Kyra Cooney-Cross has marked her 50th cap with a wonder goal and Clare Hunt also netted a maiden international header to gift Australia the most unlikely, party-pooping 2-1 triumph over Germany in Duisburg.
The 26,000-strong crowd had come to pay an emotional farewell to their departing heroine Alexandra Popp at the MSV Arena on Monday evening (Tuesday AEDT) but ended up having applaud a glorious piece of party-pooping by Arsenal midfielder Cooney-Cross who fired home a first-half equaliser from all of 40 yards.
It was an astounding strike against the run of play six minutes before half-time after Selina Cerci's fifth-minute opener for the dominant hosts.
ABSOLUTE BANGER from KCC 🚀☄�— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) @kyracooneyx opens her account for Australia in her 50th cap, and what a way to do it!�: @ParamountPlusAU#Matildas #GERvAUS pic.twitter.com/Reu0IHjlVqOctober 28, 2024
Yet though Germany continued to largely run the show throughout, the never-say-die Matildas held firm, grew stronger and pounced again, central defender Hunt heading home a winner from captain Steph Catley's corner in the 79th minute.
It earned Australia their first win against the world's No.4 side Germany in 19 years, and only the second victory in their history over one of soccer's powerhouse nations.
The first international goals for the two London-based Matildas also conjured up a remarkable triumph for caretaker boss Tom Sermanni's side, who had been hammered by Germany 3-0 in Marseille during their woeful Olympics campaign just three months ago.
The big win came after they had drawn 1-1 against Switzerland in another friendly on Friday (Saturday AEDT).
