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74 min: It’s end-to-end at the moment with the field stretched and bodies tired in midfield. Neither side can capitalize with Rose still keeping Kerr in the pocket and Leon unable to get past Yallop.
72 mins: Better from Australia with Fowler and Grant probing the edge of the Canada box but neither can deliver the killer pass to Kerr and Canada clear.
70 mins: Gustavsson is now sitting on the bench with his arms crossed with a face like thunder. Meanwhile, his side complete their first proper attack of the half with some good building play down the middle and down the left almost leading to a chance for Cooney-Cross. Going the other way, Canada should do better in transition, but the running back leaves too soon and is unnecessarily caught offside.
68 mins: The excellent Prince has a spell for Canada, but even in his absence the visitors are all over Australia. The Matildas can’t get hold of the ball, and after Williams comes into action, Gorry is soon dispossessed. This has turned very ugly very quickly for the hosts.
66 mins: One of those hopeful balls to Kerr almost pays off with a snap that brings out a fine save from Sheridan. However, the Matildas are woefully short from half-time and the home side are reeling off a long list of poor results in recent months.
GOAL! Australia – Canada 1-2 (Leon, 64)
Jade Rose! ROSE JADE! what a player She comes off the line to intercept, gets away from the pressure, strides forward and then strokes a perfectly weighted ball for Leon to step up, compose himself and hammer past Williams. There was a hint of offside but it was a beautiful goal. Australia can’t say they haven’t been warned.
Min. 63: Foord, very dangerous in the first half, leaves the field with what appears to be a calf injury. Let’s hope it’s just a one off.
62 mins: The game is being played very much on Canada’s terms, but the final ball has not matched the quality of the build-up play. Australia are resorting to balls in the channel but in Rose, Kerr has a foe who has pace and strength to go with incredible composure. Horn of football clichés: He’s a Rolls Royce of a defender.
60 mins: From the resulting set piece, Leon scores a free-kick which Williams claims into his breadbasket with excellent footwork and positioning.
58 mins: Luik does well defensively but then coughs up possession and allows Canada to spill. The ball in the box is repelled, but Gorry is booked soon after for a kicking challenge in the scramble for the loose ball.
56 mins: Australia’s intensity has dropped after the interval and Canada’s has picked up. There are open spaces for the red shirts in midfield and it looks like the reverse of the first half. Prince proves she’s not just a one-way footballer with excellent defensive tracking to keep Grant honest after good work from Gielnik.
54 mins: Now it’s Kerr’s turn to lose the time of his career. Australia are already looking for those first long balls at the start of the half, the last of which goes for a serve. Meanwhile, Canada start to hit their straps and Prince looks threatening again before St Georges pulls off a simple save from Williams.
52 min: Hmmm, what will we see now from the Matildas? Can they regroup and return to opening period form? Canada stay on the front foot and Prince probes down the left before his angled ball is clipped into the box. The visitors are doing much better recycling the play and after keeping possession well in midfield, there is a run of the ball, a through ball and Prince scores! Or not The offside flag goes up and the marginal call goes Australia’s way.
50 mins: Fowler’s distribution has been excellent tonight and another ball dragged into Foord’s run invites the winger to drive into the box, but his delivery is easily cut out. Canada go straight down the other end and win a corner which Williams confidently claims.
GOAL! Australia – Canada 1-1 (Leon, 48)
All that good work in the first half was undone in seconds. Canada built up nicely down the left and after Sinclair swerved to accept possession, Leon took a neat position at the near post and finished smartly after Sinclair was blocked.
47 min: The second half is underway. The camera zooms right in on Tony Gustavsson, who, with his blonde center part and stadium mic, looks like the H from Steps…oh, oh, tragedy!
Updated at 11.49 BST
Changes at the break… for Australia Gielnik replaces Vine and for Canada Grosso for Scott and Beckie for Levasseur.
Middle: Australia – Canada 1-0
Magnificent half of the Matildas. They dominated the Olympic gold medalists from start to finish. They wouldn’t be flattered by a much healthier scoreline.
44 mins: Canada with a rare foray down the right but Polkinghorne holds firm in the box. Gorry then lets Kerr go early, but once again the brilliant Rose is perfectly timed to tackle. Jade Rose is a very good soccer player.
42 min: Foord drags a shot wide of the near post after cutting in from the left. This was the first slow build-up from the Matildas that showed control of pace, eliminating the Canadian midfield.
Not long after, Vine gets on his lines again, missing a goal with a cross from the byline with plenty of time to do better.
41 minutes: The Matildas’ work rate has been exceptional. Canada has not been given time to breathe.
40 mins: Australia are winning the ball back at will and every time they do, they threaten to catch Canada in transition.
38 mins: Another breakthrough, this time from Gorry, is nothing. Foord does excellent on the counter press to win the ball back, then runs into the box, penalty for sure!? Not determined! There’s still press from Australia, and with Canada in disarray, Vine is played with only Sheridan to beat, and he does absolute Horlicks, making a feeble effort with the outside of his right boot rather than taking control of the situation. The Matildas should be more than one up.
Updated at 11.18 BST
35 mins: Foord drives towards goal again, but this time he invites Vine to cross and his dangerous ball across the six-yard box is met by a diving Sheridan. Australia are fine in Sydney, but they struggle to convert their dominance into chances.
33 mins: Williams does brilliantly to hit the corner. A counter is lit that should lead to a chance, but Vine clears his line in transition. Australia recycle the ball well and mount another foray down the right, then Foord cuts down the middle and shapes to shoot, but takes a touch too far and Canada clear. However, the Matildas are well positioned and regain possession with ease.
32 mins: Of course, that means a rare cross is deflected awkwardly over the crossbar by an off-balance Polkinghorne.
31 mins: Canada have barely had a sniff. Australia have been excellent with the ball.
29 mins: Beautiful long and deep diagonal switch from right to left from EVE to Foord. Rose does excellent in defense, matching the run even and denying even a corner.
27 mins: Grant enjoys a nice couple of minutes, first stepping up to play a good ball around the corner to Gorry, then holding firm defensively to win the ball back twice for his side, the second allowing to Kerr sliding a snap from range that forces Sheridan to make a low, albeit comfortable, save.
25 minutes: rinse and repeat. Van Egmond sees Vine’s run in transition after good link work from Kerr, but EVE doesn’t run. Earlier, Yallop demonstrates the Matildas’ defensive urgency tonight, recovering after being muscled off the ball. However, he then goes down for treatment and looks a bit close walking towards the touchline.
24 min: Van Egmond is again guilty of giving away possession. It’s a fine line for players in her position, clearly empowered to take risks and play the difficult passes. They are casual creators when they come out, but can be an ugly stat sheet at the end of 90 minutes.
22 mins: Polkinghorne does well to tidy up after his poor touch invited Canada to counter-attack. There is a zip to Australia without the ball tonight which makes it very difficult to play against them. A little more composure on the ball would be nice.
21 mins: Foord wins the first corner of the night with his pace down the left. Gorry’s delivery wreaks havoc in the box and Luik gets a sniff of goal with a ball that bounces across the six-yard line.
19 mins: Australia try to play from the back but are lucky to escape Canada’s press with Gorry almost caught in possession.
17 mins: Luik finds himself and gets a good foot to repel a raid down the right. The kind of challenge that gets lots of cheers from the crowd. Luik is 37, and with almost half his age, Jade Rose makes a similar interception moments later, this one at full speed chasing Kerr.
15 mins: Canada are getting into the contest and finding some good half spaces in front of Australia’s back four. The Matildas continue to be architects of their own discomfort by giving the ball away cheaply when coming out of defence.
13 mins: A couple of times already the Matildas have had momentum coming from behind only to hit quicksand in midfield. In the last example, after playing the stops on the left, Van Egmond fails with a pass from Hollywood.
11 mins: Both sides look sternly in the direction of the assistant referees after first Australia, then Canada, think they’ve sprung the offside trap only to see the flags raised. Kerr’s was touch and go, Huitema a clearer indiscretion.
10 mins: Canada finally string a few passes together and Prince gets to the byline to drop in a cross that Williams easily claims. The visiting press clearly have Australia on edge when the central defensive collective receive the ball in deep areas.
8 minutes: Come…