Kerr fires Australia into Women’s Asian Cup final

Australia's Ellie Carpenter and China's Wang Yanwen, right, compete for the ball during the Women's Asian Cup semifinal soccer match between China and Australia in Perth, Australia. (AP)

PERTH, Australia, March 17 (AP): Sam Kerr broke a second-half deadlock, and Australia edged defending champion China 2-1 for a spot in the Women’s Asian Cup final on Tuesday.

The veteran Chelsea forward started the attacking movement on the halfway line and finished it off with a left-foot shot from a tight angle in the 58th minute, the decisive moment of a semifinal that was tied 1-1 at halftime.

The Australians will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Japan and South Korea. Australia last won the continental championship in 2010.

Caitlin Foord gave the host the lead in the 17th when she finished off an attacking raid that started with Mary Fowler combining with Ellie Carpenter on the right. Carpenter crossed back into the area, where Fowler cut the ball back for Foord to fire.

China equalized in the 26th through Zhang Linyan from the penalty spot. Zhang won the penalty after she swooped on a defensive blunder and was felled in the area by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.

All of the semifinalists qualified automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The losing quarterfinalists go into the playoffs for two more guaranteed places in Brazil.