Wheeler stands tall to inspire Matildas to victory in final Olympics audition

Wheeler was injected to the game at half-time after a industrious opening 45 minutes which produced few clear cut chances.

The Everton playmaker made an immediate impact.

The shortest player on the field stood tall to head home a Steph Catley freekick in the 47^th minute.

Wheeler got in between two Chinese defenders and timed her leap to perfection, crashing a header into the back of the net.

The 26-year-old, who stands a mere 162cm, celebrated like she had won lotto.

She might just have won a place on the plane to the Paris Olympics.

"It is always nice to score for your country. It doesn't matter if it is my first or my second, it is a huge honour," Wheeler told Channel 10. "I think you saw from my celebration I was quite excited. I'm glad to get the opportunity to score on home soil.

"It [going to the Olympics] is something I have dreamed of. I say to myself all the time - put your best foot forward and at the end of the day I have done my best. That is what I try to do with any opportunity I get."

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson will name an 18 person squad for the Olympics on Tuesday morning.

Wheeler has been a regular bench player since making her national team debut against Ireland in 2021.

She was part of the Matildas squad which made the semi-final of the World Cup in Australia but did not play any minutes.

She started in the 1-all draw with China in Adelaide on Friday night.

Fellow Novocastrian Emily van Egmond started against China on Monday night and is certain to be headed to her third Olympics .

The win also provided a fitting farewell to Matildas goalkeeping icon Lydia Williams, who has announced she will retire from international football following the Olympics.

Williams was substituted off late in the first half to a standing ovation and was able to lap up the victory from the Matildas' bench.

But while Gustavsson's side showed a clinical edge to achieve the result, they were clutching at half chances for much of the first half.

Alanna Kennedy fired a long-range effort over the bar and Tameka Yallop was unable to turn in a low skidding ball into the Chinese six-yard box.

Raso had two handy chances but both times China goalkeeper Xu Huan was able to deny her.

China were disciplined and well organised and it was only on one of their few forays forward that Australia had a clear run to goal.

Gustavsson turned to his bench at the start of the second half and it yielded an instant impact.

Fresh on the field, Wheeler headed in a Steph Catley free-kick in the 48th minute to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

That buzz only grew when fellow substitute Cortnee Vine, playing in a more central role, sliced the Chinese defence apart with a sumptuous throughball to the feet of Raso six minutes later.

Arnold was relatively untested at the Australian end, parrying away an effort from Chinese forward Zhang Linyan in an otherwise routine performance.