Australia clinch World Cup berth after dramatic win against North Korea
The Australian women's national team secured a place to compete next year by defeating world number nine, the 2018 Asian champions and host nation of this tournament in Perth with an agonizingly close victory over their youthful opponents thanks on goal scorers Alanna Kennedy captain Sam Kerr produced spectacular strikes at both halves.
Key Points
-
1Australia defeated North Korea with scores of two goals each, securing qualification for the semi-finals and earning a spot at the World Cup.
-
2Alanna Kennedy (1) Sam Kerr produced spectacular strikes to lift Australia into their first Asian Cup final since joining in Perth. The Matildas outplayed youthful opponents but took only one chance per half against North Korea's onslaught.
Developments
Australia defeated North Korea 2-1 with goals from Alanna Kennedy (9th minute) and Sam Kerr to reach the semi-finals of the Women's Asian Cup after being outplayed by their youthful opponents, securing a direct berth for the upcoming World Cup. The Matildas will face either defending champions China or Chinese Taipei in one quarter-final match on Saturday at Perth Rectangular Stadium.
North Korea dominated Australia for 25 minutes in their Women's Asian Cup quarter-final on Australian soil before scoring to make it excruciating. The Matildas responded with two goals from Alanna Kennedy and Sam Kerr within the first half-hour of play, securing an automatic spot at the upcoming FIFA World Cup while finishing off a frustrating match against North Korea that had previously been described as "excruating viewing."
The Matildas secured a 2-1 victory over world No.9-ranked North Korea with goals from Sam Kerr (47th minute) and Alanna Kennedy (ninth-minute), advancing to the Women's Asian Cup semifinal at Optus Stadium on Tuesday night in Perth, Australia. Despite facing physical pressure that resulted in only two shots for each side compared to 21 attempts by their opponents, key performances led them past North Korea with a narrow win after trailing late into second half