The Matildas Reign Supreme in the AFC

The Matildas are the Champions of the Asian Cup, after fighting through adverse conditions for their entire campaign, which culminated in a down to the wire match against Korea DPR, where they won 5-4 in a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out.


It was a special day for the Matildas, as they won their first Asian Cup title. They played against Korea DPR on a rainy, bogged down pitch, and fought through a full 120 minutes, and eventually triumphed due to superior nerve, as they edged out the Koreans 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out. In regular time, the Aussies landed the first strike in the 19th minute, as Kerr notched a goal, but the game was far from won. The Koreans would equalize late in the 2nd half, with a goal from Jo Yun-Mi, in the 73rd minute. Both teams fought on past extra time, and after the 120th, what was about to come was inevitable. A penalty shoot-out would be the only way to settle it. The Socceroos were perfect in their tally, as they would convert all 5 from the spot. The Koreans would go out as Yun Song-Mi would miss her penalty.

This win is important for the Matildas, who will be going to the World Cup in 2011. Winning their first Asian Cup and being the number one team in the AFC should give them a lot of confidence, and a great momentum going in.

As for the 3rd place spot, Japan downed China in a 2-0 win, with a goal from Kozue Ando in the 18th, and another from Homare Sawa in the 62nd. This means that Japan, being the 3rd best team in the Asian Cup, have gained the 3rd and final qualification spot for the 2011 World Cup in Germany.

And that's all she wrote! The Matildas played with tons of heart, especially having to deal with adverse conditions the whole way. They lost star strikers Lisa DeVanna and Sarah Walsh during the tournament, and then braved a rainy pitch, a long, hard-fought game, and finally, nerve-wracking penalties to go on and win their first Asian Cup title. Seriously, hats off to the Aussies! The Koreans come up short as runner-ups, nonetheless clinching a spot in the World Cup, as did the Japanese, who won over 3rd place in the tournament, and the rights to travel to Germany in 2011.

The Asian Cup concludes, but a new challenge arises for Australia, Korea DPR and China, a challenge that awaits them next year in Germany.


Denise

Injury Report: Australia and The Washington Freedom Have a Woman Down.

DeVanna will be out for 3 months due to an injury sustained in Australia's match against China, in which they lost 1-0.

The Asian Cup has been underway, and the Matildas of course are in on the action, as they are part of the AFC. Australia's campaign has been going fairly well so far, as they've already notched 2 wins, the first against Vietnam in which the result was 2-0, and another win against Korea Republic, the result being 3-1. However, their campaign has taken a sudden turn for the worse. Australia lost 1-0 to China on the 23rd, but the match isn't the only thing they lost. They also lost star striker DeVanna, who had already notched a goal in the competition. DeVanna broke her leg in a collision with China's Goalkeeper, and is expected to be out for 3 months, meaning she will miss the majority of the WPS season, and is also ejected from the Asian Cup tournament. There is a possibility that if her recovery goes as planned, she can be back in time to play in the WPS Playoffs, that is, if Washington Freedom clinch a playoff berth by the end of the WPS season. There is no doubt that both Australia and the Washington Freedom will miss DeVanna's lightning fast pace and world class dribbling skills, as well as her excellent scoring ability, which often times come through in clutch situations.


I wish DeVanna a speedy recovery. Her teammates and fans will miss her while she's gone.

I know I will.

Denise