Matildas

The Matildas are in their final stages of preparation before July's Women's World Cup, with Czechia their first opponent of 2023.

What changes need to be made at the half-time break, do you reckon? The Matildas have had seven shots, but just one on target, while the Czechs are 4 and 3. So half time talk could be about how to create some space... A galloping run down the right sees a beautiful ball clipped in behind the Matildas' back-tracking defensive line, with Czechia's centre-forward making a bee-line for the front post, but Hunt stands strong and just muscles her away from the trajectory of the ball. Steph Catley's corner curls towards a tangle of yellow shirts at the back post before being headed back across goal. Raso hasn't been playing much for Manchester CIty recently, used primarily as a late-game substitute or in a Cup competition every now and then. She's been tracking back whenever she loses possession, creating width to pull Czecia's defenders apart, and has been keeping tempo high when on the ball. Even Mackenzie Arnold threw herself to the ground, thinking it'd connect. The Racing Louisville midfielder then put her laces through it, low and hard into a sea of Czech legs, with the deflection spinning off right into the path of Kerr, who tapped it home near the back post. They've certainly got their money's worth in this second half! By Samantha Lewis

The CommBank Matildas overcame a determined Czechia 4-0 in Gosford, after a brace to Hayley Raso and goals to Sam Kerr and Clare Polkinghorne underscored an ...

The celebrations from her teammates said it all – a popular goal from a legend of the game. The resulting deflection found the path of Sam Kerr, and at that point there was only going to be one result – the CommBank Matildas third of the night. Kyra Cooney-Cross looked threatening in midfield, and Hayley Raso and Steph Catley provided a formidable combination on the left. The first major opportunity of the game came in the 6th minute. She doubled the CommBank Matildas lead soon after. Mackenzie Arnold started in goals for the first time in over twelve months.

Clare Polkinghorne had a magic moment on a milestone night as the Matildas smashed the Czech Republic.

Steph Catley crosses the ball in and, after the ball bobbles around in the 18-yard box, Raso fires a header and beats the Czech Republic goalkeeper. The 34-year-old, who tonight becomes the most capped Matilda in history, glances the ball in off a cross to add to the flurry of Australian goals. Clare Polkinghorne capped the outing with a magic moment, glancing the ball in from a cross on the night she became the most capped Matilda in history.

The Matildas have taken a solid if unconvincing first step towards the FIFA Women's World Cup, overcoming a sluggish first half to thump Czechia 4-0.

The lack of rhythm and imagination was obvious. She can be the passion and the heart of the team when need be, and drive people, demand, and be that voice. Yet if Australia are to challenge for the sport’s biggest prize, they simply have to play better football. And that was [to treat this game as if it was July 20](/link/follow-20170101-p5ckoe), the day of their World Cup opener against Ireland. Plus, this one came with a rare clean sheet, their third in a row.

The Matildas awoke from a first-half slumber to thrash Czechia 4-0 in Gosford on Thursday night. The Europeans were the better of the teams in the opening ...

it’s that balance of support and demand. It’s great leadership.” Sloppy play from the Matildas then led to a chance for Michaela Khyrova in the 32nd minute, but Arnold again came to Australia’s rescue with smart save at her near post. The 34-year-old Queenslander was also rock solid in defence against a Czechia side that troubled the Matildas in the first-half before being outclassed by the hosts for the remainder of the contest, The Europeans were the better of the teams in the opening 45 minutes, with the Matildas starting their Cup of Nations campaign on a sleepy and at times disorganised manner on the Central Coast. Polkinghorne’s 84th-minute goal was a fitting way to end the game, with the veteran defender captaining the side on the night she grabbed sole possession of the record for most Matildas appearances with 152.

After a goalless first half, the Matildas burst into life in the second to run out comfortable winners in their opening match of the tournament.

[Matildas](https://www.theguardian.com/football/matildas) can’t seem to get away from those pesky red shirts at the moment. Fowler wins a free-kick – blown for with the ball just landing at Kerr’s feet in a good position, weirdly – and the hosts will have a final chance to find a way through this half. 52 mins: That’s a delicious ball into the box from Cahynova on the Czech right. 48 mins: Fowler is involved before she plays it to Kerr, who in turn lays it off for the overlapping Raso. 56 mins: Raso again! [Matildas](https://www.theguardian.com/football/matildas) want to be so close to the World Cup. Two more changes for the Czech Republic as time ticks towards full-time. Here she is now, chasing back and putting in an important challenge to stymy a Czech attack. 76 mins: Another Czech change – Pochmanova is replaced by Cvrckova. 87 mins: Let’s not forget that Australia have put four past a defence that has been miserly at best in recent times. A comfortable looking scoreline in the end after the I thought we were flat in the first half so nice to see we picked it up in the second half.”

The Matildas have set the tone for their Cup of Nations campaign with Hayley Raso scoring a double as they pumped Czechia 4-0 in Gosford.

“You need to wear a team down. “She can be the passion and the heart of the team when need be, and drive people.” Hayley Raso grabbed a double to get Australia on a roll after the interval before Kerr added a third to the delight of the 7702-strong crowd.

Australia burst into life in the second half at Central Coast Stadium to run out comfortable winners in their opening game of the mini-tournament.

The Czech Republic did not qualify for the World Cup but they scared Australia’s defence in the first half despite having less than 30% possession. What you will see in this tournament is similar to what we’ve seen in the last couple of camps, that hopefully we score a lot of goals when game changes come in.” The missing piece of that goal’s puzzle is the player who nodded the ball to Raso from the far post. It was apparent when, 20 minutes in, she made a dart for the box and went down under Gabriela Šlajsová’s stuck-out foot, ensuring a yellow card for the latter. On the evidence of Thursday night, it is unclear how they will fare against them when it counts. The defensive-minded, structurally organised Czechs in this scenario are supposed to be Canada.

Australia's opening Cup of Nations match epitomised the ugly work of the past two years under Tony Gustavsson - and the benefits of trusting it.

They were varied, choreographed and designed in ways that responded to the conditions the Czechs had created for them, exactly the kind of thing the Matildas struggled to do this time last year. "What we're asking now is key in the World Cup: It's how we respond to first halves like this. "One of the reasons we planned to play the Czech Republic is we've seen what they've done to top opposition before. And Sam spoke about that: 'Don't freak out, don't stress out, believe in the plan, believe in the process, believe in your team-mates. "We haven't really trained that much, but [Clare Hunt's] presence mentally showed me that she was ready. You need to wear a team down, and maybe it opens up in the last third. But, for all that work in the opening 45, there had been just one shot on target to show for it. She has carried herself in a very mature way. "We managed the first half really well. Let's go out, but we need to do better.' A few half-chances aside, Australia struggled to create clear opportunities in their first game back after three months. As the half-time whistle blew, Central Coast Stadium hummed restlessly, nervously.