But that’s about all from tonight, as the Matildas’ wrap up a successful April window with a 2-0 win over South Korea, making it two wins from two over the Taeguk Ladies.

Plenty of lessons were reiterated this window – Caitlin Foord is very good, as is Steph Catley and Mary Fowler, and Tameka Yallop is a warrior – but all eyes now turn to next month’s window and the associated home games against Argentina.

What role, if any, will Sam Kerr be able to play in that window? Will the Matildas finally have a new coach in the dugout for those games or, failing that, at least have one named? Will that effect the composition of the squad called up and how they look to set up? Questions for the future, no doubt.

Anyway, my name has been Joey Lynch and it’s been a pleasure to have your company this evening.

Can’t help but notice that Tara Rushton referenced Joe Montemurro as “the new coach of the Matildas” during the Paramount+ interview with Foord. Know something we don’t, Tara? 👀👀👀

Jack Snape’s report on the Matildas’ 2-0 win over South Korea is now live and readable here.

After receiving effusive praise from the panel, Caitlin Foord quizzed on Paramount+ about what she was looking to do when she came on.

“I want to try and do the best I can. I just really wanted to try and secure the ball and keep it when I got it. I just focused on staying in-between the two centre backs and try and narrow them up to create spaces the other girls, and if it opened up, it was there for me.”

As you might be able to tell, I’m in alignment with the Paramount+ panel about what Foord brings to this side.

Mary Fowler is asked on the coverage about being deployed out wide and if that’s her preferred position with the Matildas.

“I play there quite a bit at my club so I feel quite comfortable there, know the role quite there. It was nice getting to play out there tonight.”

90+4 Mins: The free kick is floated in towards the back post but Shin can’t make proper contact with her header and the ball bounces tamely wide of the goal.

90+3 Mins: Pressure from Foord, Fowler, and Davidson almost forces a high turnover but the Koreans are able to keep the ball and eventually work the ball into the Australian’s side of the pitch. Jung gets cleaned up from behind and wins a free kick.

90 Mins: We’ll have four minutes of bonus football, otherwise known as added time, played in Newcastle.

89 Mins: Lee Geum-min, a teammate of van Egmond at Birmingham, is jockeyed by Catley as she advances down the right. She eventually opts to shoot but the defender gets a deflecting touch on it and Micah is able to react quickly enough to prevent it from going out for a corner.

88 Mins: Some late fight beind shown by the Koreans as they get down the left, Choi finding some space on the left to whip a ball in but placing it too close to Micah, who claims.

86 Mins: The Koreans have a goal! No, they don’t, it’s offside!

Kim Hye-ri whips in a free kick from the right and it’s bundled over the goal line by Ko. She was onside when the initial delivery was sent it but, unfortunately for the substitute, it took a glancing touch off Jung after she darted beyond her defender, rendering her offside when the ball arrived to her.

83 Mins: Another foray forward ends with the ball spilling to Catley – marauding up from her new spot on the left – but the ball is knocked out for a corner before she can get a shot off. The set piece is then claimed by Kim.

82 Mins: The hometown hero van Egmond makes way, replaced by Leah Davidson. A change for Korea, too, as Shin comes off for Kim Myeong-Jin.

81 Mins: It’s a goal in either half for the Matildas so far but this second half has been a much more threatening one from Sermanni’s side. They could easily be 3-0 or even 4-0 up at this point.

78 Mins: Foord again! She gets a slight touch on a ball whipped in from the right and forces Kim to dive across to her right and just get enough on it to keep it out. Given the way this game has begun to flow, she’s looking good for a goal tonight.

77 Mins: The crowd for tonight is in and Football Australia have declared that it “smashes” the previous record Matildas crowd at the venue – the 28,019 in the house well clear of the previous record of 20,495 set against the USWNT in 2021.

75 Mins: A bit of spiciness breaks out between Foord and Ko on the right after the former is brought down by Kim.

72 Mins: Wheeler steals the ball in the middle of the park and bursts forward before whipping a ball in. It’s cleared away but only goes as far as Cooney-Cross, who has a long-range effort blocked away.

71 Mins: The Koreans win a series of corners on the left but Ji’s delivery eventually strays too close to Micah and she takes a big grab.

70 Mins: Another change for the Matildas, as Tash Prior comes on in place of Nevin. Catley will push out to left back as the newly introduced sub partners with Hunt in the middle.

68 Mins: Caitlin Foord is really good at football. She’s very good at football. She’s better at football than most people think, and most people already think she’s pretty good.

On this occasion, she’s somehow able to make her way through the Korean backline to create an attempt out of nothing, shooting just wide.

65 Mins: Unfortunately, Lim seems to have properly hurt herself as she looked to get back to defend. She’s being stretchered off the park and will be replaced by Ko Yoo-jin.

59 Mins: Her shiner… well… shining under the lights at McDonald Jones Stadium, Kennedy makes way for Clare Hunt. The other party in that heavy first half collision, Yallop has also come off and been replaced by Kaitlyn Torpey.

A couple of changes for the Koreans, too, as Mun, who went down hurt to provide the stoppage in play for these subs to be made in, is replaced by Jung Da-bin and and Kang comes off for Lee Eun-young.

57 Mins: Yallop gets out into space on the right but she’s forced to wait for teammates to arrive. In the end, with red shirts getting back in greater numbers, she opts to go it alone and whips in a shot from a tight angle that Kim claims at her near post.

55 Mins: Catley is able to jog back off the field and looks like she’s going to be ok to come back on. And she does.

54 Mins: Ruh-roh, Catley is down holding her knee. She was in the right spot at the right time to see off a Korean cross from the right but seemingly jarred it as she cleared the ball away.

53 Mins: The halftime break and presumably some orange slices (or sports drink and other assorted bits of sports science) having rejuvenated their legs, the Matildas are pressing high to start this second half. On this occasion, though, the Koreans have played through it and shifted field position.

51 Mins: Foord continues to flash danger as she gets familiar on the park, coming under heavy pressure as he attempts to dart in front to receive a cross from the right and just unable to turn it on goal.

50 Mins: So despite their heavy coming-together, Kennedy and Yallop have remained out there for Australians – one imagines with the former having been cleared of any kind of concussion after collecting a new shiner.

Assumedly, Sermanni wants the duo – especially Kennedy alongside Catley at centre back – to continue to build up familiarity and comfort with each other but it feels a needless risk in a friendly.

49 Mins: Danger flashed by the Koreans! A free kick is swung in to the back post and then looped back to the top of the six yard box.

Forced to go through a big pack of players to get to the ball, Micah isn’t convincing with her punch but fortunately for the hosts Kang’s resulting header bounces wide.

47 Mins: Round up of the halftime subs for both sides:

Australia: Caitlin Foord on for Holly McNamara
South Korea: Lee Geum-min and Choi Da-kyeong on for Ji So-yun and Choi Yoo-jung.

46 Mins: Foord flashes danger within moments of coming on! A fantastic first touch from the attacker steers a Nevin pass around her marker and sees her break in on goal, with her shot just charged down by Kim.

Looks like Caitlin Foord is coming on for the Matildas at halftime, replacing Holly McNamara.

One thing that’s been very noticeable about the Matildas work in possession is that, especially when denied transition, pretty much everything is going down the flanks. If it’s not there on one side, they’ll reset back to the backline and look to go again, rendering the middle of the park mostly for direction.

Now, the ‘midfield is lava’ is something of a recurring motif for Australian national teams of all stripes so that’s nothing new. But it will be interesting to see if that changes as the game opens up a bit as changes are thrown in during the second half.

Going out on a limb here but with Kennedy’s NWSL season with Angel City just begun and Yallop key to Brisbane Roar’s efforts to secure a place in the A-League Women finals, Sermanni may bring both off after their heavy collision.

45+3 Mins: The ball has been locked into the area surrounding the Korean’s left corner flag for the past few exchanges. That will likely do this half.

45+1 Mins: The Matildas are getting the ball forward once more in an attempt to double their advantage before the half, working the ball around the Koreans shape in an attempt to find some space on the wings to whip a ball in.

41 Mins: I’m sort of padding here as there’s not been much on-field action to write about in these last few minutes. Unless something changes, we look set for a scoreless opening stanza.

38 Mins: Sam Kerr, enveloped in a big puffer jacket to ward off the cold, is shown on the big screen and draws big cheers from the fans in the stands.

Kerrwatch: I

37 Mins: Both Kennedy and Yallop have made their way back onto the park and look set to continue.

Meanwhile, in news that I’m sure will be taken with trademark calmness by Arsenal fans with eyes on the tail end of WSL and UWCL campaigns, Foord, who herself copped a head knock in Sydney, is up and warming up in case she’s needed.

36 Mins: Both players are now back on their feet. Kennedy has just seen the damage on the big screen and looks none-too-impressed.

Both make their way off the park to receive further treatment; the concern for Yallop will be that she’s doing so very gingerly.

33 Mins: Yallop looks like she’s holding onto her left knee after that collision, while Kennedy’s face is already starting to swell and bruise as a golf-ball sized lump emerges. Good lord that thing is huge. And it’s angry!

32 Mins: A heavy collision in the middle of the park sees Kennedy and Yallop remain on the turf as the Koreans break quickly. The move ends with a Mun shot that is comfortably saved by Micah – it was on target, though – but now focus turns to the two injured Matildas.

31 Mins: Kennedy is just able to slide in and get a touch on a pass sent in behind for Mun and while the Korean attacker is able to collect, her momentum is broken and the visitors are forced to reset.

29 Mins: The Koreans are outshooting their opponents three to two across the opening half an hour but, for now, Fowler’s long-range effort is the only shot of the game that’s been on target.

28 Mins: The Koreans do a good job of working the ball into the final third but Mun’s attempt to head the ball down to a teammate is wayward and goes out for a goal kick.

27 Mins: A smart switch of play finds Lee in a bit of space on the left but she’s quickly closed down by Yallop and the Koreans are forced to reset.

26 Mins: The corner is headed away by the Matildas, as is the subsequent ball whipped in from the right when the Koreans win the second ball. Cooney-Cross is clipped from behind as she attempts to sprint out with the ball, earning Kim a yellow card.

25 Mins: Cooney-Cross gets caught in possession and the Koreans look to pounce quickly but their denied by Grant rapidly getting back to snuff out a cross. Nonetheless, the visitors have a corner.

22 Mins: Cooney-Cross gets down the right as the Matildas launch another foray down the wing but the visitor’s are able to snuff out the danger.

21 Mins: Commentary is noting the growth of women’s football in Korea but it’s worth noting that the players have had to fight hard for better working conditions.

20 Mins: The Matildas are enjoying an extended period of territorial dominance as they almost force another turnover at the top of the box.

Finally, though, the Koreans are able to get out in transition and win a throw in up their side of the pitch.

19 Mins: Catley whips the free kick in from the left and it’s headed clear by the Korean defence. van Egmond lifts a leg out to try and meet the descending ball with a volley at the top of the box but doesn’t make proper contact with it and the ball sails harmlessly wide.

18 Mins: Another turnover is forced by the Matildas ends with Yallop setting Wheeler to drive a low cross in that’s headed clear. In the aftermath, Grant is yanked back by Mun and wins a free kick in a dangerous area.

16 Mins: The ball is sent out to Grant on the right but she’s closed down quickly and the Matildas are forced to reset.

Another move down the right sees Yallop find some space and whip a ball in but it just beats the head of a leaping McNamara.

15 Mins: The Matildas work the ball down the left and try to spring McNamara in on the byline but Lim does well to shield the ball as it approaches the line and win a goal kick.

13 Mins: Now it’s the turn of the Matildas to apply some high-pressure and it leads to multiple high turnovers. McNamara and Fowler combine to tee up the latter for a shot that Kim spills in the visitor’s goal, with the keeper just able to scramble out and claim the ball before McNamara can pounce.

11 Mins: The Matildas continue to be asked questions by the Korean’s press as their latest attempt to build out from the back leads to nothing – Arnold knocking a long ball far too beyond any of her teammates.

10 Mins: Another Korean cross is whipped in from the right, with Kennedy getting a defensive header on it to clear the ball away.

8 Mins: Korea’s press has asking a lot of the Matildas. Wheeler coughs the ball up she’s swarmed by red shirts and Ji rolls a dangerous looking attempt just wide of the goal.

Just as they did in Sydney, the Koreans have come to play.

7 Mins: Korea answers back quickly and ask some questions of the Matildas, getting down the right and whipping a ball in that Grant is forced to slide onto and knock out for a corner. The subsequent set piece goes to Kim at the back post but she can’t put her header on target.

6 Mins: McNamara gets up to some mischief! Nevin gets down the left and sends in a tame cross that should have been easily defended by Lim but the Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels’ defender is far too casual and Holly Mac nips in to take it off her boot. Unfortunately for her, she runs out of real estate to control it and it goes out for a goal kick.

5 Mins: Another Korean attack forward sees Mun getting on the ball in her foe’s penalty area but her attempted backheel is picked out. The Matildas look to try and break quickly down the right but are denied transition and forced to reset in possession.

4 Mins: A much more promising breakaway from the Koreans gives them a three on two breakaway. Fortunately for the hosts, the move ends when Mun puts too much mustard on her ball in behind for Kang.

3 Mins: A first foray forward by the Koreans ends with them running afoul of the offside trap.

2 Mins: McNamara fouls her marker as a high ball is lopped into the box. van Egmond knocks the deal ball into the net to a few scattered cheers but the Koreans had stopped defending at that point.

1 Min: The Matildas are looking to build out from the back after winning an early throw-in but after a nascent press starts to come in they can’t progress the ball into Korea’s half.

If you’re keeping track of who has dropped out of the squad for the Matildas, Katrina Gorry didn’t make the trip to Australia after picking up a knock with West Ham, Hayley Raso and Ellie Carpenter came into camp with injuries and weren’t risked, while Mackenzie Arnold has returned to the NWSL with an arm injury.

The anthems are complete, the team photos are done and kickoff is imminent in Newcastle.

The two sides are making their way onto the pitch. The Matildas will be wearing their black away kits this evening (actually playing in Australia is a secondary consideration, clearly) while the Koreans will be in red.

The other name that has been reported around the Matildas’ role has been current Western United men’s boss John Aloisi, who is out-of-contract at the end of the A-League Men season and who has previously been on Football Australia’s radar when the Socceroo job became vacant.

I asked him about his reported candidacy at his press conference ahead of United’s 3-1 win over Perth Glory on Saturday.

“First of all, I’ll say that even for my name to be associated with such a big role like that, that’s exciting. But there’s always going to be speculation. I’m not going to go too much into it. My contract is up, there’s jobs available, there’s jobs around.

“I’m sure that there will be people thinking that I might be right for certain jobs. But at the moment my full focus is on what I’m doing here with Western United. We’ve got five games to go, an important game tomorrow, and that’s all my focus is on at the moment.

“[His talks on returning to Western United are] still ongoing. There’s a bit to get through with that side. At the moment, there’s no progress. We’re just still in talks.”

If Montemurro does come in it’s almost certain that he’d be arriving with a significant mandate. Unlike the last time the Matildas were in the market for a coach when he lost out to Tony Gustavsson, the 55-year-old has significant leverage this time around, with Football Australia absolutely needing him far more than he needs them.

This would likely see him able to bring in plenty of his own staff – his current assistant at Lyon Joe Palatsides was just pictured on the Paramount+ coverage – as well as the power to run things his own way.

The circumstances are different – one caused by a sudden vacancy and the other by a lengthy delay by the federation – but it’s not to dissimilar to the situation with Tony Popovic when Football Australia turned to him to lead the Socceroos; the Golden Generation member able to re-shape the side in his image after being parachuted in to rescue a floundering qualifying campaign after Graham Arnold’s sudden exit.

Will this be Sermanni’s final game in charge of the Matildas? “Who knows,” he saus on the Paramount+ coverage when he’s asked pre-game. Harsh as it might sound, hopefully, given that every day that passes without Football Australia appointing a full-time coach is a day that they don’t get preparing the side for next year’s Asian Cup on home soil.

By all appearances, it seems that the role is Joe Montemurro’s if he wants it. He’s familiar with the squad, has won titles across the A-League Women and Europe, and would seemingly possess the tools to not only stage an assault on the Asian Cup but also manage the urgently-needed rejuvenation in the squad.

However, the former coach of Melbourne City, Arsenal, and Juventus boss (who I like to refer to as the former Brunswick Juventus midfielder) would need to break a contract for next season with French powers Lyon to take up the gig. And even if he does want to move into national team management, the UEFA Women’s Champions League final is on the 25th of May, just five days before the Matildas are next in action against Argentina in Melbourne. So even if he does take the role, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be in place for the next window.

Three changes to the Matildas XI from Sermanni, as Nevin, Fowler and Wheeler come into the team for Jamilla Rankin, Winnie Heatley, and Caitlin Foord.

Probably not a surprise to see Foord make way; she suffered a blow to the schnozz on Friday night and is in the middle of a packed WSL season with Arsenal.