'Surreal' debut goal set tone for dominant Tillies win
Kahli Johnson had a game to remember in Melbourne as she slotted a stellar goal on debut to help the Matildas snatch a 2-0 win over Argentina.
The Matildas quest to rebuild the foundations of the team ahead of a home Asian Cup have continued in strong fashion as the next generation of stars took on big stage.
A dream of many is to score on debut for their national team, and it quickly became a reality for the 21-year-old Johnson.
Handed a spot in the starting line up by interim coach Tom Sermanni, Johnson made an immediate mark on the team as she put her rivals on alert with her second touch.
A threatening display in attack saw several opportunities open up for Johnson to strike early in the first half, but it her debut goal came in the 38th minute.
Catalina Roggerone of Argentina and Kahli Johnson of Australia compete for the ball.
Charli Grant took advantage of a gap in the South Americans defence and sliced the ball across the box to drop perfectly in front of a chasing Johnson.
The ball floated high in the air long enough for the debutant to get her head to it and push it past goalkeeper Abigail Chaves to score.
The young gun followed her effort with a handful of shots towards the net in the remainder of the match, and even looked set to bag a double in the 69th minute.
Johnson was left unmarked on the left edge of the post when Kaitlyn Torpey's cross floated towards the net and past the keeper to extend Australia's lead.
Tropey stood in shock for a moment as her teammates raced over to celebrate her stroke of luck, which she admits she will never not claim.
"No, I am going to claim that everyday of my life," she laughed post-match on 10.
Kaitlyn Torpey of Australia celebrates kicking a goal.
"It was a really good game. We worked hard for that win and it was really good to do it in front of the fans."
With several big names sidelined due to injury while others were rested due to late arrivals to camp, Sermanni utilised his opportunity to field fresh legs in the remaining minutes.
Still, the veteran coach, who was celebrating his 150th match as head coach of the Matildas, could not withhold his elation when asked about his debutant's success.
"She never backed down, she was strong. She looked very much at home at international level," Sermanni said of Johnson on 10.
The opportunity to debut in the starting line for the national team was one Johnson said she was not aware she would be awarded until late Sunday evening.
"To be honest, starting was quite a surprise to me," she said.
Kahli Johnson of Australia celebrates scoring a goal.
"I wasn't expecting it coming into my first camp. I was just hoping to gain experience and get what I could take out of it.
"Finding that out and having that experience to walk out and hearing all of the fans was surreal. It was nothing I could have imagined.
"I found out last night [that I was starting]," Johnson continued.
"Not knowing, helped a little bit because I wasn't thinking about it coming into camp.
"Tom told me to 'Just do what I know how to do'. Everything is at a next level (in national camp). I was really grateful for the support from the girls. They really help me today."
