CommBank Matildas midfielder Katrina Gorry said that it was “special” to be competing in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ final on home soil against Japan on Saturday evening.
She was speaking after the team’s 2-1 victory over China PR in the semi-final on Tuesday evening.
“It hasn't really sunk in,” she expressed.
“It wasn't the prettiest game of football, but a win is a win, and we’re through to a final at home. So it's pretty special.”
Gorry was in the wars in midfield during the semi-final, playing with her typical tenacity and drive to win the ball.
“I need a couple of days' rest, that's for sure,” she joked.
“Yeah, it was a tough match. We knew it was going to be. In the first half, we weren't winning our balls. In the second half, we came out a bit stronger and came out on top. We need to make sure we start the final like that, make sure we're winning our duels and possessing the ball better.”
She elaborated a bit further on what the team needs to tidy up, which is being able to control possession in more phases of the game.
“In patches we were good, in patches we made it a bit hard on ourselves,” she explained.
“We’ve just got to clean it up. It’s a tournament game. It's tournament football. It's always tough, with heavy legs throughout the game and stuff like that. We’ve got to clean it up and make sure we're ready going into the final.”
The dynamic of the midfield changed in this game as Kyra Cooney-Cross started in the tournament for the first time. Cooney-Cross was Gorry’s regular partner in midfield at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, and they are very familiar with each other’s game.
“It’s always nice to play with her,” Gorry said.
“[A semi-final is] a special occasion. I'm glad she was able to start the game and get through a huge amount of work. She’s had a tough period of time, but we've all supported her, and it's just nice to see her back.”
Ahead of the final, Gorry said it was all about focusing on themselves to try and get the best outcome.
“We need to focus on ourselves, make sure we clean up the things that we need to throughout the last couple of games, and make sure we recover,” she said.
“We've been through some good times, some bad times, and everything in between. I think it's time we put our foot down and really pick up some silverware, and do it on home soil. There's no better occasion.”
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Final
Japan v CommBank Matildas
Date: Saturday, 21 March 2026
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Time: 8:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Radio: ABC Sport & ABC Listen
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