Key events
69 Mins: Raso cops a wicked falcon and goes down requiring treatment. Fortunately, she doesn’t appear any worse for wear and is soon back out there.
68 Mins: A big cheer goes up from the crowd as Montemurro sends Mary Fowler into the fray. She replaces Van Egmond, while Wheeler’s fine shift has ended as she gives way for Alanna Kennedy – who at this stage seems to be seen as a six in the coach’s eyes.
66 Mins: Wheeler winds up from outside the penalty area but McDaniel is positioned well and makes the comfortable claim at her near post.
Speaking to how well the backline in front of her have defended as a unit, it’s the first save the keeper has had to make in this second half.
65 Mins: Mary Folwer pictured on the broadcast. Sans bib? Is she coming on?
63 Mins: The Philippines a rare period of… extended possession feels like too strong a word but they certainly saw a bit of the ball in those last few minutes. After some nice work on the right from Guy, Harrison tries to send a cross in but it’s closed down quickly and the move soon peters out.
Torcaso has also opted to make a further two changes to his side: Mallie Ramirez has come on for Olivia McDaniel and Ariana Markey has entered for Frilles
58 Mins: Heatley slices a pass through the lines for Kerr, who takes the ball out wide with her touch and looks up hoping to spy a teammate’s run to the backpost. There’s none forthcoming, though, and her lob is cleared away.
56 Mins: Gorry thinks about a long-range bomb – we know she has that in her locker – but she instead opts to lay it off to Carpenter. Her attempt to drag a cross to the back post, though, gets away from her and it sails away for a goal kick.
55 Mins: Raso again works her way into space on the right and is able to lift a cross towards Kerr and Foord, who have stolen a march on their defenders, but the move is snuffed out when Olivia McDaniel comes out to make a strong claim.
53 Mins: A rare moment of indecisive defence from the Philippines sees them fail to properly clear a Raso cross in, with it spilling out to Foord instead. The scrambling response from the Filipinas, however, proves up to the task and the move passes without a goal.
51 Mins: Beard sees off Raso and turns the ball out for a corner. Van Egmond lifts it towardds the penalty spot where Kerr is there to meet it but her header is guided wide.
50 Mins: We did have one change made at the halftime break and it came from the Philippines: youngster Jael-Marie Guy coming on in place of Pino – the latter celebrating her 19th birthday today.
49 Mins: Raso again darts down the right flank and whips a cross in but Foord is bundled over by Long at the back post, fairly, and the visitors see of another threat.
47 Mins: Van Egmond whips a corner in which Olivia McDaniel spills when she comes to claim. The Philippines want a free kick but they’re not going to get one, and their attempt to transition forward moments later is quickly snuffed out.
46 Mins: We are back underway in the second stanza and the Matildas quickly get forward again: Long getting in the road of an attempted cutback from Raso and putting the ball out for a corner.
If you’re the Philippines, that half obviously wasn’t perfect – you’d rather Sam Kerr not have scored – but it still went pretty well.
This was always going to be a game that the Filipinas needed to manage as they look ahead to clashes with Iran and South Korea, the games where their progression to the knockouts as either a second-placed finisher or one of the best third-placed sides will be determined.
And given how crucial goal difference could prove in the latter, to only be down one goal after 45 minutes is a major positive.
It’s good.
Need another goal. Watch the counter second half.
Good movement, playing through midfield, midfielders getting behind like Wheeler, fullbacks and winger forward runs, different ways of breaking defensive line.
Could probably score more with loads of crosses, but… https://t.co/yqkD3j50m0
— Craig Foster (@Craig_Foster) March 1, 2026
HT: Australia 1-0 Philippines
So, Kerr’s 14th minute is all that will separate the Matildas from the Filipinas on the scoreboard heading into the halftime break. The Australians did have a second in the back of the net thanks to Raso, but a VAR review determined that the flyer had started her run to receive Gorry’s lasered delivery from an offside position.
Nonetheless, the Australians shouldn’t be too frustrated by that opening stanza. While they’ve crashed against low blocks before, there was a greater sense of movement, purpose, and connection to their play in this instance. As hoped for from a Montemurro-coached side, there was a focus on building connections and patterns of play and not just descending into meandering U-shaped possession or hit-and-hope crosses. Importantly, much of this was taking place close to the penalty area, ensuring they were in a position to take advantage of any breakdowns in the very well-organised Philippines defence.
Wheeler and Gorry, in particular, have impressed at the base of the midfield; conducting play and keeping the ball moving at a good pace.
45 Mins: Just the one minute of extra time to be added.
44 Mins: Foord drives into the penalty area from the left but her attempt to drill a ball into Kerr is blocked away. The Philippines’ defending there somewhat exemplified what they’ve been doing throughout the opening stanza: when the ball was knocked away from the Australian skipper, there were seven players in blue back in the penalty area looking to defend.
42 Mins: Joe Montemurro has emerged from his seat in the dugout and is stalking the edge of his technical area. He’ll probably not be very happy to be up just a single goal but his side are playing some nice football regardless.
40 Mins: The Matildas have themselves in a dangerous position just outside the penalty area and Catley looks to bend it inside the post. But Olivia McDaniel is up to the challenge and pushes it away for a corner.
37 Mins: They’ve had hardly any of the ball but credit needs to be given for the work that the Philippines are doing defensively – they’re moving together as a unit, ensuring that whoever is challenging for the ball has cover, and getting multiple bodies around the ball on higher balls into the box.
35 Mins: Carpenter, van Egmond, and Kerr all combine to try and spring the former into space on the right, only for the defender to be pegged back by an offside flag.
33 Mins: The disallowed goal hasn’t done much to change the complexion of this game, with the Matildas picking right back up where they left off and poking and prodding, seeking a second that will actually count.
30 Mins: Boos ring out at Perth Stadium as the VAR determines that Raso was just unable to time her run and had strayed into an offside position. The crowd might not like it but replays show that it was comfortably the correct call.
29 Mins: The Matildas have their two-goal buffer! Gorry lofts a perfectly weighted ball onto the run of Raso in behind the lines, she chests it down and pokes it beyond the advancing Olivia McDaniel.
Hold on… replays show VAR might be having a word here…
27 Mins: The routine of this game is now well established. The Matildas poke and prod, look to drag an opponent out of position, and then exploit the space that’s been left behind.
van Egmond looks to drive a long-ball onto the head of Kerr atop the six-yard-box but she’s working against several defenders and it’s cleared away.
25 Mins: So the word from the commentary is that Kyra Cooney-Cross is being “rested” for tonight’s game.
22 Mins: A brief move forward by the Philippines is quickly snuffed out and the Matildas resume their threat once more. A Raso dummy springs Wheeler into some space on the right but her attempted cutback is blocked away.
21 Mins: The Matildas get themselves a free kick on the right, with Catley standing over the ball and staring down a two-player wall.
The Arsenal defender bends it towards the back post, with it just floating over the head of Kerr and getting punched away by O McDaniel. It wouldn’t have counted even if the skipper had turned it goalward, as the flag has gone up.
18 Mins: It probably should be two. Raso finds some space on the right and lifts the ball onto the head of van Egmond atop the six-yard-box but the midfielder’s unchallenged header is sent wide.