Resilient Australia 'need to be better' in Women's Asian Cup final / Photo: © AFP
Resilient Australia 'need to be better' in Women's Asian Cup final
Australia coach Joe Montemurro praised his team's resilience after they ground into the Women's Asian Cup final, but said they know "deep down in their hearts" it was not an ideal performance.
Strikes from star forwards Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord were enough to withstand a physical challenge from defending champions China 2-1 in Perth on Tuesday.
It propelled them into the continental decider on Saturday in Sydney against either Japan or South Korea as they edge closer to their first Asian Cup crown since 2010.
Montemurro, a former Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon coach, is known as a hard taskmaster and was not entirely happy.
"Our objective of getting to the final is complete, but we know deep down in our hearts that we need to be better, more continuous in terms of the way that we play," he said.
"But we found something again and we got through.
"It's a bit of momentum, it's a bit of belief. Even though we didn't find the continuity that we wanted with the ball, the patches that we did things right were good."
Once again, Australia had their most prolific goalscorer Kerr to thank.
The Chelsea striker is still getting back to full fitness after a lengthy stint on the sidelines with a serious knee injury, but was at her brilliant best when it mattered against China.
She fired home from a tight angle for the winner in the 58th minute -- her fourth goal of the tournament -- after Arsenal's Foord threaded a ball through and she rounded the goalkeeper.
"I always have confidence in my finishing and goal scoring ability, but it takes a lot more than that and I've got a great team behind me," said Kerr.
"I don't know how I made the 90 minutes, I was so tired," she added. "I'm just glad we got over the line."
Kerr is the only survivor from their 2010 Asian Cup triumph, scoring aged just 16 in the final against North Korea.
But she has never lifted any silverware with the current crop of players, many of whom have been alongside her in the team for more than a decade.
"It would honestly mean everything," she said of winning another title with them.
"We've talked about it for ages. This is a dream of ours and these girls are like family to me."
A.Abarca--ESF
