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Matildas & China Draw In Tentative Display Australia vs China
   Australia 0 drew with China 0 
This first meeting of these two now co-Confederation national teams on a tour by China was an odd affair, with the first half almost a slow motion game of drills, and indeed it was only once Australian Coach Tom Sermani brought on young substitutes Lisa de Vanna and Collette McCallum that the fireworks started.
China have been rebuilding, lost to Serbia & Montenegro two weeks before, and have slumped in the FIFA rankings from top 4 to 9. With Australia ranked 16 having grabbed a 2-1 win and a 0-2 loss on the July tour of China, a close game was expected. Australia returned undefeated from a tour of the USA early last month and this was their first game at home since March.
The Australian team is settling now with only 4 starting changes from the experimental team that lost to Japan in March this year.
The Central Coast Stadium was an excellent venue for this first of two full internationals, with a superb surface despite the rain.
 (Rhian Davies (6) - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
Both teams started with very static 4-4-2 formations (indeed China formed up like marching girls for the kick-off), and they negated each other with little creativity shown.
It was not until the 13th minute that this scribe put pen to paper, when China's No 9, Han Duan, cut neatly inside Thea Slatyer on the left but shot just wide of the left upright.
Fast forward to the 39th minute when from a cross from the right by Thea Slatyer striker Katie Gill got a header in that was deflected wide of the far post for a corner.
It was just a well that the rain, day and time of the game, and lack of publicity meant that only a keen few saw the first half because that was the sum total of excitement. To give the players their due it was 6 weeks for Australia and 2 weeks for China since they had played a full game, and this was in heavy conditions.
 (Lisa de Vanna (11) had an impact - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
In the 48th minute Ma Xiaoxu sent in a long range speculator from the left that skidded off the greasy surface and Australian 'keeper Melissa Barbieri had to struggle to hold. A minute later Ma, who was proving a handful, made a run into the area on the right but Barbieri was out quickly to cover.
Again the game settled down, although China perhaps had the better shape, and Australia's midfield was ragged, with only Sally Shippard really making any impression.
In the 61st minute Chen Xiaoxu shot from distance, and although on target it was intercepted by a defender.
Australian Coach Tom Sermani, who had been in the stand with other FFA officials, made crucial substitutions. Aggressive Western Australian striker Lisa de Vanna, who did not tour the USA, came on for a lacklustre Sarah Walsh, and fellow Sandgroper Collette McCallum likewise for Kylie Ledbrook, in the 64th and 63rd minutes respectively.
This fired up the Australian team, as Heather Garriock teamed up with De Vanna down the left flank, and the midfield started to think outside the square and create chances for Katie Gill and De Vanna.
 (Heather Garriock (7) fends off Ma Xiaoxu (10) - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
A precise through ball down the left to De Vanna from Garriock in the 66th minute - who sliced through the static Chinese defence but was not able to find a player up front.
One minute later Garriock lobbed the defence and Katie Gill got her foot to the ball, alas sending it spinning just wide on the right.
Gill, given decent service at last, had a hand in another chance that the Chinese 'keeper Han Wenxia did well to touch over the crossbar.
Australia were disappointed in the 71st minute when Gill neatly had the ball nestling in the back of the net off a lob from Joanne Peters - but she was rightly judged off-side.
McCallum took a 79th minute free-kick that Gill couldn't quite get a strong enough touch to, and a few minutes later De Vanna got into position for a snap shot that the keeper was able to control.
It was now all Australia and it seemed only a matter of time before a break-through. Caitlin Munoz laid the ball back outside the penalty area 5 minutes later and Alicia Ferguson, who hadn't got forward much, let fly but it went wide of the right upright.
A great move in the 88th minute when de Vanna bustled her way through down the left and got the ball to Garriock inside. Garriock knocked the ball over her shoulder to a charging Shippard who connected with a solid header that was touched around the post.
China were nowhere to be seen as Shippard got forward again to intercept a ball played across the goal, but her injury time strike from 5m was touched around the post by the now overworked Chinese 'keeper Han Wenxia.
The teams now continue to train on the NSW Central Coast, with a training game at Mingara on Monday at 7pm, and the Young Matildas will take on the Chinese in another practice game on Thursday 1 Dec at 1pm at Mingara. The teams move to Sydney on Saturday and play a full international fixture, a curtain raiser at 5pm at Aussie Stadium before the A-League game between Sydney and Melbourne on 3 Dec.
 (Lisa de Vanna (11) grafting hard - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
Australia vs China
 (Sally Shippard (15) pressuring in midfield - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
Crowd: Rose from approx. 300 at kick-off to an est. 1,500 (Early game before the Central Coast Mariners vs Qld Roar game 3 hours later)
MATCH STATS:
Australia
Yellow Cards:
Nil China
Yellow Cards:
10. Ma Xiaoxu 41' Referee: Krystyna Szokolai (Aus) 7/10 Pitch: 9/10 - heavy rain through the day only made it heavy Game rating: 5/10 Best Players :
Australia: Cheryl Salisbury, Thea Slatyer, Sally Shippard, Heather Garriock Match
Report by Chris Dunkerley  (Collette McCallum (14) impact off bench - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
 (Collette McCallum (14) - Photo Jason Wright - BOTN)
 (Thea Slatyer (4) - Photo Corey Davis)
 (Sarah Walsh (8) - Photo Corey Davis )
The Qantas Matildas squad for the China matches is:
Qantas Matildas v China (Full International)
Young Matildas - Sunday 27 November 2005
The Qantas Young Matildas coach Alistair Edwards has named his squad for the upcoming match game against the visiting Chinese national team next Thursday.
The squad comes together on Tuesday at The Entrance on the NSW Central Coast and will play a practice game at the Mingara Recreational Club at Tumbi Umbi.
The squad is: Crafted
lovingly by hand |
