Full-time: Australia 2 – 1 Thailand
Well, that was a chaotic ending to a game that didn’t hit the energetic heights of the previous two.
A big squad rotation, which included five starting debuts, was evident in the difficulty Australia had in breaking down Thailand’s organised defence and replicating the kind of dynamic, free-flowing football we’d seen from more experienced players earlier in the group stage.
A fifth goal of the tournament to midfielder Emily Van Egmond broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, while a tap-in to Sam Kerr off a Thailand error ensured the Matildas safe passage through to the quarter-final, but not before Thailand reminded us of their sensational 2018 semi-final performance with a final-minute goal that took everyone by surprise.
Australia will now face South Korea in Sunday night’s knock-out match, while Thailand – who finished third in Group B after…
