Matildas v South Korea LIVE updates: Injury-hit Aussies claim 1-0 win over South Korea

The biggest cheers of the night - aside from the goal - were for a player who didn’t take the field. It was always going to be that way, of course, given Sam Kerr’s re-integration into the Matildas, and the controversy that has swirled around her for the past year.

All of that is over now, or it should be at least. Every time Kerr was shown on the big screen at Allianz Stadium on Friday, the crowd of nearly 38,000 went crazy.

Mackenzie Arnold and Sam Kerr.Credit: Getty Images

“You read a lot of stuff, you hear a lot of stuff,” said interim coach Tom Sermanni after Australia’s 1-0 win over South Korea.

“The real Matildas supporters showed what they think of Sam Kerr, and they’re absolutely delighted to have her back. As are the team, as are the staff. She’s been a really positive influence around the squad, and hopefully it’s not too long before she’s back on the pitch.”

The Matildas could certainly do with her potency in the final third. They were lacking a little in that department, struggling to generate many clear-cut chances against the team that ended their last Asian Cup campaign; the only goal was an own goal, off the head of South Korean defender Lim Seon-joo in the 54th minute, after a tantalising cross by Emily van Egmond.

Generally, the hosts were in control, though they had less possession than the visitors. But they defended well, kept a clean sheet and a couple of new-ish faces - in particular, Holly McNamara and Jamilla Rankin - impressed with their energy and efforts, helping fill the void left by half a dozen key players, like Ellie Carpenter, Hayley Raso, Mackenzi Arnold and Katrina Gorry, who are all injured.

They came away with no new injuries, too, so it was a pretty decent night at the office all round, though a long way from perfect.

The most important thing was that they won, something they hadn’t done before in 2025 after their nightmare campaign at the SheBelieves Cup, which shook their own belief.

“It was really critical to win, and to win with a clean sheet makes it even better,” Sermanni said.

Holly McNamara.Credit: Getty Images

“I was really pleased with how the players went about the job. It’s no secret that the SheBelieves [Cup] wasn’t a great tournament for us, for a whole variety of reasons - and then we’ve come in tonight and obviously [important players have] been injured, and we’re managing minutes with some of the other players.

“When you put all that together, I thought it was a really terrific effort from the team, and more like how we want to play. If you look back at our last several games ... we’ve kind of been on the back foot from the start, and we’ve conceded goals early, and always been chasing the game. But I thought tonight, our attitude from the start was very good.”

They go again on Monday night in Newcastle, where another big crowd will await.

The Matildas have kicked off their 2026 Asian Cup preparations with a 1-0 win on home soil over local rivals South Korea.

Australia broke the deadlock at Allianz Stadium by way of an own goal in the 54th minute before withstanding a late South Korean challenge in front of 37,199 fans on Friday night.

Their victory over the world No.19 outfit is their first of the year following a disastrous SheBelieves Cup campaign in February.

The Matildas celebrate their goal.Credit: Getty Images

The Matildas had left the US-based tournament without a single point and slumped to No.16 in the world, their equal-worst position in the history of the FIFA world rankings.

It was also Australia’s first win over South Korea since their heartbreaking Asian Cup quarter-final loss in 2022.

Caitlin Foord had won the ball back in their defensive half and broke away from the pack to pass off to Emily van Egmond on the left wing.

Van Egmond sent a slicing cross towards goal before Lim Seon-Joo intercepted with a header.

But the deflection proved unfavourable for the visitors, with the ball crossing the line despite the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Kim Min-Jeong.

Mary Fowler came on for Tameka Yallop in the 72nd minute and almost scored seven minutes later when her left-footed shot missed by centimetres.

South Korea burst to life in the final 20 minutes of regulation time, with Shin Na-Yeong almost equalising with a header.

But Australia’s goalkeeper Teagan Micah, standing in for injured Mackenzie Arnold, held her nerve to keep the clean sheet.

Steph Catley wore the armband.Credit: Getty Images

Foord had the best opportunity in the first half, testing keeper Kim Min-jeong in the 45th minute after a scorching run down the corridor.

The powerful Arsenal forward had sent a scare through the Matildas camp, already without a raft of stars, when she went down in agony in the 20th minute.

Foord had gone face-first into the back of opposition Choe Yu-ri’s head.

But she was able to return to the game, having only suffered a bleeding nose.

Australia had lost No.1 goalkeeper Arnold just hours before kick-off to an arm injury picked up in training.

Arnold joins Ellie Carpenter (ankle), Hayley Raso (thigh), Katrina Gorry (ankle) and captain Sam Kerr (knee) on the sidelines.

Gorry had withdrawn ahead of the international window while Carpenter and Raso were ruled out earlier in the week with pre-existing injuries.

Kerr was flanked by the injured quartet on the sidelines at Allianz Stadium in her first Matildas camp since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in January last year.

The superstar striker, who avoided being stripped of the Matildas captaincy following her high-profile UK court case in February, was met with thunderous applause when shown on the stadium’s big screens.

Australia will play South Korea again on Monday at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium.

And that’s it! The five minutes of stoppage time have elapsed and the game is over.

The Matildas have prevailed 1-0 over South Korea, notching their first win of 2025, and a modicum of revenge over the side that knocked them out of the last Asian Cup in the quarter-finals.

All in all, the home side put in a good performance, and secured a result that will boost their confidence levels after their bruising SheBelieves Cup campaign. While they could have been a little cleaner in the final third, and didn’t generate too many clear-cut chances, they were mostly in control all night - and that own goal by Lim Seon-joo in the 54th minute, which came after a tantalising Emily van Egmond cross from the left, might have been tucked away by a green and gold shirt anyway.

For the nearly 40,000 fans who came out to see the Matildas, they’ll go home happy.

Emily van Egmond has come off and Clare Hunt replaces her.

Australia 1-0 South Korea, 89 minutes

Ooft. So close for Korea, there, at a corner kick as Shin Nae-yeong’s header is tipped just wide of the bottom corner by Teagan Micah.

That was a really, really good save - and she’s needed again to clear the danger from the corner that followed, too.

The visitors are finishing strong here. Now they have a free kick outside of the box, this could be anything… yeah, it’s nothing. A speculative shot after an Australian defensive header finds a pink shirt. Well over the target.

Australia 1-0 South Korea, 87 minutes

Finally, a head is found from an Australian corner kick - it’s Heyman, and her shot was on target, too, but was blocked on the line by a Korean defender.

They want a second goal here. So does the crowd. They keep playing like this, it’ll come.

Australia 1-0 South Korea, 83 minutes

...not that she meant it, but substitute Choi Dak-yeong’s attempted cross from the left almost snuck in over Teagan Micah!

And wow - seconds later, some fantastic work by Mary Fowler to shake off three defenders and shoot on her non-preferred left foot... it deflects just wide of the far post. That was her first substantial involvement and it was nearly decisive!

So the Matildas will have a corner.

Nothing comes of it.

Australia 1-0 South Korea, 79 minutes

The official attendance figure for tonight has landed: 37,199.

Strong crowd for a meaningless friendly with so many fan favourites injured.

Australia 1-0 South Korea, 76 minutes

Matildas fever. Still a thing.Credit: Getty Images