How the Aussies saw it: 'Ireland had parked the bus, now they had to move it'
On an opening night that was supposed to revolve around one woman and one woman alone, Australia had a momentary meltdown when the news broke that captain Sam Kerr would miss their Sydney opener with Ireland.
As it was, the Matilda's managed to get the tournament they are co-hosting and have sky-high hopes for off to a winning start without their inspirational leader. But they faced a stirring second-half onslaught from Vera Pauw's side before victory was sealed. How did the native media Down Under see it all? Simply put: job done.
In the Sydney Morning Herald, Vince Rugari noted how the Kerr bombshell landed with "note-perfect preparation for the Matildas...derailed in the worst possible way.
"As expected, Australia had all the ball and most of the territory, with Ireland content to sit back and frustrate. But for the first half, they seemed disconnected from one another..."
But all that changed with the game's deciding moment, which Rugari noted "was not crafted by Australian ingenuity, but an Irish blunder". The penalty conceded by Marissa Sheva's clumsy tackle and dispatched brilliantly by Steph Catley saw Ireland finally open up but Rugari wasn't as impressed with the visitors' fightback.
"Ireland had parked the bus. Now they had to move it," he wrote, meaning the Matildas had "a lot more threats to deal with at the other end, when previously there were almost zero." Australia survived but "against another team, with slightly better control, it might have been different," he added.
Kieran Pender in The Guardian Australia was more complimentary. "Imposing themselves physically, the visitors brought the game to their hosts," he wrote, praising Pauw's changes on the hour, "...the momentum [shifted] towards the Irish
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