Kerr winner sends Australia into Asian Cup final

Captain Sam Kerr scored the winner as Australia beat China 2-1 to reach the final of the Asian Cup.

The Chelsea striker – the only member of the Australia side who won the title in 2010 – fired home from a tight angle in front of 35,170 fans.

Caitlin Foord put Australia ahead with a powerful first-time strike before Zhang Linyan converted a penalty to equalise.

Australia will face favourites Japan or South Korea in Saturday’s final in Sydney as they bid for a second Asian Cup title.

Kerr was 16 years old when Australia last won the tournament, scoring her second international goal in the final against North Korea.

“I can’t really gather my emotions right now,” the 32-year-old said.

Australia started strongly against China, with Chelsea’s Ellie Carpenter, Manchester City’s Mary Fowler and Arsenal’s Foord combining beautifully to give Australia the lead.

Carpenter dazzled with her pace, bursting down the left to latch onto a Fowler pass before passing back to the Manchester City forward, who cut the ball back to Foord to score with a powerful first-time strike.

“The second half was better, but the first half was disappointing,” Matildas head coach Joe Montemurro told Channel 10.

“We scored a very good goal and I thought we were starting to find our rhythm, and then we just backed off.

“We just need to play higher, we need to be braver – but we got the result we wanted.”

There was an exodus from the Women’s Super League at the start of the Asian Cup, with 13 of Australia’s 26-strong squad playing in the English domestic league.

The Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and Chelsea is scheduled for 24 March, three days after the Asian Cup final, meaning both clubs could be without key players once travel and possible celebrations are factored in.