Matildas suffer heartbreak as Japan stunner wins third Women’s Asian Cup crown | OneFootball

In a repeat of their past two finals, Japan has beaten Australia 1-0 to win their third Women’s Asian Cup title in front of a record crowd in Sydney on Saturday night.

A stunning first-half goal to winger Maika Hamano was enough for Asia’s only Women’s World Cup winners, viewed largely as the favourites coming into their seventh tournament final, to secure their first major trophy since 2018.

But having skated through the Asian Cup largely untested, the Matildas presented a far more difficult challenge from the opening whistle, inspired by a rousing national anthem and the roar of 74,397 fans at their backs.

Indeed, the Matildas found themselves in Japan’s penalty area barely a minute in after Mary Fowler, playing in a fluid midfield role, speared a pass through Japan’s midfield to find Caitlin Foord. With her back pressed against the torso of Japan veteran Saki Kumagai, Foord laid off to an on-rushing Sam Kerr, who forced a surprise save out of goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita.

Foord and Kerr were Australia’s most dangerous players all night, hovering high and using their speed to muscle past Japan’s centre-backs before trying to cross to each other.

The tireless Foord almost put the Matildas ahead in the 10th minute after Fowler shouldered Kumagai off the ball and sent a deep cross into the penalty area, but the Arsenal winger seemed surprised by the opportunity and shanked her shot at Yamashita.

Foord would regret the missed golden chance five minutes later as Japan, having absorbed most of Australia’s pressure in the early stages, found the game’s only goal.

With a trio of blue shirts turning the screw near the top corner of the Matildas’ penalty area, Hamano ghosted in behind Alanna Kennedy to receive a pass from midfield before turning on a dime and curling the ball into the far bottom corner past a diving Mackenzie Arnold.

It was a rare weakness in Australia’s otherwise steady defensive line in the first half. Making just one change from the side who defeated China 2-1 to make it to the final, Joe Montemurro opted for the fleet-footed Winonah Heatley in place of Clare Hunt, with the Roma centre-back making a number of crucial blocks, headers, and clearances alongside Steph Catley.

The Matildas’ best chance came just after the half-hour after a gritty solo press from Foord resulted in her standing right in front of Yamashita as the goalkeeper scuffed a pass out from the back. And yet, standing all alone near the corner of the six-yard box, Foord’s panicked shot spun wildly off target and bounced out for a throw.

The two historic Asian Cup rivals exchanged chances as the first half wound down, with a scything cross-field pass into the box by Hinata Miyazawa being intercepted by a launching Kyra Cooney-Cross header, before yet another Kerr sprint-and-cross found Foord near the penalty spot, only for the attacker to pirouette and shoot wide of the post after a slip by Toko Koga.

Both sides were relatively even going into half-time, with Australia’s speed and physicality forcing errors and hesitations from a usually hyper-controlled Japan side. The Matildas came out swinging in the second half, with Fowler shimmying past two defenders before curling a delicious cross into the box, but neither Foord nor Kerr could connect before Japan scrambled it clear.

Japan almost went up the other end to double their tally after a deep cross by the outstanding Hikaru Kitagawa found Riko Ueki, but the striker headed just wide of the post. The golden boot-leader had another one-on-one chance minutes later, sprinting on to a through-ball by captain Yui Hasegawa, but her strike was collected neatly by Arnold.

Wanting to maintain the high attacking line, Montemurro opted to bring Hayley Raso on just after the hour in place of the battle-worn Katrina Gorry, with the inspired Fowler floating back into the midfield. The Matildas continued to find channels down the left wing through Caitlin Foord, but their multiple crosses and square balls were well defended by a resolute Japan.

Australia turned up the pressure in the final 10 minutes, maintaining possession in and around Japan’s penalty area, but poor touches and misplaced passes meant they could never quite crack open their opponents. Double substitutions by both sides saw Japan shore up their defence, while Montemurro opted to replenish his midfield with Emily van Egmond and Clare Wheeler replacing Fowler and Cooney-Cross.

Van Egmond had a dazzling chance to equalise in the final five minutes after a driving run from Carpenter into the box saw the ball cut back to the veteran, but both her shots were blocked by desperate, lunging Japan defenders.

An 88th minute cross by Carpenter landed square on the head of Kennedy, thrown up front for the final gasping moments, but her header was saved by a diving Yamashita, before a final Matildas corner in stoppage time, which saw even Arnold sprint up from her area to attack, was bravely cleared by an outstanding Japan defence.

Header image: [Photograph: Mark Baker/AP]