Sayer comeback double seals Matildas win over Argentina
Amy Sayer scored a double in her first Matildas start in 549 days to send off coach Tom Sermanni in winning style against Argentina.
Making a long-awaited return to the starting line-up from a devastating ACL injury, the 23-year-old struck twice in the first half to secure a 4-1 win in front of a record 25,125 crowd at GIO Stadium in Canberra on Monday night.
The Matildas dominated possession and scoring opportunities, as the midfield pairing of Kyra Cooney-Cross and Clare Wheeler outclassed their South American opponents.
But some nervy moments at the back between Steph Catley and Natasha Prior gave the tourists a sniff, with the dangerous Kishi Nunez a persistent threat.
Regardless, their sixth-straight victory on home soil is a happy parting gift to interim coach Sermanni in his final game in charge of the national side before being replaced by former Lyon boss Joe Montemurro, who was at the game.
Emily Van Egmond is there to profit from Heyman's tenacity and the Novocastrian makes no mistake 💥🎥 @ParamountPlusAU #Matildas #AUSvARG pic.twitter.com/yjRyyxmiEG
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) June 2, 2025
Australia were buoyed by the return of captain Catley and Arsenal teammates Caitlin Foord and Cooney-Cross to the starting XI.
The trio were rested for Friday's 2-0 win over Argentina following their Women's Champions League triumph.
Sayer opened the scoring in the 14th minute, popping up at the far post to ram home a deflected volley into the far corner after a searching Kahli Johnson cross evaded a sea of players.
Argentina struggled to play through the Matildas' high press and failed to exert any real pressure when the home side had the ball.
But a seemingly innocuous through-ball left Prior all at sea and after misjudging an interception left the door open for Nunez to steal in behind unchecked.
The diminutive No.9 settled herself, opened herself up and with her right foot curled the ball past a diving Teagan Micah inside the far post, ending a streak of four clean sheets for the Matildas at home.
But the home side wouldn't lay down their lead for long.
Foord menaced the visitors all night, constantly harrying the Argentinian defenders in possession and threatening to win the ball high up field.
After nicking the ball near the halfway line, the 30-year-old drove into the Argentinian half before releasing Sayer in behind a retreating opposition defence.
From an unfriendly angle, Sayer picked out the far corner past the outstretched gloves of goalkeeper Solana Pereyra.
Michelle Heyman pounces after a relentless and aggressive high press forces the mistake from the visitors 👀🎥 @ParamountPlusAU #Matildas #AUSvARG pic.twitter.com/xzsE1ucwyb
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) June 2, 2025
As the Argentinians tired in the second half, the chances came thick and fast for the Matildas.
Sayer nearly sealed a hat-trick in the 54th after being sent through by Catley but sprayed her shot from the right high and wide.
Holly McNamara nearly scored her first Matildas goal in the 57th minute but the prolific Melbourne City forward's volley from eight yards out was smartly stopped by a well-positioned Pereyra.
Hometown hero Michelle Heyman, subbed on for Sayer, nearly sent the Canberra crowd into raptures in the 66th minute but was denied by Pereyra with two smart back-to-back saves.
She almost scored again when sent one-on-one with the goalkeeper six minutes later but Pereyra poked the ball away from Heyman's feet, only for it to be turned in by Emily van Egmond.
Heyman finally got her goal in the 83rd minute after Foord again pressured the Argentinian defence into a mistake on the edge of their box, with the veteran squeezing the ball in off a defender from a tight angle.
Debutant Isabel Gomez also managed to get a run late on but failed to make much of an impression with her limited time.
An early concern for Montemurro will be the fitness of youngster Kahli Johnson, who limped from the field late in the first half.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Made in Newcastle, reunited in Warrington and now ready for Wembley
Lachlan Fitzgibbon and Luke Yates came through the Newcastle Knights system together before reuniting at Warrington Wolves (Image: John Baldwin) A CONNECTION that was formed more than 10,000 miles away, reformed in Warrington and is now heading to Wembley. When Luke Yates joined Warrington Wolves midway through last year, it allowed him to reunite with a good friend from back home in Lachlan Fitzgibbon. Advertisement Indeed, his fellow Novocastrian – meaning a native of the New South Wales city of Newcastle – appears to have gone into bat for him. 'I think he got a 10 per cent fee,' Yates jokes before Fitzgibbon chirps up that he's still waiting for it. 'I think he put in a decent word for me with Gaz Chambers and Sam (Burgess) so it came to fruition pretty quick. 'I'm grateful for him being a bit of a cheerleader!' Fitzgibbon chimes in: 'He's doing himself a disservice! 'He's been churning out some great footy over here for years so for Warrington, it's great for us to have been able to get a player like Yatesy, especially mid-season. Advertisement 'He's going to be at the club for a long time, so hopefully we can get him a trophy to kick off.' Luke Yates powers forward during the recent Super League clash with Wembley opponents Hull KR (Image: Olly Hassell/ Finding themselves about to walk out onto British sport's biggest stage alongside each other will certainly be quite a moment for the two forwards who have been friends since they were teenagers. For two local lads, progressing through the ranks at Newcastle Knights to eventually turn out in the NRL was the ultimate honour. Fitzgibbon was the first to graduate into the first team at the end of 2015, with Yates taking that final step in 2017. Advertisement 'It's a full circle moment for us having come all the way from Newcastle,' Fitzgibbon says. 'I was 17 when we first started playing together, and Luke was 16 – he was the year below me. 'We've been great mates for 14 years so it's special.' Yates adds: 'It was the SG Ball comp when we first played together, which is the 18s. I played an age up. 'We went through the 20s, New South Wales Cup and then first-grade together, now we're on the other side of the world. 'It's a funny one but to get the chance to win a trophy together is really special for us as Newcastle lads.' Yates' NRL career was brief as he made the move over to England in 2019 with London Broncos. Advertisement Since then, he has carved out a reputation as one of Super League's hardest-working and most underrated forwards having moved on to Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants before joining Warrington. Fitzgibbon went on to play more than 100 first-grade games for his hometown club but when he decided to take the plunge and move to Super League, he knew exactly who to turn to. 'When Yatesy moved over here, we always stayed in touch and when I was thinking about coming over, he was one of the first people I went to,' he said. 'We were speaking throughout and I was always interested in the kind of footy they played over here. Advertisement 'It made the decision much more comfortable knowing I was coming over here and having someone familiar close by.' Lachlan Fitzgibbon - seen here celebrating scoring against Leigh Leopards last year - is in the midst of his second season in England (Image: John Clifton/ And so then to Wembley – a place steeped in folklore but one both men will be desperate to create some happier memories of. While his move to The Wire came just after their loss to Wigan Warriors in last year's final, Yates experienced the national stadium at perhaps its most eery while playing for Salford. He helped them reach the 2020 final, which was played behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions, where they fell to an agonising 17-16 loss to Leeds Rhinos courtesy of a late Luke Gale drop goal. Advertisement 'We went for a look around the day before the game and it was empty, then it was the same again on game day,' recalls Yates, who was also on the losing side of the 2022 final as Huddersfield captain against Wigan in a game played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 'It was a bit of a weird thing because it took some of the emotion out of it. 'With the crowd there, they tend to lift you up and give you energy but we couldn't rely on that. 'It was amazing that we could go back and play during that period but looking back on it, it was very strange. 'I'm really looking forward to going back there with a crowd and hopefully there's a whole heap of Wire fans there to make it special.' Advertisement Luke Yates makes a tackle while playing for Salford Red Devils at an empty Wembley Stadium during the 2020 Challenge Cup Final, which was played behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions (Image: Allan McKenzie/ For Fitzgibbon, his Wembley experience lasted only 40 minutes last year as he succumbed to injury at half time during the defeat to Wigan. That set off a frustrating trend of injuries for the big back-rower that is still ongoing – having had post-season shoulder surgery, he has been plagued by rib issues throughout the year and came off against Castleford Tigers on Friday with a knee problem. However, he assured fans that he is absolutely ready to go for Saturday's showpiece against Hull KR. 'I'm going good,' he said. Advertisement 'I've had a tough six weeks or so with a few niggles so I haven't managed to play too many minutes. 'Last week was more of a precaution – I went over on my knee and it didn't look great, but it's pulled up fine. 'I'm ready to play the 80 minutes on Saturday. 'Everybody all over the world knows about Wembley so to get the opportunity to play there was incredible. 'I think there was 65,000 there and in terms of atmosphere, I've never experienced anything that came close to that. 'I've played semi-finals footy back in the NRL but nothing really compares to Wembley. 'The result wasn't great but hopefully we'll rectify that.' Advertisement Lachlan Fitzgibbon consoles teammate Matt Dufty following last year's Wembley defeat (Image: Richard Blaxall/ So after the journey through the age grades, the move to the other side of the world and all things in between, while Fitzgibbon and Yates' friendship get its ultimate high on Saturday? Neither of them has even won a major trophy, so is that about to change? 'Games like this one – it's why you play the game,' Yates said. 'Winning trophies is always the goal so if we can do that together, it will fill me with a great amount of pride.'
2 hours ago
A fairy tale in Paris: French wild card Boisson stuns No. 6 Andreeva to reach French Open semis
The run continues for the 361st-ranked Loïs Boisson at Roland-Garros. After taking down third-seeded Jessica Pegula in the previous round, the French wild-card entry upset sixth-ranked Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (6), 6-3 Wednesday in front of a boisterous and largely partisan crowd to reach the semifinals of the French Open. A year ago, Boisson tore the ACL in her left knee just a week before her home Grand Slam tournament started, preventing her from accepting an invitation to play. On Thursday, she will have the chance to advance to the final. 'It's incredible, no matter what, given what happened last year and all the difficult moments I went through,' Boisson said during her post-match interview. The 22-year-old Boisson was largely unknown outside tennis circles before capturing the spotlight in Paris. She is playing in her first Grand Slam main draw and became the first woman to reach the semifinals at her debut major tournament since 1989, when Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati both did it at the French Open. She is also the youngest French semifinalist at a Grand Slam event since Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon in 1999. The last Frenchwoman to win the title at Roland-Garros was Mary Pierce, 25 years ago. Under the closed roof of court Philippe-Chatrier, Andreeva repeatedly showed her frustration with the crowd, as excited fans chanted 'Loïs, Loïs' between points, waved Tricolor flags, shouted during play, and even applauded the Russian teenager's errors. The first set was marked by momentum swings and brilliant shot-making from both players. Boisson twice found herself down a break but fought back each time, using heavy spin and deep groundstrokes to trouble her Russian opponent. Andreeva grew visibly tense on key points, struggling to maintain her composure and wasting a chance to close out the set when up 5-3. Despite saving three set points and forcing a tiebreaker, she ultimately handed the set to Boisson with two consecutive backhand errors. Andreeva responded strongly at the start of the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead. But Boisson broke back with a thunderous backhand winner down the line, drawing a roar of approval from the lively crowd. Andreeva received a warning after netting a routine forehand volley and angrily hitting a ball into the stands. She then argued with the umpire over a call that gave Boisson three break points. Andreeva saved the first one with a forehand winner then double-faulted, and never recovered. 'The first set was super intense, and I was really struggling at the start of the second, but I managed to regroup and finish like that,' said Boisson, who will make a big jump in the rankings. Having reached a career high of No. 152 last year before her knee injury, Boisson will climb at least to No. 68 on Monday. And that could be even higher if she manages to pull off a third straight shocker against the No. 2-seeded Coco Gauff in the semifinals. An unseeded player has reached the French Open final twice in the last four years: eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova in 2021, and Karolina Muchova in 2023.
Fox Sports
3 hours ago
- Fox Sports
A fairy tale in Paris: French wild card Boisson stuns No. 6 Andreeva to reach French Open semis
Associated Press The run continues for the 361st-ranked Lois Boisson at Roland-Garros. After taking down third-seeded Jessica Pegula in the previous round, the French wild-card entry upset sixth-ranked Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (6), 6-3 Wednesday in front of a boisterous and largely partisan crowd to reach the semifinals of the French Open. A year ago, Boisson tore the ACL in her left knee just a week before her home Grand Slam tournament started, preventing her from accepting an invitation to play. On Thursday, she will have the chance to advance to the final. 'It's incredible, no matter what, given what happened last year and all the difficult moments I went through,' Boisson said during her post-match interview. The 22-year-old Boisson was largely unknown outside tennis circles before capturing the spotlight in Paris. She is playing in her first Grand Slam main draw and became the first woman to reach the semifinals at her debut major tournament since 1989, when Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati both did it at the French Open. She is also the youngest French semifinalist at a Grand Slam event since Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon in 1999. The last Frenchwoman to win the title at Roland-Garros was Mary Pierce, 25 years ago. Under the closed roof of court Philippe-Chatrier, Andreeva repeatedly showed her frustration with the crowd, as excited fans chanted 'Loïs, Loïs' between points, waved Tricolor flags, shouted during play, and even applauded the Russian teenager's errors. The first set was marked by momentum swings and brilliant shot-making from both players. Boisson twice found herself down a break but fought back each time, using heavy spin and deep groundstrokes to trouble her Russian opponent. Andreeva grew visibly tense on key points, struggling to maintain her composure and wasting a chance to close out the set when up 5-3. Despite saving three set points and forcing a tiebreaker, she ultimately handed the set to Boisson with two consecutive backhand errors. Andreeva responded strongly at the start of the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead. But Boisson broke back with a thunderous backhand winner down the line, drawing a roar of approval from the lively crowd. Andreeva received a warning after netting a routine forehand volley and angrily hitting a ball into the stands. She then argued with the umpire over a call that gave Boisson three break points. Andreeva saved the first one with a forehand winner then double-faulted, and never recovered. 'The first set was super intense, and I was really struggling at the start of the second, but I managed to regroup and finish like that,' said Boisson, who will make a big jump in the rankings. Having reached a career high of No. 152 last year before her knee injury, Boisson will climb at least to No. 68 on Monday. And that could be even higher if she manages to pull off a third straight shocker against the No. 2-seeded Coco Gauff in the semifinals. An unseeded player has reached the French Open final twice in the last four years: eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova in 2021, and Karolina Muchova in 2023. ___ More AP tennis:
