Australia 4 -1 Ghana

There sure were some quick girls in this game, especially Anita Amankwa and Sarah Walsh running around behind both defenses and scaring the hell out of every one, and Florence Okoe and Lisa de Vanna did quite a job setting them (and themselves) up on some nice runs. Unfortunately, the Ghanaians didn't get forward with much support on counters in the first half, and the Australians didn't get much support for Walsh when she burned Ghana up the flanks. When the Matildas did get up into the box, they were able to lay off a cross for Walsh with space to to settle and shoot, with Ghana's keeper screened by her own defenders. The Matildas continued to push on Ghana's defensive formation until halftime.

In the second half this game burst into an end to end shoot-out, with Australia getting the better of it by far, but with the emergence of Amankwa as a serious threat for the Black Queens. I have no idea how Australia got their second goal, because ESPN cut away to show goals from the Brazil game, but the Matildas were clearly getting better organized and getting some players up into the box, and Heather Garriock flicked a cross off her head to the back post off her head to put the Aussies up 3-0. Then it really started to get interesting, as Anita Amankwa ran on to a chip over the Aussie defense, showing some nice tactical sense holding up and cutting behind the last defender to shoot around her, screened from the keeper, and got one back for Ghana, and she nearly tied it up moments later getting free again, only to be nearly tackled to the ground by Aussie keeper Melissa Barbieri. For the next stretch of the game Amankwa and Lisa de Vanna traded shots running in behind each other's defenses, until the Australians made an-off target pass intended for De Vanna, and no doubt due to miscommunication by exhausted Ghana defenders nobody chased it down, the keeper came way off her line for it but didn't get to it before De Vanna did, and Australia went up 4-1 scoring o the empty net. Walsh should have made it 5-1 in injury time, but after burning the defense got in too close to the keeper and lost the ball.

So at long last, five time World Cup participant Australia finally popped their cherry and won a game. Since I'm pulling for the mother country (Norge) in this group, I'm concerned about the speed of Walsh in turning the corner, but I really hope they finally get a proper league going again in the US to get players like Amankwa playing on a bigger stage.

Australia 4 – 1 Ghana
'15 Sarah Walsh
'57 De Vanna
'69 Garriock
'70 Amankwa
'81 De Vanna