Final thoughts
So, an underwhelming adieu from the Matildas, but it could have far worse had Catley not been pulled up for hand ball in the box during the second half. A draw was probably a fair result, but no doubt the Football Ferns will be the happier of the two sides – which, as Stajcic has just alluded to, speaks volumes for where the Matildas are at and the huge expectation on their shoulders. They remain a genuine medal hope in Rio – one poor outing is not going to change that – and this result could yet inspire them and spur them onto greater things. We’ll find out in August.
And now for the Socceroos:
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Stajcic, following De Vanna’s lead, isn’t a happy camper:
“Certainly not our best performance tonight. The quality of our technique wasn’t great ... We created quite a few chances but at the end of the day the quality of football wasn’t good enough.”
De Vanna looks and sounds gutted. Her honesty is brutal.
“Nice to score a goal but it’s a team thing and I don’t think we played to our best. It was a draw it felt like a loss.
“[Coach Alen Stajcic] was not happy at half-time. He pretty much stated it was one of our worst performances.
“Aside from the goal, I was pretty average, but I did my job and scored a goal.”
How can you not love Lisa De Vanna?
Full-time: Australia 1-1 New Zealand
90+2 min: And there goes the final whistle! All over at Etihad, and neither side is able to find a winner.
90+1 min: Barring any late, late drama now, this one looks like ending in stalemate. Wait, here come the Football Ferns! No, a great block from Alleway should mean the spoils are shared.
90 min: Ooh! Alleway directs a glancing header on target from a free-kick, but Naylor is there again to deny the Matildas a late winner!
87 min: Another change for the visitors – White for Longo.
86 min: This time Gorry opts not to shoot, instead passing to Foord and her decision very nearly pays off as the No9 cuts through the Kiwi defence and is only denied by the legs of Naylor! The ball is cleared but when it’s pumped back in, Heyman turns and latches onto it, before firing into the back of the net! But it won’t count – she was offside as the ball came back.
84 min: Gorry tries her luck once more. Again, no dice.
82 min: Hassett once again skips through the Matildas defence, getting to the byline before cutting the ball back into the middle. It’s cleared this time, but the second half substitute has been a real livewire.
81 min: Gregorious and Hassett link up well once again, giving Kennedy a brief scare at the back. The pair have done well since coming on.
80 min: Ten minutes remaining for the Matildas to grab another goal and bid farewell to the Australian public with a victory. They’ll need something special again to find a way through for a second time, mind.
77 min: New Zealand make a change and goalscorer Bowen is taken off, her job done tonight, and replaced by Pereira.
76 min: Despite the goal, Kyah Simon says on the sidelines: “A very scrappy game. We’re a little bit disappointed with the performance we’ve put in.”
75 min: Gorry! Ooh! Her low drive bounces just the wrong side of the post, as the Matildas look to ride the crest of this wave they find themselves on.
GOAL! Australia 1-1 New Zealand
73 min: De Vanna! Wonderful finish from the captain to draw the Matildas back onto level terms! Out of nothing, she cuts back onto her left foot on the edge of the box before curling a lovely effort just inside the post to finally beat Naylor!
72 min: Another attempted chip, this time at the other end. Following a mix-up between Alleway and Williams, Hearn pounces, only to see her effort drift over the bar.
70 min: Gorry again looks to lift the Matildas with an effort from outside the box, but the diminutive player’s attempted chip lands on top of the net, and the backpeddling Naylor can relax.
67 min: Gorry looks to get the Matildas straight back into things, but her turn and shot comes to nothing. Meanwhile, Gary van Egmond says on the sidelines that the midfield battle is key to any Matildas success tonight
66 min: Nothing less than the Football Ferns deserve, to be honest. And Stajcic decides now is the time to ring the changes – Polkinghorne, Kellond-Knight, Simon off; Allen, Logarzo, Heyman on.
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GOAL! Australia 0-1 New Zealand
65 min: Alleway dives in as Gregorious breaks away. She approaches the penalty area before being tackled but the ball falls kindly for Bowen, who strikes the ball beautifully over the flailing Williams and it goes in off the underside of the bar! Sensational goal!
62 min: Here come the Football Ferns again, and it’s another let off for the Matildas! Hassett should really do better after getting the ball in a shooting chance, but she air kicks under pressure from Catley on the turn! Shouts for hand ball against Catley! The referee turns a blind eye even though replays suggest the ball did indeed hit her hand!
60 min: So, an hour played in Melbourne and still no breakthrough. Van Egmond fancies her chances from a long way out, but it’s a poor effort from someone of the calibre of the Frankfurt midfielder.
58 min: Plenty to ponder for Matildas coach Stajcic so far. Perhaps an injection of fresh legs is needed.
56 min: A real moment of concern there for the Matildas, who have looked susceptible at the back all evening long. Substitute Gregorious also hits the woodwork now, but it wouldn’t have counted anyway – she’s flagged for offside.
Updated
55 min: Erceg hits the woodwork with a thunderous header from a corner! That’s a real let off for the Matildas!
52 min: But ‘lively’ doesn’t mean dominant and New Zealand apply some pressure on the Matildas defence as Socceroos midfielder is interviewed on the sidelines. He tells the telly he and the “boys” have been following the Matildas intently.
50 min: This has been a much more lively start to the half from the Matildas, who appear to have renewed appetite after a possible spray from coach Stajcic during the break.
49 min: There are noticeably more fans in the crowd after the restart, and those who have made it down to Etihad are nearly rewarded with a goal as Simon brings a brilliant save out of Erin Naylor with a stinging drive from outside the box!
47 min: Simon signals Australian intent early on this second period as first she turns, lifts her head up and shoots on goal. It’s off-target but she soon gets another shooting chance. Again, it’s not her best effort, this time the ball rolling tamely wide of the mark.
Peeeep!
46 min: And we’re back under way! No changes for the Matildas, but New Zealand have made two: Gregorious and Hassett on for Yallop and Wilkinson.
Half-time: Australia 0-0 New Zealand
45+1 min: Gorry looks to have the final say in the first half as she bends one round the despairing dive of Naylor, but her effort flies tantalisingly wide of the post. And there goes the whistle, bringing to an end a rather underwhelming opening period for the Matildas, but one which the Football Ferns, ranked 11 places lower by Fifa, will probably be happy with.
45 min: Ooh, a great chance for Wikinson, who just like Hearn moments earlier runs in behind the Matildas defence. There’s no flag this time, but she quite get the power she would like on the shot, and Williams isn’t troubled.
44 min: Again, back down to the other end, and again it’s Amber Hearn posing a danger. This time she’s caught offside as she peels off the back of the final defender, but Alleway and Kennedy have their hands full with the USV Jena striker.
42 min: Brilliant from Caitlin Foord! That was the very definition of a marauding run, down the Matildas’ left, before she cuts inside and lets fly, skimming the top of the net with a fierce drive!
40 min: Better from the Matildas now though as Polkinghorne whips over a cross towards Simon, who gets the faintest of touches on it. She needed more though, and the ball doesn’t trouble goalkeeper Nayler.
39 min: Kellond-Knight has a pop on the New Zealand goal from distance, but it’s a weak effort, pretty much summing up the world No5’s performance as a whole tonight.
37 min: Oooh! Best Kiwi chance of the evening! The corner goes near post again, where Erceg flicks it on but Hearn cannot quite get to the ball at the back stick as it sails all the way through!
Updated
36 min: Another corner for New Zealand now... there’s a crowd of players jostling around Williams inside the six-yard box, but a Matildas head gets to the ball first and puts behind for another corner.
34 min: OK, it’s not as bad as it looked. Both players are back on their feet, and sprinting about as a wind breezes across the pitch – hang on, the roof is closed, it must be Alen Stajcic breathing a huge sigh of relief.
32 min: Oh no. This is the last thing the Matildas need. Catley is on the ground, as is Percival, after the pair met in a hefty collision. Neither player was holding back there.
31 min: The Matildas break but De Vanna can’t quite get to a long ball through and the move breaks down as quickly as the began.
29 min: Catley attempts to mop up danger with Wilkinson charging after a long through ball, but she mis-controls the ball and it runs out of play for a corner. “Diabolical” is the verdict on the telly, which might be a bit harsh, but it’s true that that kind of sloppiness will not win gold medals in Rio.
27 min: De Vanna takes to the air in a swan dive some of her Olympic colleagues might be proud of, but there is no whistle from the referee. Da Vanna looks incredulous, as well she might – there was definite contact as she squeezed in between two black shirts.
26 min: Lydia Williams, in case you were wondering, is sporting the most lurid of goalkeepers kits – all luminescent pink. You really can’t miss her.
24 min: A lovely nutmeg from Van Egmond is followed by some good pressure from De Vanna down the Matildas right – that’s what the Matildas need, a bit more energy in their play.
21 min: Moments later the Matildas are again on the front foot, and Simon attempts a volley that she doesn’t quite catch. And the ball is eventually cleared. Signs that the Ferns back line is fallible...
20 min: Back to the other end, and for a moment confusion reigns in the Ferns’ box with Nayler all over the shop on a high ball. The visitors survive this one though.
18 min: Hearn gives us a glimpse of what she’s capable of with a nice shuffle to get the ball onto her left foot, but her drive from the edge of the box bounces wide of its intended target. This is a good little spell of pressure from the Ferns here.
16 min: If Stajcic wanted to settle any questions over fringe players tonight, he’s not going to be any wiser this half. Surely every one of those on the pitch has already booked a place on the plane to Rio?
15 min: And here come the Ferns on the break, with Percival haring down the right hand side. Her delivery into the box finds Katie Bowen, but her spectacular attempted overhead kick is deflected behind for a corner.
14 min: The Matildas see a corner headed clear and for now the Ferns’ defence is holding firm.
13 min: Football on an oval. Discuss. For mine, it’s a miracle anyone around the halfway line or right behind the goal can see what’s going on.
9 min: It’s been a bit scrappy in the middle of the park so far, with neither side really able to stamp their authority on the game.
7 min: Already it’s clear that Amber Hearn poses a big threat to the Matildas tonight. She looks lively, the New Zealand No9.
5 min: Kennedy heads back towards Williams and for a terrible moment it looks like it hasn’t got the legs on it, but it bounces safely into the waiting arms of the keeper in the end, after she comes right to the edge of her area to claim.
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4 min: In stark contrast to the ANZ Stadium pitch that the Socceroos played on at the weekend – and which caused so much embarrassment for coach Ange Postecoglou – the surface here seems to have taken AFL games in its stride and it looks pretty decent from here.
3 min: Here come the Matildas now on their first foray into Football Ferns’ territory. De Vanna can’t make anything of it but moments later Foord hoons down the left hand side before cutting inside the New Zealand box. She eventually tries to pull the ball back but it’s intercepted and the chance goes.
2 min: It is a disappointing crowd, but the kick-off time has hardly helped. Five o’clock isn’t exactly primetime on a weekday and I imagine many would have found it difficult to get away from work in time for the start of the game.
Looks like a disappointingly small crowd for @TheMatildas. They deserve more than that! #AUSvNZL
— Dale Stevens (@Sui1977) June 7, 2016
Peeep!
1 min: OK, here we go then! Van Egmond and Simon get the first half under way in Melbourne! Needless to say, the Matildas are in all yellow (with white socks), and New Zealand in all black.
Out come the football dignitaries, including Stephen Lowy and David Gallop, to shake hands with the captains and officials, before they make way for the anthems to be played.
There have been several hiccups of late on the anthem front – I’m thinking at the FA Cup final in England, and most recently during the Copa America clash between Mexico and Uruguay. No “techincal difficulties” or “bemusement” here tonight though. Well done, well done.
The teams are in the tunnel, an incredibly focused De Vanna (look at her eyes! Her eyes!) and Williams head the queue of Matildas. And out they come on the pitch, to a sparse crowd in what is a cavernous stadium.
The coverage on the telly is yet to kick in – no need for any buildup, apparently, and it seems we’re going to jump straight into the action bang on 5pm.
Twitter informs me the roof is closed at the Etihad though, meaning none of the foul weather to hit Australia’s eastern seaboard this week will get a chance to disrupt tonight’s proceedings.
Have no fear Aussie fans, the roof is closed for tonight's @Socceroos & @TheMatildas matches! #AUSvGRE pic.twitter.com/DiJYmNAtAy
— Etihad Stadium (@EtihadStadiumAU) June 7, 2016
Around 15 minutes to kick-off in Melbourne, which just about gives us time to take a quick look at the Matildas’ Olympic aspirations. Understandably expectations are high given their performances at last year’s Women’s World Cup – a run that helped elevate them to today’s Fifa ranking of fifth in the world – and during their successful qualifying campaign in Japan earlier this year. Stajcic has them playing with a swagger and belief never seen before and there is a real sense that they believe they can beat the best in the world. But things won’t be easy in Rio – they’ve been drawn in a group with second-ranked Germany, Canada and Zimbabwe. And with the likes of the US, France and Sweden lying in wait later in the tournament, not to mention hosts Brazil, the path to glory is anything but smooth.
Team news
So, an experienced-looking line-up has been named by Stajcic. Kyah Simon returns to lead the Matildas’ line this evening, with Michelle Heyman dropping to the bench. Laura Alleway is back in defence, at the expense of Caitlin Cooper, while Lydia Williams is in between the sticks and midfield star Emily van Egmond also returns to the starting XI. Lisa de Vanna, who last year pretty much promised Guardian Australia she would bring back a medal from Rio, captains the side. Never has there been a more determined player to succeed for her country.
Our starting line-up v NZ Football Ferns @EtihadStadiumAU #AUSvNZL pic.twitter.com/7wKF61BLQ8
— Westfield Matildas (@TheMatildas) June 7, 2016
And here are your Football Ferns, with just one change from the weekend – Kirsty Yallop coming into the starting XI:
Football Ferns starting line-up against the Matildas. At Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Kickoff 5pm #AUSvNZL pic.twitter.com/4PREUMMWtm
— The Women's Game (@TheWomensGame) June 7, 2016
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Preamble
Hello all, and farewell Matildas! Viagem segura, as they might or might not say in Brazil, as the cream of Australia’s women’s footballers are about to depart these shores and embark on a journey to Rio de Janeiro that may well result in them each returning from Brazil with a hefty chunk of Olympic gold dangling from their necks. We, and they, can dream, but the immediate future presents the small matter of a last hit out on home soil against the Football Ferns of New Zealand.
This evening’s match is, of course, the second between these two sides in the space of four days, the Matildas having got the better of their trans-Tasman rivals 2-0 in Ballarat on Saturday, thanks to a Caitlin Foord brace. Other than the obvious ‘local’ bragging rights at stake, events on the Etihad pitch over the next couple of hours could well shape the final squad Alen Stajcic takes with him to Rio. There are 18 tickets on the plane up for grabs; 20 players are in the squad for this friendly. Simple mathematical deduction would suggest that two women will miss out, but with Sam Kerr not in this squad and almost certain to be taken, it seems that three of these 20 will be left disappointed. So, plenty at stake for some of the fringe players, even though it’s a friendly match.
Kick-off is at 5pm AEST – great if you’ve finished school already, not so great if you’re expected to put in a full day’s work in the office – and a bigger crowd will be expected later on in the day for the second part of what is a double-header when the Socceroos are in action against Greece, kicking off at 8pm AEST. We’ll also be liveblogging that one; Paul Connolly will be at the controls.
That just leaves me to say, please do get in touch with any thoughts on tonight’s game, the Matildas’ chances of success in Rio, or anything else related to tonight’s match or otherwise. The liveblogging hotseat can be a lonely place; it’s always nice to have company – mike.hytner@theguardian.com is the email address, or you can hit me up on twitter @mike_hytner.
Mike will be here shortly to guide you through this evening’s match. In the meantime, here’s how the Matildas fared in their last outing:
