Key events
87 mins: A corner for the Matildas is slightly overhit and Panama almost do enough to clear. But the ball drops for Tash Prior to get a shot away that tumbles straight to the Panama keeper.
85 mins: Chloe Lincoln dazzles with the ball at her feet to beat a Panama attacker after an under-hit back pass might have had more experienced keepers panicking. Not sure Joe Montemurro would have enjoyed it as much as Matildas fans though.
83 mins: Holly McNamara pounces on the Panama defence trying to play out from the back and almost does enough to create a chance in the box. But the visitors’ low block has set up camp and the moment passes.
81 mins: The Matildas are still searching for an opening that might help them line up a grandstand finish while Panama are more than comfortable making the most of any break in play.
79 mins: Galabadaarchchi with an immediate impact as a clever dink finds Adriana Taranto charging through the line. But Farissa Cordoba dives to her left to collect. That was the Matildas best chance of the half, if not the game.
77 mins: Panama make a quadruple substitution as they start to show signs of tiring. Australia join in on the changes with Jacynta Galabadaarchchi coming on for a debut alongside Emily Van Egmond. Alex Chidiac and Emily Gielnik head to the bench. All eyes will be on the attacking midfielder Galabadaarchchi from here.
74 mins: The Matildas have the ball in the box but Panama are sitting deep now. This could be a taster of what’s to come over the remaining 20 minutes or so.
72 mins: Katherin Castillo takes a shot from long range but hooks it to the right. The Matildas are up against it at the moment with Panama owning much of the territory and breaking down any idea of a counterattack with clever challenges. That does mean the yellow card count is mounting up.
70 mins: Marta Cox swings a cross into a dangerous area but young keeper Chloe Lincoln is up to the task.
67 mins: The game has lost a bit of fluidity with the mass substitutions across both sides and the wind blowing hard. Desire Salazar is wheeled back to the bench to watch the remaining half hour up close with her foot now in a moon boot.
63 mins: Triple substitution for the Matildas and goalkeeper Teagan Micah is one of the three to make way. Hayley Raso and Chloe Berryhill are also done for the day.
Chloe Lincoln steps between the posts, while Adriana Taranto makes her debut alongside Michelle Heyman.
60 mins: The Matildas almost respond immediately but the Panama keeper Cordoba dives low to her right and keeps the ball out.
GOAL! Australia 0-1 Panama (King ’59)
Panama’s teenage substitute Sherline King opens the scoring with a classic poacher’s goal. Marta Cox takes a shot but it is blocked by Micah, only for King to be best placed to knock the ball into the back of the net.
56 mins: Panama keep playing through their creative veteran Marta Cox and their skipper puts a nice cross into the box. Micah comes to meet the ball in the air and wears a hefty blow for her troubles. The Matildas keeper stays down but it looks like she is just taking time to get her lungs working again.
52 mins: The Matildas are controlling much of the play without offering much going forward. It might not be long until Michelle Heyman and/or Remy Siemsen are introduced – the latter in particular was very impressive in her last start against Slovenia.
It has only been a few weeks since Hands Oval hosted a first AFL match and paultonysaffigna wonders why the Matildas are now playing a women’s football friendly at the same venue.
“The pictures of our national women’s team playing in an Aussie rules football ground just look terrible. Atmosphere seems dead and the distance from the managers and sideline is just silly. Otherwise, the game is quite entertaining with Panama putting in a great effort. Our Matildas, not surprisingly, looking disjointed.”
50 mins: Play continues with Panama down a player as the visitors ponder making the first substitution.
48 mins: Salazar stays down and is receiving treatment behind the goals as play resumes. The Panama midfielder lost a boot while running forward during the cross and was left grabbing at an ankle.
46 mins: Panama kick-off and earn a couple of early free kicks. The first is of little concern in the midfield but the second gives the visitors an opportunity to cross the ball in from just beyond the top right corner of the box. The cross lands in Micha’s hands and Salazar has hit the deck and is rolling around in pain.
The weather has turned in Bunbury and the rain is bucketing down as the lights are on despite it being barely past 3.30pm local time.
No subs for either team just yet, as Panama prepare to kick-off for the restart.
The Matildas made a strong start to their first international in Bunbury but were unable to break down a dogged defence while Panama gradually grew into the game. The visitors lost their goalkeeper Yenith Bailey in essentially the first play of the day but other than a few dicey moments when trying to exit their back half they were able to minimise the Matildas’ opportunities in part by breaking down passing chains with physical challenges.
Panama winger Riley Tanner came closest to scoring with a close-range shot that crashed into the frame of the goal, while the visitors made sure the Matildas were far from humming as they spoiled any lengthy passing chains.
The Matildas looked at their best with Hayley Raso on the ball out wide or when the likes of Holly McNamara drifted into the, but they will want to stretch the field more to truly test the Panama defence.
Half-time: Australia 0-0 Panama
The match was just coming alive with a gripping period of added-time, but the first half ends with the Matildas and Panama all tied up.
53 mins: Hearts in mouths for the Matildas as Chloe Berryhill dives into a tackle and stays on the turf clutching her knee. But after a moment of attention the midfielder gets up and walks to the sideline.
51 mins: Emily Gielnik unleashes with a powerful strike from long range. It might have troubled Cordoba if a bit further to either side of the Panama keeper. Panama cough up the ball from the goal kick and Torpey looks to play in McNamara with a deft touch but the ball dribbles a touch too close to Cordoba.
49 mins: Marta Cox blasts from long range and Ana Ggabriela Quintero directs a tame shot toward Micah. Desire Salazar picks up Panama’s second yellow card. It had been coming.
47 mins: Hayley Raso picks up Australia’s first caution after leaving a trailing leg in on a challenge. The Matildas stand-in skipper was clipped just seconds earlier, and replays show their wasn’t much contact in her own follow up.
45 mins: Both sides have suddenly breathed life into the contest and we have seven added minutes of action to enjoy.
43 mins: Just moments after Panama almost score, Chloe Berryhill does much the same at the other end. But the Matildas midfielder doesn’t quite time her shot and the opportunity passes with a deflection. The resulting corner goes behind off a Panama defender but the call goes against the frustrated Matildas.
41 mins: Riley Tanner very nearly opens the scoring with a sublime run down the left and shot that crashes into the post. Marta Cox opens up the Matildas defence with a neat pass out right while Tanner drifts quietly into the box on the other side. Tanner is allowed to carry the ball forward with the expectation that she is looking to cross but a quick stepover and then a rocket toward goal only fails to beat the woodwork.
38 mins: Neat play from McNamara in the middle of the pitch picks out Raso in space on the left. But just as the Matildas attacker sets off toward goal a flag is raised. There wasn’t much, if anything, in that offside call.
35 mins: The Matildas have locked the ball in their forward half but are too rarely threatening Panama’s last line. The visitors are calling on all their game-sense to break up the Matildas play with well-timed challenges and clever fouls.
32 mins: Holly McNamara breaks down the right and is too quick for her opponent as she gets to the line and picks out Emily Gielnik in the six-yard box. But the veteran misses the ball with a swinging right boot and it crashes into her back leg then into the keeper’s hands. But Cordoba stays down and we need another injury break – Panama have another keeper on the bench, but can ill afford to lose a second within half an hour.
30 mins: A textbook “robust challenge” from Chloe Berryhill gives away Australia’s first foul of the day. But Montemurro won’t mind the midfielder throwing herself around like that.
28 mins: Panama are determined to play out from the back but under only timid pressure from the Matildas there is chaos in the defence and a cheap corner goes to the hosts. Kaitlyn Torpey thunders in a cross but substitute keeper Farissa Cordoba claims the ball. She could hardly have been cleaner since coming on.
26 mins: A well-timed foul from Panama closes down one danger but gives Australia a free kick just outside the box. That’s eight fouls to the visitors, none for the hosts, in a numerical indication of how this game is being played out. Emily Gielnik’s free kick sails well over the crossbar.
24 mins: Hayley Raso breaks down the right with acres of space in front of her. The Matildas skipper cuts back inside but once encountering a Panama wall the chance dries up.
21 mins: Panama are well on top in the midfield battle and win the ball back again. A fast break ends up with Riley Tanner streaming into the box. The shot is on target but a desperate lunge from Tash Prior saves the day again. Warning signs for the Matildas.
19 mins: The Matildas are camped in their own half at the moment as the hosts are struggling to find a way through the midfield. Raso comes deep to try to help out but the ball ends up back with Teagan Micah and the Matildas choose to build again.
17 mins: A first corner for the game for Panama. The take it short but the belated cross into the box is cleared away by Tash Prior.
14 mins: Relief for Panama as the visitors are able to hold onto the ball for a decent stretch for the first time in the game.
11 mins: The Matildas continue to play wide with their wingers finding plenty of space. Another scramble around the six-yard box lifts the crowd in Bunbury but the Matildas couldn’t find any real opportunity.
9 mins: The game has opened up a bit for the first time as the Matildas make all the running. No surprise that Hayley Raso, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time, has been the most threatening outlet so far.
7 mins: A free kick to Australia in a dangerous area and if it wasn’t mere minutes of actual play into this match that might well have been a first caution of the day. The Matildas can’t make the most of the opportunity as Panama head clear.
5 mins: Yenith Bailey has come off second best after running into teammate Hilary Jaen and Farissa Corboda has been subbed on in her place. Bailey seems to be favouring a left knee.
3 mins: A glorious attack down the Matildas’ left flank ends with a goal mouth scramble that is eventually cleared by the Panama defence. But the visitors’ experienced keeper Yenith Bailey is left stretched out on the ground after copping a blow in the chaos. The stretcher comes out and Panama will change their keeper barely minutes into the game.
Kick-off
Peeeeeep! The Matildas get us underway for the first women’s football friendly against Panama at Hands Oval in Bunbury.
Panama have had a good run of recent results but are likely to present a different challenge for the Matildas than Slovenia did over the past couple of weeks. Australia’s first Central American opponents prefer to sit in a low block rather than press across all lines like the Slovenians did. That should give the Matildas more time to assess and pick their way through the midfield, but they will need to find a cutting edge closer to goal that can be lacking in similar scenarios.
Whether those grand plans come to fruition will be revealed soon – as the players are already lining up for the national anthems. Panama’s is a low key number that ends with a flourish, surely seen as an omen whenever they step onto the pitch.
Matildas coach Joe Montemurro has named a side packed with emerging talents, with more to come off the bench. But he brushed off any suggestion that “fringe players” are being given opportunities against Panama.
It’s about putting on a show. It’s great that the game has been spread to some regional areas. It’s a new one for me, too, spreading the game to other areas is really, really positive. I’m looking forward to it, because we will start to see a couple of young players being given opportunities in international football.
There’s no fringe players. Everyone’s up for an opportunity, and it’s really important to send that message, that’s why this camp has been important.
The more players we can have a look at, the better it has been. It’s a matter of now giving them the base and the understanding of, ‘okay, to be a Matilda, these are the three or four key things that we need’, and giving them opportunities in real scenarios. It’s been the perfect camp for that.
Panama XI
Panama: Yenith Bailey (gk); Hilary Jaen, Wendy Natis, Katherin Castillo, Desire Salazar, Ericka Arauz, Schiandra Gonzalez, Marta Cox (capt), Riley Tanner, Ana Ggabriela Quintero, Carina Baltrip-Reyes.
Matildas XI
Australia: Teagan Micah (gk); Courtney Nevin, Natasha Prior, Chloe Berryhill, Jamilla Rankin; Kaitlyn Torpey, Emily Gielnik, Alex Chidiac; Hayley Raso (capt), Holly McNamara, Alana Murphy.
Hayley Raso captains the side for the first time, while Alana Murphy makes a starting debut. Teagan Micah returns with the gloves and Holly McNamara has another opportunity to shine up front.
STARTING XI 🗒
Here’s how we line up for our game against Panama at Hands Oval! 👊
©️ Hayley Raso captains the side
☝️ Alana Murphy makes her starting debut
📰 Squad Notes: Charli Grant and Amy Sayer are unavailable due to load management#Matildas #AUSvPAN #WAtheDreamState… pic.twitter.com/ko9QxVQPRy— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) July 5, 2025
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first women’s football friendly between Australia and Panama at Hands Oval in Bunbury, Western Australia.
The Matildas make their debut at the venue as they seek to build on a reasonably positive start to coach Joe Montemurro’s tenure after a first-up victory over Slovenia was followed by a draw when the visitors hit a last-gasp equaliser. As often seems to be the way with the beautiful game, Australia’s better performance of the two was widely considered to be in the game that they drew.
Montemurro will get a deeper look at his squad and options for the Women’s Asian Cup on home soil next year with several star names out of action and enjoying a rest elsewhere today. But Hayley Raso is in town and will wear the captain’s armband against the side ranked No 56 in the world.
Panama bring their own strong form into the friendly after a 5-1 win over Bolivia a month ago and a 2-0 victory against the same side a week before that.
Kick-off is at 2.30pm AWST / 4.30pm AEST. I’ll be back soon with the line-ups and team news. In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on X @martinpegan and Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
