The CommBank ParaMatildas kicked off their 2022 IFCPF Women’s World Cup campaign last night against the Netherlands, recording a 12-0 win in the side’s first-ever victory in their first international match.
Tahlia Blanshard, Lainee Harrison, Katelyn Smith (GK), Eloise Northam (c) and Georgia Beikoff made up the history-making starting five, and the latter would make history just three minutes into the fixture, scoring the ParaMatildas first-ever international goal.
Beikoff didn’t stop there, doubling Australia’s advantage with a shot from just inside the box. Northam found herself on the scoresheet not long after, finishing an impressive run past the Netherlands keeper at the near post. Beikoff then had herself another, rounding off her hat-trick in the opening seven minutes. A long throw from Northam found the number 10 in the box, who nodded home from close range.
History repeated itself with another long ball through from the skipper finding Beikoff’s head, putting the ParaMatildas 5-0 up in the opening eight minutes.
Beikoff then turned provider, playing Harrison through for her first of the game. The next goal – and perhaps the most memorable of the game – came from the foot of keeper Katelyn Smith. A free-kick just inside Australia’s half was sent into the top corner, unsavable for the Dutch keeper and giving the ParaMatildas a 7-0 lead going into the break.
Head coach Kelly Stirton made her first change of the game after the half-time break, with Nicole Christodoulou coming on to replace Lainee Harrison.
Australia picked up right where they left off in the first half, with Beikoff picking the ball up at halfway and sending her shot into the bottom corner for her fifth and Australia’s eighth of the afternoon.
Skipper Northam scored her second of the game not long after, finding the back of the net from within her own half.
Stirton made another change with a nine-goal buffer, replacing Tahlia Balndshard with 15-year-old Charlize Tran. Tran, the youngest member of the side, found the back of the net just 12 minutes after coming on. The second-half substitutes linked up to give Australia a 10-0 advantage.
Beikoff had another to finish off her double hat-trick, lobbing the keeper from the halfway line. Christodoulou found her first of the tournament, catching the Netherlands defence unable to clear the ball from the back to round out the scoring for the afternoon.
Matilda Mason then replaced Eloise Northam to see out the 12-0 win for Australia. This win puts the CommBank ParaMatildas at the top of the group after one game, with their next opponent’s Japan also recording a win in their opening game.
Watch all the highlights from the game below.
COMMBANK PARAMATILDAS | GROUP MATCH SCHEDULE
Australia v Japan
Date: Friday, 13 May 2022
Venue: Futbol Salou Field 8
Kick-Off: 9.45am CEST / 5.45pm AEST
Australia v Spain
Date: Saturday, 14 May 2022
Venue: Futbol Salou Field 8
Kick-Off: 12.45pm CEST / 8.45pm AEST
Australia v United States of America
Date: Sunday, 15 May 2022
Venue: Futbol Salou Field 8
Kick-Off: 12.45pm CEST / 8.45pm AEST
