Look, if you didn't see the Matildas demolish Iran 4-0 on Thursday night at Gold Coast, you missed a cracker of a performance. Mary Fowler back in the starting XI, Alanna Kennedy scoring twice, the whole midfield humming along. It was exactly the kind of show Joe Montemurro's team needed to build momentum heading into the big one.
But let's be fair dinkum: Sunday night against South Korea at Stadium Australia is something else entirely.
Here's the thing about this match.Both teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals, so there's no desperation in that sense. Yet it's a must-win if the Matildas want to finish top of Group A, and there's a genuine tactical edge hanging on that outcome.The runners-up in Group A have to travel back to Perth and would face one of North Korea or China earlier than planned, a day earlier than scheduled in Sydney. In a tournament this tight, that's a massive advantage for the Matildas to stay home.
Montemurro said tournaments are not won in the first game or the second game, they're won in progressing and building into the tournament and he always knew that South Korea was going to be an important game for the team moving forward. That's the manager's pragmatism talking, and he's not wrong.
But we'd be kidding ourselves if we pretended history wasn't front and centre of everyone's minds.In the 2022 quarter-finals, South Korea upset the Matildas with a 1-0 defeat, featuring a goal from Ji So-yun in the 87th minute. Not a scrappy goal either; a finish from a player of genuine class. Sam Kerr still thinks about a chance she missed that night.Kerr admitted after beating Iran that she still thinks about a goal she failed to score in that quarter final, nearly half a decade down the track, saying "I missed a sitter that I think about quite often".
There's the bit of redemption, right there.For vice captain Steph Catley, the Matildas' loss in 2022 against South Korea was a big moment for the team.Catley said the team didn't have the depth back then but now, "I think now is probably the best I've seen the squad".
Now, let's be fair to Korea. They're no joke.They've picked up a maximum of six points heading into their final group clash with Australia, having smashed Iran 3-0 and beaten Philippines 3-0. They've qualified earlier than any other nation in the tournament.South Korea are ranked just six places below Australia at No 21 in the world, so this is a real contest between two quality sides.
Hayley Raso has been ruled out of the Matildas' final group game against Korea Republic due to concussion protocols after being hit in the head twice during Australia's 4-0 win over Iran. That's a blow; Raso's been a key player for the Matildas. At the end of the day, though,the Matildas have depth now in a way they maybe didn't in India four years ago.
At the end of the day, both teams are through. This is about preparation and advantage going forward. Winning stays you in Sydney, soaking in home advantage for the knockout rounds. Losing means Perth, travel fatigue, and potentially stiffer opposition.Montemurro believes his side is starting to find their rhythm and starting to find those connections and collaborations on the field that put them in a good position. The Matildas have momentum. The crowd will be behind them. The logic points to a home victory.
But reasonable people can acknowledge that Korea's a quality side, they beat Australia in 2022, and football doesn't always work out the way we expect. What matters is that the Matildas are in control of their own destiny right now, and that's worth something.