First Half a Back-and-Forth Affair
The Matildas headed to Germany with a desire to get retribution for a 3-0 Olympic loss and to find the win column against the Germans for the first time in 19 years.
The game did not get off to the hottest start for the Australian side however as they quickly found themselves in a 1-0 deficit.
Just four minutes after the opening kick-off Vivien Endemann found herself with the ball on the right sideline and whipped in a cross to the back post. Selina Cerci was the recipient as she rose up and headed the ball into goal as Mackenzie Arnold had no chance for a save.
Just three minutes later the Germans were once again pressing forward and came inches away from doubling their lead. It was Felicitas Rauch who cut inside and blasted a shot past Arnold but luckily for the Matildas she couldn’t beat the goal post.
The chances kept coming for Germany as they relentlessly attacked a shaky Australian backline but were unable to find a second goal.
The game paused for a moment in the 15th minute as German legend Alexandra Popp was subbed off for one final time, receiving a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd.
When the match resumed the Matildas seemed to settle in a little. They were stronger in the midfield and as such were able to find a few chances of their own. The Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord link up was starting to prove difficult for the Germans to deal with.
Germany got back to their attacking style shortly after a pair of Aussie offensive movements however and were overall dominating the opening 35 minutes.
Then seemingly out of nowhere, the Matildas tied it up thanks to a brilliant strike from Kyra Cooney-Cross. A German giveaway just over their side of the halfway line went right to Cooney-Cross who noticed the German keeper was off her line. She took one touch and blasted the ball from 40+ yards out over the head of the keeper and into the net.
It was the first ever Matildas goal for Cooney-Cross in her 50th match. The goal took the match into halftime with the two sides level at ones, although Germany had by far been the better side to that point.
Matildas Close the Deal
The second half was a better effort from the Matildas as a whole who seemed to have settled in after a rough start.
Neither side seemed content with a draw as each team committed women forward and chances went both ways.
Germany nearly regained the lead in the 61st minute as a German crossed fooled the Matildas defense and fell right to Lina Magull who seemed surprised the ball made it to her as it popped off her leg and away from danger.
15 minutes later after Kyra Cooney-Cross earned a corner the Matildas took the life out of the stadium. Steph Catley whipped the ball in, and Clare Hunt got her head on it at the back post to pot her first Matildas goal and give her side the lead.
The Matildas defended ferociously for the rest of the match and with some help from Mackenzie Arnold, who made a brilliant save in the 79th minute, were able to hold their lead.
The 2-1 victory marked the first time that the Matildas have defeated Germany in the last 19 years and just the second time ever.
It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but the Matildas were able to go on the road in a hostile environment, fight back from an early deficit, and beat Germany for the first time in 19 years in a match that epitomized the grit and fight that this team has.
