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Fri 27 September 2002 CANADA 2 (Isabelle Morneau 62m, 84m) defeated
AUSTRALIA 0 MATILDAS GO DOWN IN TOUR OPENER AGAINST CANADA Midfielders Olivia Hohnke and Tal Karp both celebrated their first cap with a starting eleven berth. Thea Slatyer made her return to the stadium where the Young Matildas took on Brazil in the recent FIFA U19 World Championship quarterfinal, when she came on as a substitute late in the game. Australia showed some promising patches of play, but were unable to convert some good chances on goal in what was a testing, physical encounter. Overall, Australia outshot their opponents 11-9, but Canada, utilising the two friendly internationals as final preparation for their World Cup Qualifiers, made their chances count. Canada held the upper hand for much of the first half, their direct style of attack making life difficult for the Matildas. The Canadians however finished the half unrewarded on the scoreboard after Charmaine Hooper sent their best chance skyward shortly before halftime. From the start of the second term, the Matildas pushed forward, keeping the ball well with some neat passages of play. Five minutes in, Kelly Golebiowski set up Joanne Peters with a through-ball but the shot went wide, before a Salisbury header off a corner kick struck the top of the crossbar in the 56th minute. Two minutes later, Golebiowski made a brilliant swerving run down the right and cut inside but the keeper got a touch to the strike and it hit the crossbar. Midfielder Isabelle Morneau then gave Canada the lead in the 62nd minute, meeting a cross from Amy Walsh with a side volley into the back of the net from 15 metres. From the re-start, Matildas striker Golebiowski was unlucky not to claim the immediate equaliser when she broke through the defence to be one-on-one, but her shot was stopped by the keeper who had charged out off her line. Morneau sealed the home-side win with her second goal of the night with six minutes remaining, poking the ball home from close range after Kara Lang’s rocket ball into the area deflected off two defenders. National Coach Adrian Santrac summed up the game with several areas where he will be looking for improvement over the remainder of the tour. "Canada’s aerial style of play was difficult to deal with – it took our players far too long to settle down and take control of the game, he said. "When we did take control, missed chances and some poor defending eventually proved to be the difference. We are looking forward to the next game in Victoria." Australia – Cassandra Kell, Dianne Alagich, Cheryl Salisbury, Anissa Tann [c], Gill Thomson (Amy Wilson 81), Olivia Hohnke, Joanne Peters, Heather Garriock (Rhian Davies 41), Tal Karp (Thea Slatyer 88), Kelly Golebiowski, April Mann (Natalie Thomas 75). Canada - Karina LeBlanc, Breanna Boyd, Sharolta Nonen, Clare Rustad, Andrea Neil (Melanie Booth 78), Isabelle Morneau, Amy Walsh (Kristina Kiss 87), Kara Lang, Brittany Timko, Charmaine Hooper [c], Silvana Burtini. The Matildas play Canada again on Sunday morning (Aust time) before travelling to North Carolina to compete in the prestigious Nike US Women’s Cup against world champions USA, Russia, and Italy. Next Match :
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