A-Leagues legend Michelle Heyman scored on her long-awaited return to the Matildas fold to help Australia defeat Uzbekistan 3-0 in the first leg of the AFC Olympic Qualifiers in Tashkent on Saturday night.
Heyman came off the bench in her first national team appearance in 1,929 days and with the score locked at 0-0, the Canberra United icon sparked what eventually turned into a commanding win away from home.
The 35-year-old’s deadlock-breaker led to goals for Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord as the Matildas took a massive step forward in pursuit of a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Australia and Uzbekistan are facing off in a two-legged tie for a spot in the women’s football tournament in Paris, and thanks to Saturday’s 3-0 win, the Matildas now hold all the momentum ahead of the return leg at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Wednesday, February 28.
Former Liberty A-League star Kaitlyn Torpey made her international debut from the start under head coach Tony Gustavsson, earning Matildas Cap #227 whilst wearing the number 20 of injured captain Sam Kerr.
Watch the highlights from Australia’s 3-0 win over Uzbekistan below, or in the player above.
