Key events
71 mins: Chloe Lincoln makes her most timely intervention yet in a Matildas a shirt with a high leap to divert a Riley Tanner shot around the far post. From the corner, Tanner picks up the second ball rebound and blazes away again – the Panama forward’s shoot on sight policy is surely a nightmare for keepers, but a joy to watch from the stands.
68 mins: After a frantic 20 minutes of end-to-end football to begin the second half, finally the Matildas and Panama have slowed down to a reasonable pace. That gives us a moment to watch Heyman’s second goal of the night and her 33rd in green and gold.
GOAL! Australia 2-1 Panama (Heyman 65′)
Michelle Heyman has a double and Hayley Raso bags a second assist. This time the goal comes from a header as Raso whips in a cross and Heyman turns to all her experience to find separation from the defender.
64 mins: The Matildas are pushing hard for another as Charli Grant surges through the middle of the pitch almost waiting for the defence to come to her. Eventually she runs out of ideas as much as into the Panama defensive line.
61 mins: Raso makes the running yet again with plenty of space in front of her. But by the time the cavalry arrives, the moment has passed.
59 mins: The Panama goalscorer Ericka Arauz and attacker Ana Ggabriela Quintero join Wendy Natis in leaving the field, with Rebeca Espinosa, Lineth Cedeño and Shayari Camarena coming on.
58 mins: More injury concerns for Panama after they lost a couple in the opening in friendly as Wendy Natis slumps to ground while trying to change direction. The centre back has to be stretchered off and Panama take the opportunity to make three substitutions.
GOAL! Australia 1-1 Panama (Heyman 54′)
Finally the Matildas have breached the Panama defence. It takes some sublime passing between McNamara and Raso then a cross from the latter into the six-yard box where Michelle Heyman is on hand to tap in the equaliser.
52 mins: Panama set the tone for what you suspect could be a second-half filled with clever time-wasting gamesmanship. Marta Cox goes to ground easily in a duel then Hayley Raso is brought down while racing through the midfield. Another yellow card.
50 mins: Tanner has shown that she does not mind testing the keeper and she does just that at Lincoln’s near post. The young keeper hangs onto to the firm strike but that was another warning shot for the Matildas.
48 mins: Holly McNamara is brought to ground just as she was about to break clear in the midfield. The Matildas speedster was relatively quiet in the first half but could pose more of a threat as the game opens up.
46 mins: Panama take their turn to kick-off. Let’s hope for much the same frantic tempo as the two sides played with in the first half. The same XIs have resumed.
The Matildas trail after a costly mistake from Jessika Nash in defence when a pass to Emily Van Egmond was underhit and intercepted before Ericka Arauz hit a screamer. While the hosts too often wilted under the physical pressure from Panama in the first friendly, this time the Matildas are more than matching the Central Americans in the challenges and just lacking a cutting edge.
Hayley Raso is unsurprisingly the main danger for the Matildas charging around on the right although she hasn’t quite been ruthless enough with the final ball. A Charli Grant cross in the dying stages of the first half might have led to a Remy Siemsen penalty after the Australia attacker appeared to be shoved in the box. But the appeals were waved away by the referee.
Half-time: Australia 0-1 Panama
The Matildas trail the Central Americans by the same scoreline as the first friendly ended but not before they spend the two minutes of added time pushing hard for an equaliser.
45 mins: Raso finds a pocket of space in the attacking right corner but can’t find a way into the box. She heads backwards as the Matildas switch play for Nash to cross into the box where Grant has drifted offside.
43 mins: Raso down the right … again. But this time she takes the ball too deep and the cross is met by a red wall. Charli Grant is at the top of the box waiting for the rebound but leans back on her shot and it sails well over the crossbar.
41 mins: The Matildas break down the right again. That has understandably been their preferred outlet with Hayley Raso on hand to run amok. The attacker ignores the overlap in favour of trying to pick out Heyman with a dink into the box. Australia manage to hold onto the ball in the corner with crisp passing before Heyman is caught offside.
39 mins: Schiandra Gonzalez earns the first caution of the night as Panama increasingly look to break up play at any opportunity while conveniently holding a narrow lead and with half-time within sight.
37 mins: The Matildas look for an immediate response as Hayley Raso leaves Marta Cox on the turf as she charges forward but into a dead end before the play stops while waiting for the Panama captain to get back to her feet.
GOAL! Australia 0-1 Panama (Arauz 34′)
Ericka Arauz slams in a rocket from well outside the edge of the penalty box and, against the run of play, Panama have the lead. There was nothing Chloe Lincoln could do about that – that was quite simply a wonder strike and Panama celebrate accordingly.
33 mins: Panama almost come unstuck after a shallow clearance from keeper Farissa Cordoba but the Matildas are unable to make them pay. First signs that the pressure might be building.
31 mins: Matildas keeper Chloe Lincoln is called into action on her starting debut but has little trouble collecting Ana Ggabriela Quintero’s strike from outside the box.
29 mins: Australia are giving as good as they get in the second friendly after too often being outmuscled in the first, with Sayer, Siemsen and Raso all leaving their mark on Panama midfielders.
27 mins: The Matildas find space in their attacking third again but this time the header from Heyman is too soft to trouble the Panama keeper.
25 mins: Oh my, how have the Matildas failed to score!?! Hayley Raso bursts forward with Marta Cox trailing behind her then takes on the Panama left back to get a shot past the keeper. A slight hook on the ball takes it crashing into the post before it bounces along the goalline without crossing the far side. Raso picks up the rebound, cuts it back where Siemsen is eventually the one to take the shot that is blocked. A scramble in the box is finally cleared and Panama can breathe again.
23 mins: Van Egmond swings in another free kick, this time from the left. Amy Sayer is first to break the defensive line but her header tumbles wide of the post. This has been a much improved performance from the Matildas as Panama are giving them more time to play. But it of course counts for naught until they put the ball into the net.
21 mins: The Matildas have spent considerable time in their own attacking third but too often allow Panama relief when losing the ball in the midfield.
19 mins: The Matildas pick up another free kick in a dangerous area but there is little movement in the box as Van Egmonds hooks in a cross from the right. Raso collects the clearance on the left but overhits and the ball bounces out for a corner.
17 mins: Panama skipper Marta Cox tries her luck from distance and picks up a cheap corner after a slight deflection from the Matildas defence. Charli Grant clears off the line before Amy Sayer gets a foot in and cops one for her trouble as Quintero swings at the rebound.
14 mins: The second friendly has been much more open than the first on Sunday which perhaps plays into the Matildas with their attacking lineup, though Panama look just as dangerous on the break.
11 mins: The Matildas lose the ball in the midfield just as they did too often on Sunday. Riley Tanner charges toward the six-yard box before taking the ball too deep as a cross finds a wall of green and gold defence.
9 mins: The Matildas hold firm in defence and then move the ball forward again at speed, just as Joe Montemurro has talked about over the past few weeks.
7 mins: The Matildas lock the ball in their own half but can’t make the most of their string of corners and half-chances for Panama tear away through Sherline King. The teenager is eventually chased down but has another chance just moments later. Already the match-winner from Sunday looks like being the main danger again.
5 mins: Remy Siemsen is next to direct a header toward goal. But the chance is misdirected and the attacker has it written all over her face that it was a wasted opportunity. A bright start for the Matildas.
3 mins: The Matildas pick up their first free kick in a dangerous area which is whipped into the box where Michelle Heyman gets a clear header away. The veteran is a long way out and doesn’t make the best connection. Hayley Raso tries to clean up inside the box but a timid cross if comfortably cleared by Panama.
1 min: Panama pick up where they left off in the first encounter with a physical challenge or two on the Matildas. Joe Montemurro said yesterday that the Matildas need to be better prepared for just that approach.
Kick-off
Peeeeeep! The Matildas get us underway as the hosts look to bounce back from a shock defeat during the second women’s friendly against Panama at HBF Park in Perth.
The national anthems are complete and we’re just moments away from kick-off. The Matildas are back in their familiar green and gold number, Panama are easy to spot after switching to a bright red.
Matildas coach Joe Montemurro explains his bold starting XI while speaking to Paramount. Remy Siemsen and Amy Sayer will play behind veteran striker Michelle Heyman, with Emily Van Egmond also looking to break the lines. Hayley Raso and Holly McNamara will offer their usual threat out wide.
We’ve gone a little bit more attacking tonight, playing with more advanced midfielders and our ability to get past their first line in the way that they press. Hopefully we’ll see advanced full-backs, so we’ll try to override their wide areas and their central areas with more attacking options.
The Matildas are out for redemption after suffering their first defeat under coach Joe Montemurro as teenage substitute Sherline King scored for Panama in the 59th minute and veteran striker Michelle Heyman fluffed a last-gasp chance to equalise.
Panama XI
Panama: Farissa Cordoba (gk), Hilary Jaen, Wendy Natis, Katherin Castillo, Ericka Arauz, Schiandra Gonzalez, Marta Cox (capt), Sherline King, Riley Tanner, Ana Ggabriela Quintero, Carina Baltrip-Reyes.
Panama back in a winning formula with just two enforced changes from the starting XI on Sunday night. Farissa Cordoba continues in goals after being called into the game in the opening minutes of game one while the match-winner in that contest, 19-year-old Sherline King, replaces the injured Desire Salazar. The Matildas might not mind seeing the back of Salazar and her tendency to make robust challenges.
Matildas XI
Australia: Chloe Lincoln (gk), Courtney Nevin, Clare Hunt, Charlotte Grant, Jessika Nash, Emily Van Egmond (capt), Amy Sayer, Hayley Raso, Holly McNamara, Michelle Heyman, Remy Siemsen.
Joe Montemurro swings the changes once again and this time he isn’t messing around with an ultra attacking lineup named to face Panama. Chloe Lincoln makes her starting debut with the gloves. Emily Van Egmond returns as captain after Hayley Raso started with the armband for the first time on Sunday night.
Sam Kerr is not yet ready to return to playing after sustaining a serious knee injury almost 18 months ago. But the Matildas captain has been marking her mark around the squad while joining in parts of training in her home town.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the second women’s football friendly between Australia and Panama, this time at HBF Park in Perth.
The Matildas are out to finish their four-match stretch of friendlies in WA on a high especially after falling to a 1-0 loss to Panama in Bunbury on Sunday. That marked the first defeat of the Joe Montemurro era and came after the Matildas earned a win and a draw against Slovenia in the coach’s first two games in charge.
Montemurro has not only been trying to evolve the game plan with more of a focus on controlling possession, but also taking a closer look at emerging and fringe players that are competing for spots in Australia’s squad at the Women’s Asian Cup and beyond. The Matildas will have another fresh look about them with Teagan Micah left out as a precaution after copping a blow in the first game against Panama, while Alex Chidiac, Emily Gielnik and Kaitlyn Torpey have left the camp as previously planned.
Kick-off is at 6pm AWST / 8pm AEST. I’ll be back soon with more team news. In the meantime, shoot me an email or find me on X @martinpegan and Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social with any questions, thoughts and predictions. Let’s get into it!
