Quarterfinals Await: Matildas Set to Face North Korea, Plus Aussie Men Wrap

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Foreign.

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Hello and welcome to the Aussie Football Passport, your one stop pod for updates

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on your favourite Aussie men and women footballers who are playing their club careers

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abroad. I'm your host Alex and in this week's episode I will update

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you on the Matilda's two group games and what's next along

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with scores from all the other games at the Women's Asian cup so

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far. Then there is the usual wrap of goals, assists, clean sheets and

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unfortunately some more injury news. Yes, it does

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sound like deja vu. I think that was the intro for last week's show as

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well. Anyway, let's get into it with the headlines.

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And let's start with the Matildas games from last

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week. The first one was against Iran where they defeated

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them 40 in match day two of group A and that

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game was on the Gold Coast. A double from Alana Kennedy

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scored either side of halftime and a goal each from Amy Sayer and Mary

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Fowler was enough to secure the Matilda's progression to the quarterfinals.

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It could have been more however VAR ruled out two goals correctly

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for offside. The scorers were Caitlin Ford and Sam Queuer.

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Of those offside goals, Joe Montemuro made five changes from

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the side that defeated the Philippines one nil in the opening match.

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In defense, Charlie's Rule and Courtney Nevin replaced Steph Catley

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and Winona Heatley. Alana Kennedy and Mary Fowler came into midfield for Katrina

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Gorey and Claire Wheeler whilst Amy Sayer replaced Haley Rasso up front.

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The move to start Amy Sayer paid dividends as the

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she opened the scoring with a cross or a shot or a cross shot depending

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on who you ask. Even Amy herself. No doubt that performance was

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much more like the Matildas we know and love with Iran also deciding

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to press higher which played into the Matilda's hands I thought particularly

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in that first half. Then it's fair to say in the second half Iran just

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completely decided to stop playing football whatsoever. There's lots

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of feigning of injuries, there was cramp, there's blatant time wasting and

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unfortunately it was. It seemed to be a bit of a theme that we'll get

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onto in the second game against South Korea as well.

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So a little bit disappointing. It's not what we expect from women's football.

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It's usually a lot better behaved than men's football. I think you'll agree with

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me on that. We got to see some minutes for Holly McNamara,

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Remy Seemson and Hayley Rasso, although Rasso was hit

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twice in the face with the ball from Point blank

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range and eventually she was actually substituted under the concussion

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protocols. Late on in that match, Michelle Heyman came on

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to replace her. So also good to see Michelle Heyman come on and get some

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minutes there. Steph Catley and Caitlin Torpy also came on in this

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game. Here are Joe Montemuro and player of the match Alana Kennedy

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discussing the game. So could you please share with us your analysis

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of the match? Yeah, look, you know, I've said from day one it's important

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we grow into the tournament and you know, obviously the

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consideration of obviously the quick

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turnaround of Sunday's game, but also to make sure that we're

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taking the steps forward in the way we want to play and obviously in

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terms of being able to adapt to different structures and organisations against

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certain teams. So a positive step forward.

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Thank you. So what about Ms. Kennedy? Could you please

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share us with your review on the performance?

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Maybe. Yeah, I'd probably echo what Jo said.

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We're growing into the tournament. The aim was

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to obviously win the game. I think there's things that we definitely

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could improve. But going into the next match, I think that was,

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you know, the job done and now we're looking to grow

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and be even better next match. Congratulations on the win. Alana, after not

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starting the first game, what was your mindset for this one to come out and

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deliver that performance? Yeah, I think for me it was

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just to keep things simple, grow into the game and

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do the role that I've been asked to sit and be an anchor in

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that six role and just, I guess try

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and support at the back as well, a bit of balance.

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And yeah, obviously for me scoring isn't something that I

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do often, but I was happy to get a couple of goals as well.

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How's Hayley? Because she had a couple of rough knocks.

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Yeah, we're assessing it at the moment. Obviously, you know, those sort of injuries,

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we didn't want to take any risks so we got her off as quick as

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we could. And as I said, the medical staff, as I was leaving, they were

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sort of starting to analyse the situation.

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So we'll let you know as the hours go on

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and what the outcome of it.

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Thanks to Football Australia and the AFC for that audio.

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Now let's get on to the second game, which was against South Korea

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and the Matildas ended the group stage in second place after a three all

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draw with South Korea. They went on to top the group with a superior

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goal difference. So bit of a shame there for the Matildas.

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They were disappointed, but let's get on to a bit of the analysis of the

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match because Alana Kennedy bagged yet another brace to

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become the top scorer of the tournament. Sam Kerr was

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also on the score sheet in this one. Joe Montemuro made another

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five changes from the side that defeated Iran 4

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nil on Thursday. Mackenzie Arnold made her first start for

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the tournament, replacing Chloe Lincoln in goal. In midfield, Katrina Gorey

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and Claire Wheeler replaced Amy Sayer and Emily Van Egbond.

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Winona Heatley replaced Charlie Rule at centre back

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whilst Steph Catley came in for Courtney Nevin on the

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left. However, Catley only played 19 minutes coming off

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under concussion protocols due to a head injury

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suffered early in the game. She was replaced by Courtney Nevin

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who had a tough evening I think it's pretty fair to say unfortunately when

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defending inside her own box, Nevin's arm was hit by the ball

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from a South Korean cross which resulted in a penalty correctly given

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in my opinion. South Korea levelled the game at 2 all and then made

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it 32 in a matter of minutes. Halftime substitute Kong

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Chae Rim managed to get past Devon to then place a pinpoint finish

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across goal that perhaps Arnold could have done better with to take the lead.

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So also unfortunate for Mackenzie coming in playing her first

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game in the tournament and conceding three goals.

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The Matildas as always never gave up and had to

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fight until the end to find that equalizer.

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It came via the unlikely source that is Alana Kennedy whose

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powerful strike leveled the match at three all in added time,

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of which there was plenty due to South Korea's time wasting efforts

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throughout that game, particularly once they took the lead.

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It's pretty fair to say. Whilst it will be a disappointing

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result as you'll hear shortly, it should be noted that this means the Matildas

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will not cross paths while with Japan until the final, should both sides

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make it that far of course and this was noted by Petti

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in the Asian cup preview that we did a couple of weeks

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ago. The downside however is that the Matildas travel

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back to Perth to face North Korea on Friday night so

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that added travel not ideal. If they had have won that game they would have

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topped the group and they could have stayed in Sydney to to play their next

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opponent. We will bring you the wrap of that game on next

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week's episode. Now let's hear the thoughts of Joe Montemuro on that

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game. You tell us your thoughts on the defensive performance. In particular

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the South Koreans spoke about how they look to exploit your centre

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backs. How do you feel things panned out from the back.

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Yeah, we got, especially the first goal we got exposed.

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Didn't manage that well.

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Apart from that, I didn't really feel that there was much.

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I probably am more concerned, you know,

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that we didn't control the game with the ball well when we should have those

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moments, I think hurt us. You know, it was very specific coming

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in after half time to make sure we manage the ball

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well. We didn't do that and got punished for it.

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How's Stefan there? And I guess how do you,

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given the tight turnaround to the quarterfinal, pick up Courtney

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Nevin, who had the handball and probably could have

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and then had the goal on her side. How do you kind of make sure

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that when it comes to kick off next week that she's ready and willing

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to deliver for you? Well, look, I mean, we'll obviously do

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our reconnaissance to our work, look at areas where whoever we

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play, make sure that we're prepared,

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you know. You know, obviously we were in this situation.

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Steph was taken off for a concussion issue and

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just moving forward on that, there was a lot of confusion with the concussion

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sub. It wasn't registered. Look, I wonder if you could just elaborate on

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the room for improvement. What are you going to be working on in the next

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five days before your next match? Oh, we've got to keep the ball better.

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We can't afford to. You know, it's been the

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thing that I've been endorsing from day one. And when we do it,

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we do it well. And then we started to force things when we

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didn't need to, when the momentum wasn't there and the game got scrappy

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and it got to a point which I didn't like,

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to be honest. But there were some very, very good

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moments also in the first half. I think there were some chances we probably should

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have made, maybe converted, but we didn't manage. We didn't manage

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the moments well with the ball. That's, that's the honest truth. And you

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know, all credit to Korea, they managed. They managed the game a little bit better

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than us. Thanks once again to football Australia and the AFC

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for that audio. Now let's go around the

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grounds. At the Asian cup so far in the remaining matchday one

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games, China defeated Bangladesh Sunil in their Group B match up.

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Whilst in Group c, Japan defeated

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Taiwan 20 and Vietnam defeated India

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2 1. Match day two saw South Korea defeat

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the Philippines 30 in group A. In group B,

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North Korea defeated Bangladesh 5 nil and China beat Uzbekistan

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3 0. In group C, Taiwan defeated Vietnam

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1 nil and Japan absolutely thrashed India

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11 nil. Then the final match day match

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day three saw the Philippines defeat Iran

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2 nil, which means Iran are eliminated and the Philippines remain

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a chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals as one of the best third

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place teams in the group stage. In Group

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B, uzbekistan defeated Bangladesh 4 nil to keep

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their hopes alive of being one of the best third place teams and

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China defeated North Korea 2 1, meaning the Matildas will play North

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Korea in the quarterfinals. As I mentioned just a moment ago,

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India play Taiwan and Japan play Vietnam in the

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remaining fixtures in Group C, which are happening as I record this

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very podcast that will ultimately decide who progresses

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and then who plays each other in the quarterfinals. So I'll bring you the

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scores from those games and then how that affected who faced up against

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who and who qualified as those best third place teams

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from the group stages. Now let's move on to that unfortunate

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sub segment here. Injury News it's been confirmed by Brisbane

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Raw that Nick d' Agostino will be out of action for six weeks with

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a knee injury, which will also rule him out of those March internationals

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against Curacao and Cameroon. The attacking options

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are thinning by the week, so what will Popper do? Will he bring in

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Ante Suto or will he play someone out of position up

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there in that number nine role? Speaking of attackers,

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Ariyaf Piol, another potential bolter. He started the season

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in great form for Al Salt Lake. If you cast your mind back to last

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week's episode, he did score what turned out to be the winner in

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their game against Seattle. However, it's turned out that he was

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substituted with an injury and it was a ruptured Achilles tendon.

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Ouch for Ariyaf there. So it

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means that he is going to be out for a long time. I believe it's

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a nine month recovery for that one. So this season completely

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wiped out for Ariyaf and it's an absolute shame because he looks

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like a man on a mission this season for Raoul Salt Lake. I wish him

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all the best in his recovery. Now Tony Popovic held a press conference on

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Tuesday and there were some injury updates in that one,

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most notably regarding Harry Souter and Kasuni Yengi.

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Harry Soutar's setback was a knee injury which has

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required a further four to six weeks of recovery.

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So that's why we haven't heard too much about Harry

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Souter of late. Of course, I think probably about a month ago I

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did mention that Harry Soutar was back training in contact training.

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However, that setback has now been revealed by Tony

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Popovich in that press conference. However, he is now

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back in full training with the team and it is hoped that he might be

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available to return for his club side Leicester. However, to throw a spanner

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in the works, Leicester have a new coach there so that might

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complicate things for him. Of course he'll have to win trust of the new

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coach. Now. Kasuni Yengi was a notable absentee last

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week for Setuzo Osaka and now we know why. Because Poppa revealed

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that Kasuni Yangi has a quad injury and that will sideline

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him for two to three months. So the attacking options really are

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thing out. So that led to Popper being asked what he

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might do with that number nine role and he did say that he

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is looking at potentially playing wingers in that role,

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so that's an interesting take. He also said that Adam Hustic

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and Riley McGree are number tens and they could look to run beyond

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that number nine or whoever is playing that number nine role,

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so there's some options there. I'm not sure I like the sound of that,

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but let's see what Popper decides to do. I think someone like an Dante Sutor

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is worth a punt. Mitch Duke hasn't really lit it up in the A league

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so far, so puts a bit of a dampener on it. Let's see what Popper

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does with that socceroos selection for the March friendlies.

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Anyway, that's it for the headlines. Next up,

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Weekly Wrap.

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All right, weekly wrap time and of course the ladies

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are still on their international break so no news of our ladies

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that didn't make the Matilda squad playing for their club abroad at

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the moment to bring you. So I will do that once they're back in action.

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So let's start with our men and our men in

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the championship in particular because Riley McGree started and played 83

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minutes for Middlesbrough in their thrashing of QPR for

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nil. Daniel Benny got 11 minutes as a late second

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half substitute for QPR whilst his Aussie teammate Keely Adamson remained

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on the bench. Cameron Burgess started and played a full game.

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Surprise, surprise because he has not missed a minute for Swansea City

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this season. Believe it or not, it's very impressive and no

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doubt why he will be one of the first names on De Soccero's

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team sheet anyway, he helped his side keep their 11th clean sheet

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of the season as Swansea City Defeated Stoke City 2 nil.

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Adrian Sega Chic fresh off a bit of a blasting from

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his coach last week he didn't start but he came on in the 70th minute

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for Portsmouth in their one old draw with Blackburn Road Rovers. Let's drop

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down a division to Ligue 1 where Alex Robertson started and played a

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full game for Cardiff City in their two nil loss to Lincoln

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City. Cardiff now drops to second place but crucially remain

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in the automatic promotion places in the league.

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Caleb Watts started, played 73 minutes and provided

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an assist as his side Plymouth Argyle defeated Doncaster Rovers

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2 1. Rafael Borges Rodriguez started

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and played 56 minutes for Wigan and provided their only assist as

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they drew one all with Blackpool. Now let's head

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to Scotland where Dundee United beat St Mirren 21 in a

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battle of the Aussies. Ashley Maynard Brewer started and played the

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full game in goals whilst Zach Sapsford got 22 minutes off

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the bench. Ryan Strain was not in the matchday squad for Dundee

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United. Keanu Backus played the full game for St Mirren in midfield.

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Then at the weekend Keanu backers started and played 64 minutes for

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St Mirren in the Scottish cup as they beat Partick Thistle

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FC 21 to advance to the next round. Dundee United

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lost 21 to Falkirk in the Scottish Cup. Both Ashley

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Maynard Brewer and Zach Sapsford started and played the full game for United whilst

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Ryan Strain was on the bench but did not get any minutes.

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Nicholas Milanovic started but was substituted at

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halftime as his side Aberdeen, the current Scottish cup champions were

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eliminated by Dunfermline Athletic who are a second

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division side in a massive upset there. The final score

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there 30 to Dunfermline Athletic. Oscar Priestman played at

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47 minutes for Motherwell in their upset loss to dundee

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which ended 2:1. Still no sign of Johnny Katrumbas and

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no news as to whether he's injured. In disappointing news for

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the fullback. Now to Italy where Alessandro Circati started and played

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a full game helping inside Parma keep a clean sheet in Dennis or

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draw with Fiorentina. Now to Germany where Jackson Irvine started

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and played a full game for St Pauli in Daniel or draw if Eintracht

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Frankfurt. Conor Metcalfe came off the bench in the 82nd minutes

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for his side St Pauli. Now to Spain where Matt

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Ryan started and played the full game in goal for Levante in a one all

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draw with Girona. He was heading for a clean sheet.

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However there was some VAR controversy. What a surprise. The goal

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that Girona scored initially was disallowed because

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their player was in an offside position and obscured Ryan's

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view, but upon review by Var. The referee overturned his

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own decision and allowed the goal to stand. The result means Levante

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are three points from safety. Alamobile came on in the 68th

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minute for Castiglion in a 42 lost Terrell Sociedad

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B. Let's move on to Croatia where Fran Karasic started and played

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a full game for NK Osijk in their 10 win over NK Istra

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1961. Now to the Netherlands where Jordan Boss

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played a full game and assisted for Feyenoord as they drew three all

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with NAC Breider. Max Ballard played the full game for Breda

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back to Boss and it was his sixth assist of

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the season. Fantastic stuff for Boss. Aden Trustic played

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a full game for Heather Cleese Alamello in a nil or draw with FC Utrecht.

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His Aussie teammate Reece Bozanowski started and played 77

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minutes in that one. Now to Austria where Jacob Italiano

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is getting consistent minutes which is great to see on his return from injury.

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He started and played 79 minutes for Grazer AK in their 2 nil

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loss to WSG. Tyrrell Jed Drew came on as a second half substitute

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getting 22 minutes in Hartberg's 10 draw with Blau

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Weiss Lindsay now to Poland where Deniuric played 28

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minutes as a second half substitute for his side of Visa plok in

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their 30 loss to Alka Gadinha. And of course

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Denny Uric might be a very good chance of being named

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in that socceroos side considering he is a

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striker, he is fit and he is playing minutes for his club

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side. Now to Cyprus where Milos Degenerate came off the bench in the

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19th minute due to an injury for Apoll Nicosia in

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a nil or draw with Anthoris Famagosta

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fc. Now to check out where Garon Qual

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started and played 69 minutes for Sparta Prague in midweek

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Czech cup action against FK Malada Boleslav.

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The match finished nil or before Malada won 42

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on penalties. Goring then came off the bench in the

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68th minute for Sparta Prague as they lost the local derby 31

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to SK Slavia Prague. Not only was it the derby but it

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was also a top of the table clash there. Now rounding out the men's

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weekly wrap action in Northern America where Patrick Gazbeck played

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a full game and assisted twice for Nashville in a 31

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win over Minnesota United. FC Kyros

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played a full game for DC United in a 21 loss to Inter Miami.

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Kai Truan and Aiden O' Neill both played the full game as

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New York City FC recorded a dominant 50 win over Orlando City

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SC. Truin started in midfield but was moved back to

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center back as substitutes were made in the second half.

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Now finally, Lucas Harrington started and played the full game for Colorado

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Rapids in their very surprising 41 win over

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LA Galaxy. All right, that's it for the weekly wrap. Next up, Players of

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the Week and I'll round out this week's episode of the Aussie Football Passport.

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All right, Players of the Week time and well,

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it can only be one lady that gets the Player of the Week award

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this week, isn't it? It's Alana Kennedy. Who'd have thought she would

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be the Matilda's top scorer of the group stage? Well, I certainly didn't,

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I can tell you that much. Remember there were discussions after the

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December Internationals about her place in the squad.

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Well, they are long gone. After a couple of star performances in that

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midfield role that has seen her score two races in two games,

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it's hard to see her losing a spot for the quarterfinal game on

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Friday, particularly as she has proven to be the vital

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goal source that her side has needed. Let's see what happens.

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Let's hope she keeps it up and let's hope that the Matildas

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can get the job done against North Korea. More importantly.

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All right, Men's Player of the Week and it's Joe Gauche because

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he has had an exceptional week. I mean Patrick Yazbeck did well with two

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assists in one game. But let me tell you why Joe Gauche got Player of

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the Week. He played two FA cup games. Yes, two. And he kept

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two clean sheets as his side, Port Vale progressed to

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the quarterfinals of the competition. This is despite the club

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languishing in the relegation zone. 11 points from safety

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in League One in midweek, Joe Gauche played the full game as

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his side overcame Bristol City in extra time. The final score

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in that one was one nil. Then at the weekend they then beat

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Sunderland, who are a Premier League side might I add.

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And it was one nil this time in regulation time.

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Gachi played the full game in that one also. And Gachi

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and Portvale have been drawn against Chelsea in the next round of

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the FA cup which will take place on the 5th of April.

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Australia, Australian time. But back to Joe Gauchi.

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It's a timely reminder from the big man before the upcoming March Internationals

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and where the race for the third goalkeeping spot in that Socceroos side heats

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up. Let's see if he gets the call from pop up in a week or

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so's time. Anyway, that's it for another week of the Aussie football passport.

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I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please share this show with anyone you may

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think like it. I would absolutely appreciate it. Thank you very much.

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If you want to hear how our Aussie head coaches are going abroad,

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let me know in the comments or get in touch on social media and I

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can add that as a new sub segment within the weekly wrap.

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Thanks for listening and I'll catch you in the next episode. Goodbye for