Australia v New Zealand: Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 women’s football – live! - The Guardian

With one match played, Australia sit second in Group G behind Sweden, with tougher tests to come against both them and the US.

It’s been a pleasure as always.

After the match, Kerr said the Matildas sat down with Indigenous members of the squad to talk about how to best show respect for First Nations people, and decided on the pre-match Aboriginal flag together.

“We are really proud of it,” Kerr said.

90+4 mins That’s all she wrote from Tokyo Stadium.

90 mins Fowler is in the thick of it, firing away a couple of balls forward.

Heading the other way, Bowen has Foord in all sorts and in chase as she darts past the halfway line and into Matildas territory.

87 mins A no-look pass from Kerr finds Carpenter, who has been an absolute machine, for want of a more eloquent turn of phrase.

84 mins Gustavsson looks to run out this match more defensively by bringing centre-back Alanna Kennedy on for forward Raso.

81 mins NZ are chasing hard because they know there is a lot riding on this first match.

77 mins And with that Simon’s shift comes to an end.

74 mins Bott earns the first yellow card of the match via a sliding challenge on Polkinghorne.

Carpenter is with the ball again and side-foots it to the near post where, again, Simon is waiting.

70 mins Substitute for NZ with Paige Satchell replacing Green.

Australia will have to watch out for Satchell – she’s speedy.

67 mins “Hi Emma.” Hi Richard.

Looks like our Kiwi ladies have a bit of a hill to climb, but it’s good to see the Olympics under way at last and Congrats to Brisbane on scoring the ‘32 games!”.

64 mins Raso pierces the defence and again Simon is in the right spot.

But there is a deflection and Simon is in toe-poke areas, if only for Bott, who makes a crucial intervention.

61 mins Another well-anticipated through ball from van Egmond is run onto by Foord, and she tries her luck by putting it in the air at the top of the box where Simon is lurking, but she has two defenders on her?

59 mins A lovely ball in behind releases Kerr, who is beating Erceg and swings her right boot but it is not threatening.

The Matildas just keep coming, supplied by van Egmond and this time it’s Catley who crosses for Foord and forces a save.

54 mins Neither Gustavsson nor Sermanni have looked to their benches yet.

Carpenter is bolting down the right again and gets away a cross that Raso does well to get her boot around!

It’s close, but drops wide off the far post.

51 mins Carpenter is on the overlap and when she has the ball it usually ends up in the box.

It does again here and Kerr almost scores with a flick back of her head while facing the other direction.

48 mins Kyah Simon might have made it three goals for Australia within two minutes of being back on the pitch but when she’s played by in Kerr she again can’t get enough on it to trouble Nayler.

Here’s the Matildas’ second goal off the set piece.

NZ recycle the ball but it’s soon back with Australia and specifically Simon, who EVE, who looks up to Foord on the left, who also looks up to Kerr in the box, who looks up and leaps head first.

43 mins To wit, Australia have two-thirds of possession, and oh.

40 mins Van Egmond and Yallop trade passes, now it’s back to Polkinghorne and Williams.

37 mins Australia have their tails up now and Catley is on song with a pass to Foord

I may have spoken too soon on Simon, who combines well in midfield and finishes her move with a flourish to provide Kerr

It’s not long before the Matildas find that final ball for a second goal

Kerr is celebrating by standing still as a statue, Mark Bresciano style

31 mins Kerr’s head flicks on a pass to an offside Foord

She succeeds, though the ball bobbles straight to Kerr, who wastes not time barrelling a ball in front of goal

Raso practically dives on it but can’t quite make contact

28 mins Carpenter takes on Olivia Chance but the ball is soon out of play

And she’s won a free kick, has Carpenter

Win and Gustavsson is a genius, lose and he is deemed to have made a terrible mistake

There is a sense that Carpenter and Catley, two world class attacking full-backs, may be wasted where they’re currently positioned, but who am I to say this

Kerr is up and about and is being supplied well by the midfield

20 mins It’s Tameka Yallop in the roof of the net

An errant pass from NZ inside their own area falls to the Matildas and results in a cute Kerr backheel through to a soaring, searing Yallop who draws Nayler off her line

17 mins Raso is stopped in her tracks again, this time by Green on the edge of the box to draw a corner

But it’s what happened before that roused the senses, after Emily van Egmond delivered a delightful long ball that Kerr rises for but backs down to let is sail through to her teammate in Raso

Carpenter whips in a cross and in an attempt to intervene Abby Erceg, at the near post, heads it straight towards her own goal, forcing Nayler into a reflex save

14 mins A handball denies Raso a chance to make her move

Kerr takes a lovely turmn down the right and has her eye on Foord across field but the defence have it under control

Kerr could have run that further

11 mins Simon dispatches a lovely ball in behind

Foord is off the shoulder but the execution isn’t there this time

She utilises Hassett on the right flank and something is building, but Bowen flunks an errant pass and it’s all over

8 mins Foord wins a footrace with Catherine Bott to continue Australia’s aggressive start

NZ have settled somewhat after a nervous start, but Raso is quick, and she’s in the box before you’ve had time to blink

Simon attempts to head a high ball but Green wins the foul and NZ the free kick

6 mins Simon thumps it wide to left wing-back Catley, who inexplicably sends the ball skyward and out

Long-time Ferns keeper Erin Nayler gets it away but it’s soon right back with her

A second crack evades Hassett and gifts Australia the throw-in slightly inside their own half

3 mins Australia are on the front foot straight away and Kerr, who has been marked out of a couple of recent friendlies is right in the mix including a goalmouth scramble

Lydia Williams and Kyah Simon are both Indigenous

It will be Australia’s third Olympics and second Paralympics

As expected, Gustavsson is sticking to the back three he’s been trialling, with Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter flanking Clare Polkinghorne

Sam Kerr leads attack with support from Caitlin Foord and Kyah Simon

There is no predicting, then, how this will go for Australia, who are still winless under Gustavsson after a difficult, inactive pandemic period.”