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Captain Sam Kerr scores in 14th minutes as hosts hold on against dogged Filipinas for an important win to start their tournament double quotation mark The Matildas’ Asian Cup campaign is off to an ideal, if rusty, start with a 1-0 defeat of the Philippines in their first group-stage match in Perth on Sunday afternoon.

But that’s about all that’s needed from me tonight, I’ll leave you with Sam Lewis’ on-the-whistle from Perth. Caitlin Foord is speaking on the broadcast following the Matildas’ 1-0 win. double quotation mark I think we have a lot to work on. We would have loved to get a few more goals, but credit to the Philippines. They worked really hard to keep us out. But our goal today was just to get the win and to get the job done, and we did that. So, happy with that. They did a great job at [staying compact]. I think, for us, we’ve got to build into this tournament. It’s been a while since we’ve played together. We’re just getting back into the flow of things and building relationships again. That’s going to keep growing and growing with every game we play. Hopefully, the next game a little bit better. 119 - Australia made 119 final third entries in #AUSv PHI, their most in a women's international since making 121 in a 2-2 draw against Thailand at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup. Foray. pic. twitter. com/q Rdie DGy Av Important win first up. Well done Philippines and their Aussie coaches. Well organised, defended very well. Overall play was good, improving all the time in fluidity, ball movement, player movement, forward runs. Already a big improvement on Joe’s early games. Good to see… https: //t. co/Xe Mkl XQMo C Really, that’s a result that almost feels like it’s a win for both. The Matildas, obviously, get the three points and can now look to build upon their momentum heading into a clash with Iran next Thursday on the Gold Coast and then against South Korea on March 8 in Homebush. They would have wanted more goals, and they’ll be frustrated, and this can’t be the end-point, but there were enough signs from the way they attempted to break down this low-block to suggest there’s a foundation for better things. More of that Wheeler and Gorry pivot, please. The Philippines, meanwhile, have faced off with the giants of their group and emerged with their goal difference mostly intact. With two of the best third-placed sides from the group stages set to advance, they’re now in a really strong position to advance to the knockouts if they can maintain their discipline against South Korea and then beat Iran. And if they do that, they’re just one game away from going to a second-straight World Cup. Thanks to Sam Kerr’s first-half goal, the Matildas will begin their efforts to secure a home Asian Cup with three points. Dogged, determined, and incredibly disciplined defending from the Filipinas, however, mean that they’ll do so with just a single goal margin. 95 Mins: Kerr flies at a high up-and-under cross from Gorry, as do several other players, before Mc Daniel is able to get enough on the ball to clear away the immediate threat. 94 Mins: Some tricky footwork from Fowler on the edge of the area as she looks for an angle against two defenders but her resulting pass bounces awkwardly and can’t be wrangled by Sayer. 92 Mins: Gorry wheels away from some pressure at the top of the box and slides a pass across to Fowler, who winds up and lifts a shot over the crossbar. 91 Mins: We’ll have five minutes of added time at the end of this one: five more minutes for the Matildas to find a second or, alternatively, five more minute for the Philippines to hold out. 90 Mins: A press release from the AFC has come through, as has one from tournament organisers, spruiking that tonight’s crowd of 44, 379 for the opening game of the Women’s Asian Cup has set a new record for “highest ever attendance in the competition’s history”. 89 Mins: Foord skips inside and tries to drop a shot inside the top corner but it gets away from her and goes out for a goal kick. Jourdyn Curran has come on for Eggesvik for the Philippines, while Isabella Paison has entered for Guillou. 86 Mins: Hunt drives a pass through to Fowler, whose first touch takes the ball inside and tees her up to whip the ball into the box. It takes a deflection and spills to Sayer but her rapid toe poke is saved comfortably by Mc Daniel. 82 Mins: Catley! The defender gets into the penalty area and blasts an effort goalward but she just can’t quite get her left foot around the ball properly and the shot blazes wide. 81 Mins: Raso’s evening comes to an end, with the winger the one to make way for Sayer. The 81 minutes Raso has got through tonight are the most she’s logged in a single game since the last time she played for the Matildas back in December. 79 Mins: Heatley sends a ball into Kerr inside the penalty area but the skipper’s attempt to swivel and shoot isn’t quite on point and the ball sails out for a goal kick. Amy Sayer preparing to come on for the Matildas. 77 Mins: Gorry feeds the ball to Fowler’s feet inside the penalty area but her attempts to turn runs right into a blue shirt and the threat is seen off. There’s no sense at all that the Filipinas are going to be a threat in transition but there’s nonetheless perhaps a feeling of frustration and nervousness seeping into the Matildas’ game. 74 Mins: Gorry moves into the penalty area and lets loose with a shot but it’s too close to the near post and Mc Daniel is once again in a good spot to make the save. 73 Mins: Foord, Catley, and Fowler all try to work a combination on the left but the Filipinas get numbers back and see off the threat once more. It’s currently 85% to 15% possession in favour of the hosts. Yep. 69 Mins: Raso cops a wicked falcon and goes down requiring treatment. Fortunately, she doesn’t appear any worse for wear and is soon back out there. 68 Mins: A big cheer goes up from the crowd as Montemurro sends Mary Fowler into the fray. She replaces Van Egmond, while Wheeler’s fine shift has ended as she gives way for Alanna Kennedy – who at this stage seems to be seen as a six in the coach’s eyes. 66 Mins: Wheeler winds up from outside the penalty area but Mc Daniel is positioned well and makes the comfortable claim at her near post. Speaking to how well the backline in front of her have defended as a unit, it’s the first save the keeper has had to make in this second half. 65 Mins: Mary Folwer pictured on the broadcast. Sans bib? Is she coming on? 63 Mins: The Philippines a rare period of… extended possession feels like too strong a word but they certainly saw a bit of the ball in those last few minutes. After some nice work on the right from Guy, Harrison tries to send a cross in but it’s closed down quickly and the move soon peters out. Torcaso has also opted to make a further two changes to his side: Mallie Ramirez has come on for Olivia Mc Daniel and Ariana Markey has entered for Frilles 58 Mins: Heatley slices a pass through the lines for Kerr, who takes the ball out wide with her touch and looks up hoping to spy a teammate’s run to the backpost. There’s none forthcoming, though, and her lob is cleared away. 56 Mins: Gorry thinks about a long-range bomb – we know she has that in her locker – but she instead opts to lay it off to Carpenter. Her attempt to drag a cross to the back post, though, gets away from her and it sails away for a goal kick. 55 Mins: Raso again works her way into space on the right and is able to lift a cross towards Kerr and Foord, who have stolen a march on their defenders, but the move is snuffed out when Olivia Mc Daniel comes out to make a strong claim. 53 Mins: A rare moment of indecisive defence from the Philippines sees them fail to properly clear a Raso cross in, with it spilling out to Foord instead. The scrambling response from the Filipinas, however, proves up to the task and the move passes without a goal. 51 Mins: Beard sees off Raso and turns the ball out for a corner. Van Egmond lifts it towardds the penalty spot where Kerr is there to meet it but her header is guided wide. 50 Mins: We did have one change made at the halftime break and it came from the Philippines: youngster Jael-Marie Guy coming on in place of Pino – the latter celebrating her 19th birthday today. 49 Mins: Raso again darts down the right flank and whips a cross in but Foord is bundled over by Long at the back post, fairly, and the visitors see of another threat. 47 Mins: Van Egmond whips a corner in which Olivia Mc Daniel spills when she comes to claim. The Philippines want a free kick but they’re not going to get one, and their attempt to transition forward moments later is quickly snuffed out. 46 Mins: We are back underway in the second stanza and the Matildas quickly get forward again: Long getting in the road of an attempted cutback from Raso and putting the ball out for a corner. If you’re the Philippines, that half obviously wasn’t perfect – you’d rather Sam Kerr not have scored – but it still went pretty well. This was always going to be a game that the Filipinas needed to manage as they look ahead to clashes with Iran and South Korea, the games where their progression to the knockouts as either a second-placed finisher or one of the best third-placed sides will be determined. And given how crucial goal difference could prove in the latter, to only be down one goal after 45 minutes is a major positive. It’s good. Need another goal. Watch the counter second half. Good movement, playing through midfield, midfielders getting behind like Wheeler, fullbacks and winger forward runs, different ways of breaking defensive line. Could probably score more with loads of crosses, but… https: //t. co/yqk D3j50m0 So, Kerr’s 14th minute is all that will separate the Matildas from the Filipinas on the scoreboard heading into the halftime break. The Australians did have a second in the back of the net thanks to Raso, but a VAR review determined that the flyer had started her run to receive Gorry’s lasered delivery from an offside position. Nonetheless, the Australians shouldn’t be too frustrated by that opening stanza. While they’ve crashed against low blocks before, there was a greater sense of movement, purpose, and connection to their play in this instance. As hoped for from a Montemurro-coached side, there was a focus on building connections and patterns of play and not just descending into meandering U-shaped possession or hit-and-hope crosses. Importantly, much of this was taking place close to the penalty area, ensuring they were in a position to take advantage of any breakdowns in the very well-organised Philippines defence. Wheeler and Gorry, in particular, have impressed at the base of the midfield; conducting play and keeping the ball moving at a good pace. 45 Mins: Just the one minute of extra time to be added. 44 Mins: Foord drives into the penalty area from the left but her attempt to drill a ball into Kerr is blocked away. The Philippines’ defending there somewhat exemplified what they’ve been doing throughout the opening stanza: when the ball was knocked away from the Australian skipper, there were seven players in blue back in the penalty area looking to defend. 42 Mins: Joe Montemurro has emerged from his seat in the dugout and is stalking the edge of his technical area. He’ll probably not be very happy to be up just a single goal but his side are playing some nice football regardless. 40 Mins: The Matildas have themselves in a dangerous position just outside the penalty area and Catley looks to bend it inside the post. But Olivia Mc Daniel is up to the challenge and pushes it away for a corner. 37 Mins: They’ve had hardly any of the ball but credit needs to be given for the work that the Philippines are doing defensively – they’re moving together as a unit, ensuring that whoever is challenging for the ball has cover, and getting multiple bodies around the ball on higher balls into the box. 35 Mins: Carpenter, van Egmond, and Kerr all combine to try and spring the former into space on the right, only for the defender to be pegged back by an offside flag. 33 Mins: The disallowed goal hasn’t done much to change the complexion of this game, with the Matildas picking right back up where they left off and poking and prodding, seeking a second that will actually count. 30 Mins: Boos ring out at Perth Stadium as the VAR determines that Raso was just unable to time her run and had strayed into an offside position. The crowd might not like it but replays show that it was comfortably the correct call. 29 Mins: The Matildas have their two-goal buffer! Gorry lofts a perfectly weighted ball onto the run of Raso in behind the lines, she chests it down and pokes it beyond the advancing Olivia Mc Daniel. Hold on… replays show VAR might be having a word here… 27 Mins: The routine of this game is now well established. The Matildas poke and prod, look to drag an opponent out of position, and then exploit the space that’s been left behind. van Egmond looks to drive a long-ball onto the head of Kerr atop the six-yard-box but she’s working against several defenders and it’s cleared away. 25 Mins: So the word from the commentary is that Kyra Cooney-Cross is being “rested” for tonight’s game. 22 Mins: A brief move forward by the Philippines is quickly snuffed out and the Matildas resume their threat once more. A Raso dummy springs Wheeler into some space on the right but her attempted cutback is blocked away. 21 Mins: The Matildas get themselves a free kick on the right, with Catley standing over the ball and staring down a two-player wall. The Arsenal defender bends it towards the back post, with it just floating over the head of Kerr and getting punched away by O Mc Daniel. It wouldn’t have counted even if the skipper had turned it goalward, as the flag has gone up. 18 Mins: It probably should be two. Raso finds some space on the right and lifts the ball onto the head of van Egmond atop the six-yard-box but the midfielder’s unchallenged header is sent wide.