CommBank Matildas midfielder Clare Wheeler said that the team has learned the lessons from their game against Korea Republic, and are ready to take on Korea DPR in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ quarter-final on Friday.
She was speaking from Perth on Tuesday morning, where the team had gathered ahead of the all-important clash.
“There were moments [against Korea Republic] where we had control, and moments where we didn't. It just comes down to game management and controlling the flow in tempo,” she said.
“Going into the next game, it's about understanding when you know it's time to force and go forward, and when it's time to control the tempo and slow it down. It’s something that we'll learn. It's good to learn those lessons in the group stage because now every game counts. You don't get a second chance.
“After we went down [3-2], the sole focus was to score that goal. And hence why we were a bit more direct in that phase. Going into this game, obviously, we want to win, but we want to have more control.”
After finishing second in the group, the team took the five-hour flight west, where they will play the quarter-final and potentially the semi-final as well.
“The travel obviously takes its toll, but with the tournament spread across Australia, it's just something that we have to deal with,” she said.
“We have really good medical staff to help us prepare.
“It's just another layer of the tournament that we're going to have to work through. We knew coming in that was always going to be travel within the group stage. Now, with the travel for the quarter-finals, it adds a bit of another layer – but it's not something we're thinking too much on.”
She said that the team was resilient and will take that into the next game.
“We would have loved to win the game against Korea Republic, but I think in terms of coming back and scoring the equaliser, it shows our character and our never-say-die attitude,” she said.
“We'll look at that and reflect, and try to build for the next game against Korea DPR.
“A lot of this group were at the World Cup [in 2023], and we’ve felt that pressure before. It’s just using that pressure as fuel and not letting it control us.”
She was expecting a tough battle against Korea DPR.
“They're a bit of a dark horse. Not many of us have played against them in recent years, so a lot of us are reviewing the footage and watching the game from the other night. We’re not really sure what to expect, but we'll try our best,” she said.
“It's just about relying on footage and seeing them throughout this tournament. They’re a physical team, and in the next couple of days of training here, we’ll be able to try and piece together how we're going to approach the game.”
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™
CommBank Matildas v Korea DPR
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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