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45+1 Mins: After one minute of added time is signalled the Matildas quickly win the ball back and Foord once again tries her luck from range after cutting inside, with this attempt, too, going across the face of goal.
45 Mins: Raso, who has been very busy in this first-half, tries to get down the right and send the ball in but Bunge, who has also been very busy in this opening 45, shuts it down and wins a goal kick.
43 Mins: A chance for Foord goes begging.
More superb hold-up play by Kerr springs Foord in behind but she’s just unable to find the angle to goal she needs and sends her shot across the face of goal
42 Mins: More slow build-up play from the Matildas – we’ve seen enough of it now that you have to think, after the speed they played with last week, they’re under instruction from Montemurro to play this way.
Eventually, they work the ball forward and Foord is able to carry the ball into the penalty area from the left and send in a low cut-back for Raso but, under pressure from Foster, her attempt goes wide.
40 Mins: New Zealand bursts forward in transition and Riley sends it to Clegg. She moves to the top of the box but gets her foot under the ball and skies her attempt high and wide.
38 Mins: A huge chance for the Kiwis! Should it be 1-1?
Wisnewski is played in-behind the Australian backline by a surgical pass and is able to have a shot from inside the penalty area but her effort is too close to an on-rushing Micah and deflected away. Milly Clegg lunges at it to try and keep the attack alive but it’s teasingly out of reach.
Updated at 05.21 EST
37 Mins: This time it’s the turn of Torpey to go close!
Raso cuts inside and finds the on-rushing left-back who, in turn plays a one-two with Foord to advance into the area. The defender does will to get herself set to shoot but her effort goes just wide. Build-up that would have been well-worth a goal.
36 Mins: A long ball over the top gives Kerr something to chase but the flag goes up to ensure that, even if she had got to it before Santos, it wouldn’t have counted.
35 Mins: Andy Harper noting on the broadcast the hold-up play and the focus on quality over quantity with her touches that are marking Kerr’s game tonight.
Have to agree with him, Kerr is proving an absolute menace tonight and it’s mostly coming not from her attempting to force anything but, instead, serving as the foundation upon which her teammates are launching themselves at the Kiwi goal.
34 Mins: Oooh, nice chance for the Australians. Carpenter carries the ball forward and centres it for van Egmond, who comes under pressure but is able to keep the ball moving and switch it across to Foord on the left. She drives in a low shot but it just finds the side netting.
32 Mins: Australia have increased their control of the possession stats to over 70%, marked by a series of balls getting sent in on the right.
31 Mins: A shout-out on the broadcast for Foord’s placement in The Guardian’s 100 best female footballers in the world – even if it’s followed by a note that Foord’s place has dropped a few places.
Now, where could one read that list. Oh bother, I dropped something…
29 Mins: A nice bit of play develops after both sixes, Kennedy and Clare Wheeler actively show to receive the ball.
The attack peters out in the Kiwi penalty area but it’s always worth taking note of when midfielders are actively showing for the ball rather than hiding in ‘cover shadow’ – it’s a sign of positive intent, a willingness to embrace risk, and confidence in the gameplan.
27 Mins: Riley cuts inside Raso on the left and plays a cross-field ball for Gabi Rennie. Kaitlyn Torpey, starting at left-back tonight, gets across to make the challenge and while the attacker wants a corner, it’s going to be a goal kick instead.
26 Mins: Kennedy whips a ball in from the left but it can’t be turned in.
25 Mins: Some miscommunication at the back by the Matildas almost leads to a very awkward moment. Micah comes haring out of her area attempting to claim the ball but she cannot claim the ball.
With an attacker lurking, the hosts are forced to scramble it clear to save their keeper blushes.
Updated at 05.07 EST
24 Mins: Successive crosses are whipped into the box by the Matildas but eventually Santos is able to make the claim.
After copping the opening goal, these are important moments for the visitors: they can’t afford to ship another in quick succession and risk having the floodgates open once more.
22 Mins: Australia are now back on the ball and there’s a clear pattern to the Matildas play when they’re asked to build-up from the back.
They’ll knock the ball around slowly as their wide-players, particularly Raso and Carpenter on the right make runs seeking to drag their opponents up the field out of possession – opening up pockets of space down the flank.
Eventually, they’ll be enough room for a ball to be played in and for one of the lightning attackers in green and gold to get onto it, with Kerr dropping in to provide a combination option.
ShareGoal! Australia 1-0 New Zealand (Kennedy 19′)
Australia have the lead and in what is a very big game for her after her send-off against England last month, it’s come from Kennedy!
Carpenter finds Kerr with a throw-in on the right and the captain, in turn, feeds the ball to Raso. She darts into the penalty area and cops a crunching challenge from Moore but Kennedy, who is playing as a six tonight, is there to meet it with a first-time effort that Santos can’t keep out.
17 Mins: After that scare, the Matildas look to build-up once more – they’ve had 66% of possession thus far – and they eventually get the ball down the right to Raso.
The winger’s cross flies across the face of goal and out to Foord but the Arsenal attacker’s ball back into the mixer is cleared away.
15 Mins: Big chance for the Kiwis! The Ferns win a corner kick on the right and eventually after a short-corner routing, Foster gets the ball in.
It bounces down to Grace Wisnewski in a really dangerous position but her attempt is not as good as she would have hoped and held by Micah.
Updated at 04.57 EST
14 Mins: Carpenter has gone on an adventure, as she does, drifting over to the left. And she’s chasing down a ball lofted down a flank, as she does. She can’t gather it, however, and the Kiwis will have possession.
13 Mins: Emily van Egmond’s resulting corner from the left is rather comfortably cleared away by the Matildas and Australia will look to build once more.
12 Mins: Another ball lobbed into space down the right is claimed by Raso. Some really nice combination play between Raso, Kerr and, Carpenter eventually sees the latter drop a ball into Foord’s head at the far post but her attempt is scrambled out for a corner at the near post by Alina Santos.
11 Mins: A throw in on the left-flank for the Kiwis sees them win a free kick after Riley gets bundled over by Raso.
It’s whipped in by Michaela Foster but claimed with confidence by keeper Teagan Micah.
9 Mins: After sniffing the Australian penalty area a couple of times in the opening few minutes it’s been all Matildas since: the Football Ferns left chasing their foes.
On this occasion, however, they’re chasing a Caitlin Foord who strayed into an offside position and will have a free kick.
9 Mins: A piece of broken play on the edge of the Kiwi penalty area – looks like another poor back pass from a defender – allows Kerr to lash a half-chance on goal from range but it goes wide.
8 Mins: Catley and Carpenter converse over the dead ball before the Arsenal defender takes control.
She whips in a ball that is headed clear by the Kiwis, who look to break quickly through Indiah-Paige Riley but Carpenter gets in with a strong challenge to snuff that out.
6 Mins: Catley whips in an in-swinging corner from the left but the Ferns are able to clear the ball away.
The Matildas look to build once more and Kerr is brought to ground from behind by Bunge, winning a free kick. Too far out to score but something that can maybe create a dangerous situation.
5 Mins: Steph Catley grabs the ball and carries it forward to shift territory into the Kiwis’ final third. The ball is eventually put out for a Matildas throw in that Carpenter sends to Sam Kerr.
The skipper’s first touch of the game wins a corner, as Bunge applies a challenge that sends the ball out.
4 Mins: Again, patient build-up from the Matildas as they attempt to retain possession and execute the patterns of play that Montemurro wants to see.
Eventually, Carpenter lobs a ball into an avenue of space for Hayley Raso to run onto on the right and she opts to shoot rather than cut the ball back, hitting the bar!
3 Mins: The Matildas comfortably repulse New Zealand’s attempts to penetrate their defensive third but the visitors retain possession and look to reload… until an attempted long ball from Claudia Bunge goes straight to Ellie Carpenter. Australian ball.
2 Mins: Australia are looking to play out from the back in the opening few minutes but the Kiwis have come out in a well-organised structure, forcing a turnover by Alanna Kennedy and winning possession.
ShareKickoff!
We are underway in Radelaide!
Emily Husband spotted next to Joe Montemurro on the Matildas bench.
The former title-winning Central Coast Mariners coach was drafted in as an assistant after the last A-League Women season and as one of Australia’s best coaches, Montemurro’s eventual successor could already be being groomed.
Not only are the Football Ferns looking for their first win over Australia since 1994 in tonight’s fixture but they’re also looking to a clean sweep in senior internationals against Australia in 2025: last Friday’s 5-0 loss inflicted by the Matildas joining two wins by the Socceroos over the All Whites back in September.
The national anthems of the two nations ring out – New Zealand’s first, followed by Australia’s.
The broadcast throws to a video of the mascots for tonight’s game yelling “Go CommBank Matildas.” Youngsters are, of course, famously known for their observation of naming rights deals signed by national federations in their fandom.
Updated at 04.36 EST
The two belligerents are in the newly renovated player’s race at Hindmarsh Stadium. Grab a Farmers Union and a pie floater, because kick-off is imminent in South Australia.
Elsewhere this window, Spain and Barcelona have been dealt a big blow after scans confirmed that three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí is set for an extended period on the sideline after fracturing her leg in a training-session fall.
If you were following along with some of the Matildas rivals at the Asian Cup, you would have noted that China, led by Australian coach Ante Milicic, were smashed 8-0 by England last week.
The Lionesses will face another lesser heralded foe in Ghana this window but as Suzy Wrack writes, these games allow Sarina Wiegman a chance to look at the bigger picture.
Ahead of her first game on home soil in two years, Sam Kerr spoke on the Paramount broadcast.
It feels good to be back. It’s good to be back in the sunshine. Good to be back with the girls. I played the games before [in Europe], but it’s different playing in Australia. It feels really nice.
Obviously happy to play tonight. Last game. I hope I could have got up, but the calf was still a little bit sore. [But] I’m good to go tonight.
“It’s different playing in Aus, it feels really nice” 💛
Ready for her first minutes on Australian soil since 2023, hear what @TheMatildas captain Sam Kerr had to say pre-game 🗣️
Watch #AUSvNZL live on Paramount+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/K78ulQGLbi
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) December 2, 2025
Updated at 04.31 EST
Tillies coach Joe Montemurro was asked on the Paramount broadcast about the level of experimentation in tonight’s Matildas XI.
“There’s a little bit of experimentation tonight. A little bit more. I need to tick off one little moment, or one little scenario that we think we could get at the Asian Cup.
So, we’re close, we’re close to solidifying the situation with in terms of the squad. But the reality is, is that we’ve still got a little bit of work to do. And tonight we’ll still do a little bit more work leading into it, we’ve got that opportunity.”
We now cross live to gauge the reaction of Chelsea fans upon learning that Sam Kerr, who was absent from the Blues’ last game before the window in addition to sitting out last week’s game with a sore calf, is starting tonight.
The rather pedestrian defensive performance on display from the Football Ferns last Friday has put focus on two of the more curious absences from their squad: veteran defensive pair Katie Bowen and Rebekah Stott.
Both are playing at a high level with their clubs: Bowen arguably the Kiwis’ most in-form player as she anchors Inter Milan’s backline and Stott captaining a Melbourne City side flying high in both the A-League Women and Women’s Asian Champions League.
Indeed, so strong has the latter’s form been across the past year, she was crowned MVP of the newly revamped Women’s Asian Champions League last season and was subsequently nominated for the FIFA Women’s World 11.
And yet, neither is in this squad.
Mayne was asked about Stott’s absence following the Gosford game and responded, “She knows what she needs to do. Any player that’s not here had got the feedback they need.”
Curious, because one does wonder what two highly-credentialled defenders need to prove to get into a side that has now conceded 13 goals across its last three games.
Updated at 04.08 EST
New Zealand XI
Six changes for the Ferns, with Claudia Bunge coming into the backline and Alina Santos making her debut between the posts.
Football Ferns legend Annalie Longo starts on the bench in what will be her final game for her country – the 34-year-old announcing in the build-up to this game that she’s set to hang up the boots after a 19-year international career.
Stepping away from professional club football after the end of Wellington Phoenix’s last A-League Women, the veteran defender had retained by Ferns’ coach Michael Mayne to help guide the side during a period of transition and, should she get on the park, she’ll end her career with 144 appearances for the side.
That makes her New Zealand’s fifth highest capped international women’s footballer, trailing only Ria Percival, Ali Riley (who rather surprisingly wasn’t afforded a farewell game when she hung up the boots last month), Betsy Hassett and Abby Erceg
Updated at 04.10 EST
Big time noticing how every broadcast of a national team game played in Australia these days starts with a tourism advert for the city/state hosting it.
The State Governments bidding to host these games gotta get their money’s worth, I guess.
Updated at 04.02 EST
This series, of course, represents the final international window the Matildas will get before the best of Asia descends next March for the Women’s Asian Cup.
While Australia’s women have mostly played in mid-size stadiums in recent times – Hindmarsh is listed as having a 16,500 capacity, 15,000 of which are seated – Jack Snape detailed last week how organisers of that tournament feel vindicated for scheduling the Matildas in some of the country’s biggest stadia for next year’s tournament; Sarah Walsh, herself a former Matilda and now the chief operating officer for the Women’s Asian Cup declaring that the risk of scheduling the team in these large venues is “paying off”.
Walsh says that a major marketing campaign is planned in the coming weeks, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in ticket sales for the games not involving the Matildas – organisers currently running a promotion offering a free junior ticket with every adult ticket purchased.
Though the Matildas remain a brand that mostly creates its own demand, convincing the residents of Western Sydney to buy a ticket to see North Korea face Uzbekistan, or the citizens of Perth to head out to watch Chinese Taipei against Vietnam, might be a tougher ask.
And in the A-League Women, we already have a case study in the halo surrounding Australia’s favourite football team not quite bathing others in the kind of light they’d be hoping for.
Updated at 04.04 EST
Australia XI
Six changes to the Matildas side that hammered New Zealand in Gosford.
Sam Kerr will make her first start home soil since returning from an ACL injury – her first start Down Under since November 2023 – while Teagan Micah comes in between the posts.
Alanna Kennedy returns after sitting out the first game through suspension and this probably looms as a big game for her.
Clare Hunt, Tash Prior, Wini Heatley were already putting the squeeze on her place in the XI and now with Steph Catley increasingly kicking inside for both club and country that pressure will only become more significant. Proving herself in the midfield perhaps an avenue to shoring up her place.
Updated at 04.07 EST
As mentioned, it was a pretty comprehensive win for the Matildas in last week’s meeting between these two sides, with Amy Sayer, Hayley Raso, Ellie Carpenter, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry netted in a comprehensive win.
Indeed, while it wasn’t a perfect performance by the Matildas – the Kiwis created a few half chances and didn’t exactly present the kind of defensive obstacle that they’ll face with any kind of regularity – it was probably their best performance yet in the short tenure of Joe Montemurro.
Here’s how Jo Khan saw everything in the minute-by-minute and here’s my match report to get you up to speed.
Updated at 04.01 EST
Preamble
Joey Lynch
Howdy all, you’ve arrived at the Guardian’s live coverage of the second fixture of this two-game international friendly series between Australia and New Zealand’s women, tonight emanating from Hindmarsh Stadium in Radelaide, South Australia.
Last I checked, my name remained Joey Lynch and I’ll be taking you through all the action from this evening’s clash, in which the Matildas will be looking to back up the 5-0 thumping they handed out in the first meeting between these two in Gosford last Friday and the Kiwis will be looking, if not to claim a first win in this fixture since 1994, to at least salvage some level of pride.
Kick-off in the City of Churches is at 8.00pm AC⚡DT, 8.30 AEDT, or 10.30pm NZDT if you’re following along from Aotearoa.
Line-ups soon!