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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jack Snape in Sydney

‘We need to believe’: Matildas embrace underdogs tag for last shot at home glory in Women’s Asian Cup

Australian soccer players Ellie Carpenter, Sam Kerr, and Caitlin Foord in action during a match.
Matildas captain Sam Kerr leads Australia into the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup final against Japan with the golden generation hoping to lift a first major football trophy. Composite: Getty Images

The end is nigh, and Ellie Carpenter – even though she is not 26 for another month – knows it.

The Matildas fullback revealed the significance of the Women’s Asian Cup final in a brutally frank pre-match press conference that underscored time is running out for most of the team led by captain Sam Kerr.

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