The Matildas were on the verge of exiting the tournament at the group stage for the first time in their history, until Sam Kerr popped up with an 86th minute goal to level the tie at 1-1 and send both teams through to the next round.

A relieved Stajcic said he was proud of his side’s willingness to fight back after falling behind to Mizuho Sakaguchi’s 63rd minute goal.

“Thankfully we’ve got great character in our team and great spirit,” he said, adding “we fought until the end, until we got that goal back.”

“Not only is there good skill, good fitness and good speed in our team, there’s also good team spirit and the will to fight to the end, so I’m really proud of the group for that quality that we have.”

Australia’s 1-1 draw with Japan saw the Matildas take their place in the last four as Group B winners, and they will now meet Group A runners-up Thailand at the King Abdullah II Stadium on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Japan, who finished second in Group B, are set to face Group A winners China PR at the same venue later in the day.

All four teams have automatically qualified for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Matildas looked destined for a date with the Philippines in the fifth-place playoff when Mizuho Sakaguchi gave the East Asians a second-half lead, but Kerr popped up in the dying moments to force the ball into the bottom corner and eliminate Korea Republic from the semi-finals in the cruellest of fashions.

Head coach Asako Takakura spoke of the Nadeshiko DNA in the pre-game build-up and her players proved they had it in spades as they produced a stirring performance to advance to the semi-finals, in a match which saw both sides qualify for France 2019.

In a complicated final-day scenario, Japan required a win or score draw to advance to the semi-finals – and needed Korea Republic to win by less than four goals against Vietnam in the case of a 0-0 stalemate - while Australia knew a draw of any kind would suffice.

 

The victory, as comprehensive as it was, left the East Asians occupying third spot in Group B, level on five points with table-topping Australia and second-placed Japan – who drew 1-1 in the group’s other game – but agonisingly behind their two regional rivals on the head-to-head between the three teams as Korea Republic's matches against the two had ended in scoreless draws.

Korea Republic will, however, now face the Philippines on Monday in the tournament’s play-off for fifth and sixth places, with the winners assured of a ticket to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

Despite their eventual capitulation, it was Vietnam who were the first to shine, Kim Hye-ri reacting well to block Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang’s goal bound effort following Huynh Nhu’s fine run and cross on 12 minutes.

The Koreans went into the game looking for their first goal of the tournament following successive 0-0 draws, and they duly found it just two minutes later when Cho So-yun turned home Jeon Ga-eul’s pinpoint corner with a powerful header from close-range.

Vietnam responded with a Nguyen Thi Lieu shot which flashed narrowly wide, before – in the first half’s last meaningful action – Ji So-yun’s expert pass found the impressive Lee Geum-min who finished with aplomb past Vietnam custodian Dang Thi Kieu Trinh to double her side’s advantage on 38 minutes.

 

The Chonburi-based 24-year-old was voted Player of the Match for her performance in Thailand’s 3-1 win, and revealed her delight at the Southeast Asian nation’s return to the global championship.

“I’m incredibly happy that we’re going back to the World Cup for the second time,” she said, adding “It’s going to be another challenge and test for us to see if we can do better than last time.”

“Tonight’s result was a reward for our efforts and preparation. I’m really proud of our efforts and I’m really happy.”

Having become the first Thai head coach to achieve World Cup qualification in 2014, the 46-year-old tactician ensured the Southeast Asians will return to the world stage, and revealed her satisfaction at the achievement.

“Right now, I’m very happy,” she said, adding “we finally reached our target and our goal for the tournament.”

“Amongst the pressure and the expectation of the fans, it’s a really happy moment now that we’ve made it. We know we’ll have to play better and face tougher tests at the tournament next year. I think the teams from Asia are among the best, so if we can compete at this level, we can also play at the higher level.”

As was the case when Thailand secured qualification by beating Vietnam four years ago, Kanjana Sung-Ngeon played a pivotal role, scoring twice on a night where both sides created many chances in front of goal, and Nuengrutai heaped praised the veteran.

The Icelandic tactician’s statement came after he had watched the East Asians round off their Group A campaign with a comfortable 8-1 win over Jordan – their third successive preliminary stage victory – at the Amman International Stadium on Thursday.

Despite the relative ease with which his table-topping side has moved into the tournament’s knockout phase and qualified for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, Eyjolfsson believes the eight-time Asian champions having nothing to fear when they face one of Australia, Japan or Korea Republic in the last four next Tuesday.