Fair dinkum, you could not have scripted it better. Sam Kerr, back on Australian soil, back in a Matildas shirt, scoring the opening goal of the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 in front of 44,379 roaring fans at Perth Stadium. Her hometown. Her people. Her goal. The only issue? It stayed at 1-0, and the Matildas will know they left a few chances behind them on a night when the broader tournament picture demands much more than a one-goal margin.
Look, a win is a win, and three points from your opening group game is exactly what you need. But there was enough in this performance to give coach Joe Montemurro some homework before Thursday's clash with Iran on the Gold Coast.
The moment Perth had been waiting for
It took just 14 minutes. Clare Wheeler drove a cross along the face of goal, Caitlin Foord directed a header back across the six-yard box, and there was Kerr, arriving with that classic predator's timing to nod it home. As reported by ABC News, it was just her second appearance on Australian soil since 2023, and the crowd let her know exactly how much they had missed her. What nobody had broadcast loudly enough going in was that the goal was her 70th for Australia, a milestone that puts her in truly rarefied company for the green and gold.
Kerr had been carefully managed on her return to football with Chelsea after a string of injury setbacks, and she looked sharp for it. She was a constant nuisance for the Philippines defence across the full 90 minutes, proof that the fitness she has rebuilt this year is the real deal. As Caitlin Foord put it after the game, reflecting on the narrow margin:
"We would have loved to get a few more goals but credit to the Philippines, they worked really hard to keep us out."
The keeper nobody expected to start
Before a ball had been kicked in this tournament, all three keepers originally named in Joe Montemurro's squad had been ruled out. Teagan Micah went first, stood down due to concussion. Then Jada Whyman pulled out on the morning of the game itself with a knee injury. And Mackenzie Arnold, the hero of the 2023 World Cup quarter-final shootout against France, could not prove her fitness in time. It's the kind of goalkeeping carnage that makes a selector wake up in a cold sweat.
Into the breach stepped Chloe Lincoln, the 21-year-old Brisbane Roar custodian who had just three international caps to her name before Sunday night. ABC News reported that Lincoln handled things calmly whenever called upon, and that assessment is fair. The Philippines did not trouble her often, partly by design given how deep they sat, but there were moments that required composure and Lincoln delivered them. For a player who had no realistic expectation of starting a major tournament game a fortnight ago, that is a very solid return. Keep an eye on this one.
Fowler's return lifts the stadium
The other story everyone had circled going in was Mary Fowler. The 23-year-old Manchester City forward has barely played since rupturing her ACL in April 2025, and the question on everyone's lips was how much Montemurro would risk with her. The crowd's patience in a tight second half was rewarded when Fowler came on for Emily van Egmond with a touch over 20 minutes to go. The roar from Perth Stadium said everything about how much this player means to Australian football right now.
She did not score, but she looked sharp and agile and gave Australia's attack a different dimension. As the Sydney Morning Herald observed, Fowler had what you might call "molten movement," slipping into gaps and creating problems the Philippines had not anticipated. Those 20-plus minutes on the park could be as significant for Australia's tournament campaign as the result itself. Getting Fowler match time, getting her confidence up, getting her connections with Kerr and Foord firing again; all of that matters enormously for what lies ahead.
Philippines deserve real credit
Anyone who walked in expecting a repeat of that 8-0 hiding from the 2023 Olympic qualifier left with a very different education. Under coach Mark Torcaso, the Philippines sat deep and compact, made themselves genuinely difficult to break down, and goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel had an excellent night between the sticks. The AFC Women's Asian Cup format sees the top two from each of three groups advance to the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed sides. Goal difference absolutely matters in a tight group, and a 1-0 scoreline against a team the Matildas should have beaten more heavily gives the Philippines something to hold onto.
The stats told the story of Australia's dominance: roughly 85 per cent possession and 15 shots to the Philippines' one, according to ABC News and reports across multiple outlets. But there is a difference between dominance and clinical efficiency, and on Sunday night, the Matildas had plenty of the former and not enough of the latter. A Hayley Raso goal was chalked off for offside. Shots flew wide. McDaniel made saves. At the end of the day, the Philippines executed their game plan almost perfectly.
More to come from Montemurro's side
Montemurro told Channel 10 after the match he was satisfied with how his side controlled the game and had seen plenty of situations where that kind of dominance did not translate to three points. Fair enough. But Group A is no walkover, with South Korea waiting in the decisive group match at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 8 March. If the Matildas are heading into that game needing a win by a certain margin, the finishing woes from Sunday will look a lot more costly in hindsight.
I reckon this side has more gears to find, and that is actually the encouraging part. The connections between Kerr, Foord, Fowler and the midfield are still being rebuilt after long injury absences for key players. A tournament tends to sharpen those bonds quickly. The Matildas are not yet the finished product, but the bones of something special are there. The group stage is about picking up points and getting fit, and on both counts, Sunday was a success. Just keep those boots pointed at the goal, please.