It's a friendship built on respect, but the kind words and lavish praise will be momentarily put on hold when Matildas coach Joe Montemurro leads his team into battle against Ante Milicic's China in Perth on Tuesday night.
A spot in the Women's Asian Cup decider will be on the line when Australia - ranked 15th in the world - and No.17 China lock horns in a blockbuster semi-final at the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium.
