Matildas vs New Zealand LIVE: Sam Kerr captains Matildas in last match of the year

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8.25pm

Emma’s view in Adelaide

Every time I cover a game at Coopers Stadium I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of this venue and this pitch. One of my fave grounds, and hopefully the location of a good, competitive game. I say competitive because Friday night in Gosford certainly was not, and the Matildas need a challenge in their last hit-out before the Asian Cup.

8.15pm

The year in numbers

For anyone who couldn’t be bothered going through the slideshow, here’s a simplified version of how the year has gone for the Matildas.

8.06pm

A trip down memory lane

Before we turn our focus to the last game of the year, and more importantly, the last game before the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, I’ve created a recap of the year that’s gone. Think of it as your Spotify wrapped, only it’s the Matildas.

Now before you point out that some pretty significant Matildas-related events are missing from this timeline, please know my laptop started freezing as it is! So this timeline only includes pitch or pitch-side sagas. Otherwise, it would just be too long – at least three Matildas got married this year!

7.57pm

Have your say

7.46pm

New Zealand’s starting XI

If you watched the last match, you’ll know the most significant change to this starting lineup is the substitution of goalkeeper Anna Leat who’s been replaced by Alina Santos.

Santos will be making her debut for the Football Ferns tonight. The 22-year-old plays at the University of Denver in the US.

7.45pm

Sam Kerr’s back again

It’s been a long two years since the 2023 Women’s World Cup third-place playoff. Sweden won 2-0 and Australia finished their home tournament empty-handed. That was the last time Sam Kerr played a game for the Matildas on home soil. But now, she’s back.

After a small calf injury sidelined the striker for club matches and then last week’s friendly in Gosford, she’s been named on the squad’s starting XI for this evening. She’ll be wearing the captain’s armband too.

Teagan Micah, Alanna Kennedy and Clare Hunt have also returned to the starting squad, replacing Winnie Heatley, Courtney Nevin and Kyra Cooney-Cross.

Here’s the full starting XI for the Matildas:

7.43pm

Welcome

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Matildas’ final match of the year, and what a year it has been. From court cases to weddings, babies and runway shows, the Australian team has been busy – and that’s before we even get to what actually happened on the pitch.

My name is Frances Howe and I’ll be helming this blog from Sydney while my colleague and senior sports writer, Emma Kemp, joins us from Coopers Stadium in Adelaide.

We’ll be bringing you all the team news (spoiler, Kerr is back again and she’s captain) and a curated recap of how this year has gone for the Matildas.

Kick off is at 8.30pm if you’re in Sydney and 8pm in Adelaide. It will be streamed on 10 and Paramount+.