The end of the beginning of the Matildas’ Asian Cup campaign has been reached. Now the fun starts. Emily van Egmond’s 39th-minute strike, supplemented by Sam Kerr’s cheeky capitalisation on a goalkeeping error with 10 minutes to go, secured a relatively benign 2-1 win over Thailand.
Claiming top spot in Group B with a perfect three wins from three games, including an 18-0 win over Indonesia and a 4-0 triumph over the Philippines, the Matildas will now head into the quarter-finals with 23 goals scored and one goal conceded – much to their chagrin.