 mins: The first long ball into the channel of the afternoon opens the door for Foord but she can’t wriggle her way into the box on this occasion.
66 mins: Vine almost scores seconds after coming on! Brilliant again from Fowler, not only picking the pass but timing it perfectly for the run of Catley in the channel. Her tempting cross reaches the far post where the sliding substitute gets a toe end to an effort when something more substantial was required. More beautiful flowing football from Australia.
64 mins: Here come the subs – four of them – for the Matildas. Sayer, van Egmond, Vine and Wheeler come on for Kerr, Raso, Gorry and Cooney-Cross.
61 mins: The Matildas are now camped on the edge of the Philippine box, buzzing like mosquitos probing one way then the other, every player in teal offering an outlet and craving the responsibility.
59 mins: Arnold is called into action to claim Bolden’s lob after the Philippine forward robbed Kennedy in possession.
Here’s that George Best goal, if you’re interested?
Another goal for the Matildas, and another hat-trick, this time for Caitlin Foord. Mary Fowler almost bagged a solo goal of her own but just couldn’t find the finishing touch to her rendition of George Best’s goal for the San Jose Earthquakes. Instead, Caitlin Foord picked up the pieces, stood up her defender, feined to the right, drove to the left then hammered a curling shot into the roof of the net almost from the byline. Absolutely brilliant.
55 mins: Kennedy does superbly to back herself and turn out of trouble in defence and pick a pass on the right wing. So often that ball would have gone straight back to the goalkeeper or lumped into no-man’s land.
53 mins: Brilliant spin from Raso on halfway, accepting the ball with her back to goal on the half-turn, but before she can capitalise she’s hauled down by a desperate Philippine defender. Australia regroup quickly and the impressive Carpenter spearheads another raid, underlapping on the right, inviting a one-two with Kerr, only for the return ball to be pinched off her toe.
50 mins: Fowler feeds Kerr with her back to goal and Barker, one of two half-time substitutes (along with Madarang) comes through the back and sends the Australian to the ground. Cue grimaces all over Perth and West London. Kerr gets to her feet as the free-kick is swung over right onto the forehead of the steaming Clare Hunt… who punishes the ball just over the bar.
48 mins: The Matildas are straight back into their work with Raso, Carpenter and Foord flowing seamlessly down the right. The Philippines get bodies around the contest eventually but Australia don’t panic and comfortably recycle the ball across midfield and defence to keep the game moving.
It takes just 25 seconds for my unnecessary questions to be answered. Australia get the ball wide to Fowler in no time at all following the kick-of and her whipped cross is thumped home by the forehead of Sam Kerr. That’s the skipper’s hat-trick.
The teams are back out for the second half. Can Australia maintain their incredible form? And for how long will Gustavsson keep his leading lights on the field with Chinese Taipei to come on Tuesday?
“Seriously disappointed by the Phillipines tonight. Sitting far too deep and not making enough effort to break in numbers: a recipe for disaster,” emails Chris Paraskevas.
“I actually think the Matildas are a little lethargic / careless when bringing the ball out of defence at times: small details that make a huge difference against top class sides. But in Mary Fowler, they have arguably the most exciting footballer in the world right now (men’s and women’s). Considering her age, her vision / eye for a pass is incredible: even her own teammates can’t keep up with some of her passes. Can’t wait to see how she develops as a footballer over the next few years.”
That really was worth the hype. An absolutely magnificent half from Australia with every player rising to the occasion.
Out of possession they were fast and aggressive with Gorry and Cooney-Cross dominating the midfield. But it was with the ball at their feet that the Matildas most excelled (and surprised). Gustavsson’s Plan A is now clearly one-touch pass-and-move and his players executed it to perfection with Raso and Fowler in wide areas and Foord and Kerr in central areas carving through the Philippines at will.
One of the best (perhaps even the best) half of football ever from the Matildas. Ruthless in defence, insistent in midfield, creative, urgent and decisive going forward. Absolutely brilliant from Australia in front of a massive crowd in Perth.
Australia are relentless. Wave after wave of attack followed by rapid turnover makes Kerr’s second and the Matildas’ fith almost inevitable. With the Philippines still adjusting to losing possession Foord slips the ball through the line for Kerr to saunter into the open space, consider her Halloween costume, Christmas list and New Year’s eve plans, before absolutely leathering a right-footed thunderbolt into the roof of the net.
44 mins: Foord connects firmly with Catley’s flat corner but her excellent header flies straight at the grateful McDaniel. That was a well-worked Arsenal corner routine.
42 mins: For the second or third time in the past few minutes Foord almost seems to have too much time on the ball in the box. Eventually, after a series of feints and dummies she fails to find a target and the Philippines clear. It is one-way traffic though with Australia desperate to regather possession as soon its conceded. They are a team on a mission this evening.
41 mins: Fowler draws a save from McDaniel after more great interplay down the right between Raso and Kerr. The finish was weak but the nimble build-up bodes well for the Matildas in future, tougher contests.
40 mins: The free-kick is poor, Fowler mops up the second ball and feeds Foord with acres of space to run into. She gets to the edge of the box before laying the ball off to Raso, but the speedster is flagged offside. A rare misstep for the Matildas who should have made more out of that opportunity.
38 mins: Catley’s in-swinging corner and Cooney-Cross’s second effort are both promising but the Matildas cannot fashion a shooting chance. Sawicki then strides forward out of defence on a rare sortie, feeding Guillou on the left, and the No 21 is unceremoniously dumped to the turf by the combative Carpenter.
36 mins: Kerr and Raso have been so dangerous out of possession forcing turnovers. They dovetail again and threaten before the Philippines get numbers in defence. It’s not long until the Matildas are back on attack though with Foord just missing with an audacious scoop from the edge of the six-yard box.
Foord does get her quickfire brace after all. Raso runs with the ball through the middle of the pitch at the heart of the Philippines defence. She times her pass to Foord to perfection, allowing the Arsenal star to hold off Randle with her left arm and drill a right footed shot low to the right of the diving McDaniel. This is gorgeous football.
32 mins: Food nearly has a quickfire brace but Long blocks a snapshot from the penalty spot bravely. Gorry then picks out a superb Carpenter run with a beautiful pass but the inverted fullback doesn’t collect the ball in her stride. Not to worry…