Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Osaka: Australia struck an early blow in the race for Olympic Games qualification after goals from Lisa De Vanna, Michelle Heyman and Katrina Gorry helped ease the Matildas to a 3-1 win over Japan at a chilly Kincho Stadium on Monday.
In front of a vocal home crowd that braved the two degree temperature, a De Vanna header and Heyman’s sharp finish saw Australia race to a 2-0 lead inside 40 minutes only for Japan to reply through Yuki Ogimi in first-half stoppage time.
And an end-to-end second half saw 2014 AFC Women’s Player of the Year Gorry add another for the Matildas in the 78th minute to wrap up an impressive victory.
“It is a very historic win, I think it’s the first time we’ve beaten Japan in Japan and from my memory it’s the first time we’ve beaten a World Cup champion in an official tournament so it’s certainly a big moment,” said Australia coach Alen Stajcic.
“We’ve still got four matches left and we know they will be tough – we’ll enjoy this win for one hour and then we’ll focus on our next match because if we think this is enough then we won’t qualify.”
The headline match of the opening day pitted Asia’s number one and number three ranked nations and was played at a high intensity right from the start, with Heyman and Nahomi Kawasumi both having early sights of goal.
Australia had been pressing aggressively, countering with pace and managing to trouble Japan from wide areas and it was from there that the first goal came from.
A Stephanie Catley cross found Gorry at the top of the penalty area and after a couple of shots that were only half cleared, the ball fell back to the Matildas midfielder on the right and her cross was powered home from the head of De Vanna to hand Australia a 26th minute lead.
An Alana Kennedy free-kick flashed just wide of the left-hand post eight minutes later as Australia continued to attack with pace and started to assert their dominance with the aggressive pressing game causing frequent turnovers.
And Japan coach Norio Sasaki made a surprising change with five minutes remaining in the first half, replacing Shinobu Ohno with Kumi Yokoyama, but barely thirty seconds later the hosts fell further behind.
A fortunate touch off the back of referee Carina Vitulano midway inside the Japan half fell to De Vanna who surged towards the area and played in Heyman, who slid her shot past the onrushing Erina Yamane to put the Matildas 2-0 up in the 41st minute.
Japan, though, pulled a vital goal back in first-half stoppage time after an intricate passing move inside the Australia penalty area involving Kawasumi, Saori Ariyoshi and Mizuho Sakaguchi ended with Ogimi poking the ball past Lydia Williams.
The opening period of the second half developed into a midfield battle with both teams trying to control possession and create chances through a patient build-up, and although the hosts had the best of the chances, the closest they actually came were long-range efforts from Sakaguchi and Emi Nakajima.
Thereafter the game became more open with Heyman directing a header at Yamane and Japan captain Aya Miyama forcing a diving save from Williams high to her left just after the hour.
But on 78 minutes Australia struck what would prove to be the crucial blow as a cross from the right of the area by Emily van Egmond was met at the back post by an unmarked Gorry who powered her header across Yamane and in off the post.
And despite late pressure from Japan, who had a series of free-kicks from dangerous positions, Australia hung on for a win that gives them both a genuine shot at booking one of the two tickets to Brazil later this year and some measure of revenge after Japan beat them in the quarter-finals of last year’s FIFA Women's World Cup.
“We have no regrets about the result because we came fully prepared with a plan that we thought would work but they never really allowed us to settle into a rhythm,” said Japan coach Sasaki.
“Australia played a really aggressive style of football but the key point really was the defensive organisation of Australia and we need to switch our mindset to the next game.”
Photo: Lagardère Sports