Matildas hit three late goals to beat Uzbekistan in first leg

If there was a theme to Torpey’s debut, it was probably of a new player not backing herself when opportunities arose. If there was a theme to Australia’s collective first half, it was of a team creating half-chance after half-chance and lacking a final ball to give them an advantage. Raso flashed wide. Van Egmond tried and failed to keep a half-volley down. Even Alanna Kennedy rushed into the box from defence. Fowler was like honey to a swarm of bees – surrounded at every opportunity.

In Foord’s absence, the aim of this particular game was to get the ball to the feet of Fowler. It happened for the first time in the 13th minute when the Matildas’ most ephemeral being drifted, in that transient way of hers, into the area and stepped in for a low, hard shot Maftuna Jonimqulova did well to save. Early in the second half, Fowler delivered a cross so flawless it made van Egmond’s subsequent miss from the goalmouth appear all the more wasteful.

By that point, coach Tony Gustavsson had already made a half-time substitution, bringing Foord on for Torpey. Only 20 minutes more would pass before he finally relented and injected an out-and-out striker into the action. In terms of style, Heyman is the closest thing to Kerr this current Matildas squad has. And as devastating as the Fowler-van Egmond false nine set-up can be, this match was increasingly calling for a strong No.9 who can hold up the ball.

Less than seven minutes into her first shift in seven years, she did what she came to do. A Steph Catley corner swung into a busy box. Jonimqulova punched away the initial effort but Heyman was a predator lying in wait for the follow-up. In practicality, it was a regulation poke home. Symbolically, it was a wee bit more than that.

Whether it’s enough to get Heyman on a plane to Paris come July – should the Matildas qualify – is another matter for another day. But her almost immediate impact confirmed (once more) that for Australia to be a chance of an Olympics medal, they must have a variety of attacking options.

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Twelve minutes and several gilt-edged chances later, Fowler zigzagged towards goal and deposited a tidy finish into the left corner. Two minutes later, Foord made it three via a header thanks to a ball from Arsenal teammate Catley.

The Matildas will fly straight back to Dubai on Saturday, before both they and Uzbekistan depart for Melbourne on Sunday morning.

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