The Lionesses beat the Matildas 3-0 in friendly (1:03)Aggie Beever-Jones, birthday star Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway score to give England their 3-0 over Australia in international friendly. (1:03)
Tom HamiltonCloseTom HamiltonSenior Writer• Joined ESPN in 2011 • Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours • Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018Follow on XEmily KeoghCloseEmily KeoghCorrespondentBased in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN’s women’s soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCLFollow on XOct 28, 2025, 06:25 PM ET
DERBY, England — England cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Australia, compounding the Matildas’ pain from their 2023 World Cup semifinal defeat. Yet the victory was overshadowed when Euro 2025 hero Michelle Agyemang was stretchered off in the second half after collapsing and clutching her knee.
For Australia, however, the defeat laid bare a number of familiar frailties that new head coach Joe Montemurro must urgently address. A passive, toothless attack failed to trouble the European champions, highlighting just how far the Matildas remain from their peak form. — Emily Keogh
For the first 73 minutes of this one-sided match, this was as Wiegman would have hoped, her testing England’s depth. Having said all along Maya Le Tissier was a right back, she started her at center back. Debuts were handed to Lucia Kendall and Taylor Hinds. Beever-Jones is usually a striker at Chelsea but was on the left wing Tuesday night, and Hannah Hampton returned in goal. All the changes worked, and all looked to be well again after the Brazil defeat on Saturday.
The reminders of Euro 2025 are still everywhere: the montage of the triumph, injured duo Lauren Hemp and Grace Clinton bringing out the trophy prematch. But the decision to start Le Tissier at center back and hand Hinds and Kendall debuts was Wiegman taking England into the next cycle, the focus solely on the 2027 World Cup, rather than on what’s already come before.
While England lacked fluidity and a cutting edge against Brazil, they looked far more urgent in front of goal this time around. But this comes with a caveat — the 19th-minute red card to Australia’s Kennedy changed everything. After Kennedy’s lapse of judgement, Australia’s game plan was scattered into the cold Derby sky, and their threat minimal.
Now comes the nervous wait on their prognoses. Stanway slotted a late penalty, but still thoughts were with Agyemang. England had re-found their winning touch, but potentially at some cost. — Tom Hamilton
A red card for Kennedy and an ineffective, at times invisible, attack led to the Matildas’ second straight defeat to England. It was a dismal showing from Australia, who managed only three attempts on goal, and just one on target.
Even the return of prolific striker Kerr, who made her comeback to international football after 725 days away in a 2-1 win over Wales on Saturday, couldn’t spark the side. Kerr and the wingers were left isolated as the Matildas completed just 40 successful passes into the final third and recorded only 14 touches inside England’s box. They were called in for defensive help, leaving their counterattack non existent. By contrast, England dominated with 250 passes and 47 touches in Australia’s area.
Moreover, while the match was officially labelled a friendly, any clash between England and Australia is anything but. The rivalry remains fiery and full of emotion, and after this latest defeat, the scars from last year’s World Cup heartbreak will sting even deeper for the Matildas. — Keogh
Up until that point, it had been a near-perfect night in Derby for the Lionesses. Australian defender Alanna Kennedy was shown a red card in the 19th minute for a juvenile challenge, with Aggie Beever-Jones finding the back the net in response. Lucy Bronze, England’s player of the year, added a second in the first half, before Georgia Stanway sealed the result from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time. The performance was an emphatic response to England’s 2-1 defeat to South American champions Brazil on Saturday. Manager Sarina Wiegman had described the Australia clash as a chance to “right the wrongs” from that loss and her side delivered convincingly.
Just when we thought this was going to be a near-perfect evening for the Lionesses — a night when Wiegman’s five changes paid off, and all was well again for the Euro 2025 champions — the 73rd minute ticked around, and the party atmosphere fell into hushed quiet as Agyemang fell to the ground. The concern of her teammates around her was palpable, Agyemang in obvious agony and distress. A few minutes later, Beever-Jones left the pitch injured, making it 10 vs. 10. Suddenly the changes, the goals and the return to winning ways were overshadowed.
Two goals to the good at halftime, England rang the changes and Australia offered a minimal threat in front of the sold-out crowd. Wiegman had further chances to test new-look combinations and it was all going so well. Agyemang was given her chance in the 62nd minute — her name receiving one of the loudest cheers of the night, the savior of England’s Euro 2025 championship. She played with her usual boundless energy until the 73rd minute struck. Minutes later Beever-Jones was walked off, unable to finish the match.
Once Australia did get the ball, they were incompetent at keeping it, outplayed and outclassed by England’s suffocating press. They did not learn enough after the first half to correct their frailties in the second half. Their halftime preparation, firing shots at goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, proved their focus was simply to limit the drubbing — which it did — and not expose themselves pushing for a goal and worsening the scoreline. This passive approach is unusual, but hopefully more time under the Australian coach will create a more proactive game plan.
The Lionesses beat the Matildas 3-0 in friendly (1:03)Aggie Beever-Jones, birthday star Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway score to give England their 3-0 over Australia in international friendly. (1:03)
Aggie Beever-Jones, birthday star Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway score to give England their 3-0 over Australia in international friendly. (1:03)
CloseEmily KeoghCorrespondentBased in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN’s women’s soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCLFollow on X
CloseTom HamiltonSenior Writer• Joined ESPN in 2011 • Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours • Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018Follow on X