Matildas belted Taiwan 6-0
Several big names were missing
Familiar face played last match
By JOSH ALSTON FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and ANNA HARRINGTON FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS and IAN CHADBAND FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: 18:11 EST, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 18:11 EST, 8 December 2024
The mental and physical break she received while skipping Matildas duty appears to have done Mary Fowler the power of good as she returned to action for Manchester City with a superb goal in their 4-0 trouncing over Leicester.
Fowler had decided to pull out of the national squad for the recent internationals against Brazil and Taiwan.
She said she needed 'to take this time to prioritise recovery in order to refresh both mentally and physically, so that I can continue to put my best self forward for both club and country'.
The 21-year-old, who had had a tough schedule with City, did travel to Australia during that period to refresh, and she looked back at her sharpest as City hammered one-from-bottom Leicester with a first-half double from Khadija Shaw, with goals from Jess Park and Fowler after the break.
On a miserable day in Manchester, Fowler's clincher just before the hour mark warmed up proceedings, as the ball wasn't properly cleared by the Leicester defence and she swivelled to hammer a sweetly struck volley past helpless German keeper Janina Leitzig.
It was Fowler's second league goal of the season to go with her two Champions League goals.
What an effort from Mary Fowler! ð¥
Watch live on CITY+
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 8, 2024
Mary Fowler made a triumphant return for Manchester City after taking time out of the game
The Matildas star scored a goal upon return, pictured celebrating with teammate Alex Greenwood
Meanwhile the Matildas' longest serving player Clare Polkinghorne said farewell to supporters in an emotional final appearance for the national team in their 6-0 thrashing of Taiwan in Geelong.
The retiring great - who had a celebration match against Brazil in Brisbane - started her record 169th and final game.
The special moment came in the 64th minute when Polkinghorne departed the field for a final time to a standing ovation, replaced by Jessika Nash.
She hugged Sermanni, who was also in charge when she made her debut in 2006, before heading to the bench.
'I'm really proud of tonight's performance, especially a lot of young players coming in and making their debut, scoring their first goal,' the Queenslander told Channel 10 after the win.
'So I think the last two games in particular have been really good for the next generation of players coming through.
'I'll miss the players, definitely. All the people that you meet along the way, those are the things that make the journey so special and that is what I am going to miss the most.
'I will still be able to be around football and all that sort of stuff, but day in day out with the team, that is what I'm going to miss most.'
The Matildas' longest serving player Clare Polkinghorne farewells her fans in Geelong
Polkinghorne and Michelle Heyman celebrate a goal in the 6-0 rout of Taiwan
The news wasn't as good for former Matildas captain and star striker Sam Kerr, who had to endure another weekend watching football on the couch instead of being on the pitch.
Kerr ruptured her ACL in January at a Chelsea training camp and has not returned to football since.
Fans hoping to see her return soon were left disappointed when Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor confirmed the talented striker won't be even training for some months yet.
Instead, Kerr posted a video to Instagram of her view from the couch, watching her home town team Perth Glory take on Melbourne Victory.
Another Australian international, Katrina Gorry, now the pride of West Ham, also enjoyed a big day in the English Women's Super League on Sunday, scoring in a player-of-the-match performance in the Hammers' 5-2 comeback London derby win over Crystal Palace.
Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold shared images spending time with fans at a recent book signing
The custodian is under increasing pressure to keep her spot after the emergence of Teagan Micah.
'One thing I have learned over the course of my years in the Matildas is that the No.1 is never really set. It is always about the most recent performances,' Micah said.
'I feel like I'm training really well and feeling good at my club in Liverpool so that helps as well.'