Australia v South Korea: Women’s Asian Cup 2026 – live

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The anthems are being sun and kick-off is imminent in Sydney.

It’s currently 21 degrees with light rain at Homebush, adding another dimension to tonight’s game.

There’s a lot of Oscar Piastri x Matildas fans with a bit riding on this one.

Playing on home soil and featuring a line-up loaded with players that are key cogs for some of the world’s biggest clubs, it’s not an unfair expectation that the Matildas win this game. Add to that that, under interim coach Tom Sermanni, the Australians secured back-to-back wins over the Taegeuk Warriors last April and, indeed, it will be a letdown if they don’t.

The Koreans, however, handily represent the best opposition that the Matildas have faced this tournament. Indeed, it’s arguable that the Matildas have only played one opponent of a greater quality, England last October, since that two-game series.

Under coach Shin Sang-woo, the Koreans have rebuilt their XI in recent years in a manner that should allow them to challenge for this tournament and they, too, will be eager to avoid a showdown with defending champions China or their ‘derby’ foes North Korea.

The last time these two nations met at a Women’s Asian Cup? Back in 2022, when Tony Gustavsson’s vaunted “performance mode” went bust as the Koreans dumped the Matildas out in the last eight.

It was a result that, had Australia not been hosting the Women’s World Cup the following year, would have seen them miss out on qualification for the global showpiece event.

This being the final matchday of the group stages, kick-offs across the three groups will take place simultaneously in an anti-biscotto measure.

That means that at the same time the Matildas and South Korea kick off at Stadium Australia, Iran and the Philippines will commence their meeting at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Having dodged thrashings against both the Matildas and Koreans, the Philippines are well-placed to advance through to the knockout stages as one of the two-best third-placed finishers if they’re able to get a win this evening.

While Vietnam, having actually won a game, rank as the best third-placed finisher thus far, the Filipinas goal difference of -4 sees them occupy the other slot heading into this round of games and a convincing win over Iran should see Mark Torcaso’s side through to the last eight.

Much of the fallout from the Matildas’ win over Iran has centred upon the dangers facing down the Iranian players, with news emerging the day after the game that a conservative, state-aligned commentator in the country had described them as “wartime traitors” after they refrained from singing the national anthem of the Islamic state ahead of their first game.

The Australian government has been urged to offer protection to the players, while there is also pressure on the AFC and Fifa to step in and advocate on their behalf.

South Korean XI

Coach Sang-Woo Shin makes five changes to the Korean side defeated the Philippines 3-0 in their last game, a score line reprised from their opening game win over Iran.

Ji So-yun, Choe Yu-ri, Jang Sel-gi, Noh Jin-Young, and Kim Hye-Ri all come into the side – Ji a former teammate of Kerr at Chelsea and the scorer of the goal that sealed the Matildas’ 1-0 defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2022 iteration of this tournament.

Matildas XI

After missing the Matildas opening two games with a calf issue, Arnold has been named to start her first game of the Women’s Asian Cup this evening, starting in goal behind a backline of Steph Catley (seemingly at LB once again), Wini Heatley, Clare Hunt, and Ellie Carpenter.

Amy Sayer’s turn in the midfield against Iran hasn’t been enough to retain her place in the side, with Clare Wheeler and Katrina Gorry, the former of whom was, admittedly, superb against the Philippines in the opening game, coming into the XI. Alanna Kennedy remains as a six after netting a brace against the Iranians but Emily Van Egmond has also made way.

Up top, Raso’s concussion has ensured that Mary Fowler will make it back-to-back starts after scoring on her return to the XI earlier in the week, with Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord making it three starts in three games.

Hayley Raso out after suffering a concussion in win over Iran

The big availability news heading into the game for the Matildas is that winger Hayley Raso is out after suffering a concussion in the win over Iran.

The veteran attacker didn’t train with the side on Saturday but Montemurro doesn’t believe that she won’t be ruled out for the rest of the tournament – whichever quarterfinal the Australians take part in set to be staged more than a week on from the Iran clash.

“We’re just following the medical protocols in terms of a light concussion,” said the coach.

“From my own personal perspective it is something we don’t mess around with.

“We just want to make sure that everything’s right and she’s progressing really well but she won’t be available.

“We just follow the seven-day protocol at the moment and we will assess from there but all signs are positive but she is not out for the tournament.”

Australia's Hayley Raso gets medical attention during the match against Iran. Photograph: Izhar Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Montemurro also hinted that midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold would be in line for their first minutes of the tournament.

Having gone from not in the squad to starter within the space of one injury-ravaged week for the Matildas, Chloe Lincoln has started between the posts in place of Arnold across the side’s opening two games.

The Matildas dominance against the Philippines and Iran, however, means that the Brisbane Roar keeper has faced just a single shot during the 180 minutes she’s played, an effort which wasn’t on target.

Preamble

Joey Lynch

Howdy all, it’s ya boi Joey Lynch, once more bringing you live coverage of the Matildas’ Women’s Asian Cup campaign, which tonight brings them to Sydney to take on South Korea in a Group A deciding match.

The scenario facing down Joe Montemurro’s side for this evening’s fixture is a simple one: win and they will top Group A and head into a Sydney-based quarter-final against either Taiwan or Vietnam, where a place in not only the last four will be on the line but, also, a spot at the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Conversely, fail to pick up all three points and they’ll finish second in Group A – the South Koreans coming into this contest top of the group by virtue of their superior goal difference – and they’ll have to jump on a plane and head out to Perth for a quarter-final clash with either China or North Korea – two of the few nations that entered this tournament being considered as potential, if longshot, winners.

Thus, while the Matildas’ progression through to the knockout stages was already secured by a thumping win over Iran on the Gold Coast earlier in the week, there’s still plenty of stakes attached to the outcome of this contest.

Kick-off is at 8pm AEDT/6pm KST/9am GMT