Australia's hopes of Asian Cup glory have been dealt a major blow after star duo Hayley Raso and Steph Catley were ruled out of Friday night's quarter-final clash with North Korea in Perth. Raso was concussed in the 4-0 win over Iran on March 5, while Catley suffered a concussion in Sunday's 3-3 draw with South Korea.
Under AFC rules, there is no mandated period on the sidelines for concussed players at the Asian Cup, meaning both Raso and Catley remained in the running to play against North Korea. However, Matildas coach Joe Montemurro ruled a line through both of them on Thursday. "They're tracking well. They were very close, but they won't be included in the squad tomorrow," Montemurro said.
Montemurro joked that he may have to play Sam Kerr at left-back, but Courtney Nevin is expected to fill the void after struggling in the draw with South Korea. Montemurro expressed confidence in his squad's depth, stating, "We've got enough backup in our squad and we believe in the back-up that we've got to come in."
Australia bombed out in the quarter-finals at the 2022 Asian Cup, and there is huge pressure to avoid a repeat flop, especially on home soil. Kerr said the Matildas are focusing on past successes, such as the 4-0 win over Canada at the 2023 home World Cup and the 4-3 extra-time win over Great Britain at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, to mentally prepare for Friday's make-or-break game.
"I think we've been building ourselves up in the tournament. I don't think yet we've had a top performance, but we're saving that for tomorrow," Kerr said. "It's a good thing we haven't peaked too early, and I think the best is yet to come." If Australia reach the semi-finals, they will also secure qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
