A brace from Alanna Kennedy, her second of the tournament, helped secure a 3-3 draw for the CommBank Matildas overnight, as they took on Korea Republic in a six-goal Women's Asian Cup thriller.
The result meant that Australia finished runners-up in Group A on goal difference.
"We had moments, they had moments. We clawed our way back into the game, but unfortunately, we let them get back in," Kennedy said of the duel post-match.
A draw or loss would have placed the CommBank Matildas in the same scenario, facing the runners-up of Group B. When asked how important it was to secure a point, Kennedy explained it was all about mentality.
"I think there are two sides to the coin. It's disappointing that we didn't capitalise earlier in the game, but it gave us the belief that we can keep going and fight right until the final whistle," she explained.
"We showed our 'never say die' spirit towards the end of the game. It's ingrained in us, that's the energy we feed off on the pitch and we'll take that into the quarters as well."
With four goals to her name in the group stage, Kennedy has been an invaluable asset to the team. When asked about her recent goalscoring form, she said her role on the pitch has created more opportunities to push forward.
"I think it's come from the freedom to be a little higher up on the pitch. It's something that I'm familiar with at clubland throughout my whole career, and it's something that we've done towards the back end of games when needed, to get some crosses in and use my height up top."
A ball to the head early in the first half meant that veteran defender and vice captain, Steph Catley, was subbed off due to a suspected concussion in the 17th minute. 24-year-old Courtney Nevin stepped up to replace her in the backline.
"Obviously Steph is a huge player to lose, I hope she's ok, but seeing Nevs come in and fill that gap is great for her," Kennedy said.
"She stepped in with little notice and it's tough to come into that, so I think she did a great job stepping up."
The CommBank Matildas will learn their quarterfinal opponents late this evening, with Kennedy saying preparations will remain the same regardless of the opposition.
"We just need to recover now, regroup, stick together and continue our mentality moving forward."
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™
CommBank Matildas v Group B Runner Up
Date: Friday, 13 March 2026
Venue: Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth
Time: 6:00pm AWST/9:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Radio: ABC Sport & ABC Listen
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