Australia V North Korea: Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Quarter-final – Live

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You’re going to person to hold for maine to fig retired nan champion measurement to stock North Korea’s XI. They don’t precisely person an charismatic Instagram relationship for maine to drawback a schematic from…

Standing crossed from nan Matildas successful nan reddish area are North Korea, playing successful their first Asian Cup since 2010 and keen to re-assert themselves arsenic 1 of Asia’s astir ascendant sides.

As agelong arsenic their world exile has been, however, to picture Ri Song-ho’s broadside arsenic ‘mysterious’ is getting a spot hackneyed astatine this point, particularly fixed that we’ve had 3 games to watch them and, for nan astir part, they’ve played immoderate tidy, high-tempo, aggressively pressing stuff.

Further, nan North Koreans travel into this tourney arsenic nan reigning U17 Asian Cup, U17 World Cup, U20 Asian Cup, and U20 World Cup champions, truthful we cognize that not only person they not been resting connected their laurels during their clip distant from nan world spotlight, they’ve been producing immoderate beautiful useful talent.

Of course… arsenic we saw from immoderate nan hellhole that interminable hold pursuing China’s 2nd extremity successful their 2-1 conclusion connected nan last time of group play, a crippled which group up their day pinch nan Matildas, they’re besides very tin of sillybuggers.

Matildas XI

The Matildas’ XI is successful and, arsenic forecast, Torpey comes into nan XI to switch nan concussed Catley. Emily Van Egmond, meanwhile, starts from nan off.

Mackenzie Arnold starts successful extremity down a back-four of Carpenter, Clare Hunt, Wini Heatley, and Torpey. Alanna Kennedy, caller disconnected 2 goals against South Korea, starts arsenic nan holding midfielder, down Katrina Gorry and Van Emgond, who levels Clare Polkinghorne arsenic nan most-capped Matilda successful history pinch quality 169.

Up top, Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr, and Fowler lead nan line.

If you haven’t heard, nan Matildas person already been struck 2 important wounded blows up of tonight’s crippled successful nan shape of Hayley Raso and Steph Catley, some of whom are retired pinch concussion.

Also missing nan South Korea tie pinch nan malady, Raso was replaced successful nan starting XI by Mary Fowler for that conflict and, successful each likelihood, that will stay nan lawsuit for this evening’s contest.

Catley, meanwhile, was subbed disconnected for Courtney Nevin successful that game. And while Nevin has agelong since established herself arsenic a regular back-up successful squads, she was responsible for giving distant nan punishment that saw Kim Shin-ji level proceedings from nan spot, and past – possibly gunshy aft giving distant nan handball for nan punishment – afforded Kang Chae-rim acold excessively overmuch abstraction connected nan go-ahead goal.

The Malmö FF defender is still nan astir apt starter and, aft having a chance to stitchery herself and get a fewer arms wrapped astir her successful camp, will beryllium eager to make amends. However, we can’t discount nan anticipation of inferior Kaitlyn Torpey being thrown onto nan near broadside of nan defence – which, mixed pinch Ellie Carpenter connected nan different flank – would springiness Australia a very zoomy backline.

Preamble

Joey Lynch

Howdy all, and invited to nan Guardian’s ongoing, unrecorded sum of nan Women’s Asian Cup, continuing coming pinch minute-by-minute updates connected nan Matildas quarter-final conflict pinch North Korea.

While they whitethorn person been forced to come-from-behind to snatch a 3-3 tie pinch nan nation that did nan existent harm successful their past deed out, coming offer’s a chance astatine redemption for Australia’s women: this nan shape successful which they were bundled retired of nan past tournament by South Korea – breaking a tally that had seen them scope astatine slightest nan semi-final successful each loop of nan title since officially joining nan AFC.

That unfortunate evening, of course, would person seen nan Matildas neglect to suffice for nan 2023 Women’s World Cup had they not been hosting and, 4 years on, a spot successful nan adjacent Women’s World Cup, this 1 taking spot successful Brazil adjacent year, is connected nan statement successful summation to a spot successful nan last four.

The loser of tonight’s crippled doesn’t person their hopes wholly dashed, though, arsenic they’ll move connected to a playoff connected nan Gold Coast pinch different chance astatine qualification. And moreover conclusion successful that crippled won’t extremity their dreams – alternatively sending them to a bid of inter-confederation playoffs astatine nan extremity of this twelvemonth and nan commencement of adjacent year.

Nonetheless, it’ll beryllium overmuch easier for each involved, astatine slightest those of an Australian-bent, if Joe Montemurro’s broadside get nan occupation done tonight.

Line-ups soon, pinch kick-off successful Perth group for 6pm local/9pm AEDT