Football news: Matildas lose 3-0 to US team in friendly game
The Matildas produced a disastrous start and miss-of-the-year contender as they slumped to a heavy loss against an understrength US team.
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The Matildas failed to recover from a horror start in front of a record crowd of 36,109 at Stadium Australia after the USA struck a blow with just 24 seconds on the clock.
The world champions cruised to a 3-0 win in the first of a two-match friendly series – a result that means the Matildas have beaten the US just once in 32 attempts.
The crowd had barely taken their seats when, seconds after kick off, Matildas’ goalkeeper Teagan Micah was already picking the ball out of the net.
Teenage debutant Jessika Nash was caught ball watching as Ashley Hatch calmly struck the ball past Micah to put the visitor’s in front.
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It was the second-fastest goal the Matildas have ever conceded and it left them understandably shell-shocked, but Tony Gustavsson was satisfied with his team’s response and defended his team selection.
The Matildas coach had assembled a youthful defence with 17-year-old Nash alongside teenager Courtney Nevin and for much of the first half it was a shambles.
“We didn’t let it get to us, especially the young ones – they grew into the game,” he said.
“It can go downhill really quickly if you’re not strong mentally, so I’m really happy with that.
“We need depth in the backline and we need to be brave enough to get them into these types of games.
It had been a challenging build up to the game, with players battling illness, injury and arriving late, and the challenges continued on the field even against a youthful US side.
With their defence a worrying work in progress the Matildas continued to press going forward, but were wasteful on too many occasions in front of goal.
It was an open, fast-paced game and for all the chances the US left on the park in the first half, the most gilt edged of the lot fell to Matildas veteran Kyah Simon.
In the 38th minute she blazed her shot over the woodwork from inside the six-yard box. It was the kind of miss that will find its place on highlights reels around the football world.
“As a striker you pride yourself on scoring goals and I take full responsibility – I should’ve finished that,” Simon said.
“The game is 1-1 at that point, so it definitely changes the momentum.”
Mary Fowler impressed and her link-up play with Sam Kerr nearly produced a goal, but US goalkeeper Casey Murphy, on debut, produced a quality last-gasp save.
Gustavsson reshuffled his defence in the second half, but it began in much the same way as the first half – with a goal to the US.
Four minutes after the break Rose Lavelle scored after an excellent run and cutback from Margaret Purce to double the visitor’s lead. Kerr came close to pulling one back for the Matildas, but her header went straight into the arms of Murphy, who had an overall superb debut for the US. Kerr, who wasn’t at full fitness, was hauled off on the hour mark and will have to wait to equal Tim Cahill’s goalscoring record.
Lindsey Horan added a third goal from the spot when the US were awarded a dubious penalty, but there was no more carnage as the Matildas now look ahead to Tuesday night’s match in Newcastle to give a better account of themselves.
MATILDAS OUT TO END USA’S DOMINANCE
Erin Smith
Once – that is how many times the Matildas have finished ahead of the world-class USA women’s football team in the past 31 clashes but goalkeeper Lydia Williams said the predicted record crowd could make all the difference.
Team USA have not played in Australia since winning silver at the Sydney 2000 Olympics – making it the first time this crop of Matildas have taken on their rivals on home soil.
The 2000 Olympics was also when the Matildas crowd record of 33,600 was set.
Current ticket sales show this record is likely to be broken at Stadium Australia this afternoon.
Williams, 33, set to make her 94th appearance for Australia, has played in front massive crowds in some of the world’s biggest stadiums – but nothing will ever beat playing at home.
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“Especially when the other team’s supporters start cheering and making their voices known and the crowd gets behind us – it is always a bonus and I’ll be encouraging that cheering throughout the whole match,” she said.
“The crowd, the game itself, the electricity that will be behind the whole thing is going to make it one of a kind.”
While the match is the first of two friendlies to be played in Australia neither side will be going out chasing anything but a win.
“We are going to be playing in front of family and friends and we want to go out and perform,” Williams said.
The match will fall inside Indigenous Football Week, which is celebrated from November 22-17.
The Matildas made headlines at the Tokyo Olympics when they posed behind an Aboriginal flag ahead of their first match.
Williams grew up in Western Australia, her father Ron was an indigenous tribal elder of the Noongar mob.
She said playing a match of this calibre, in front of a record home crowd, during Indigenous Football Week made it extra special.
“At the end of the day all playing for each other and the jersey and the badge and we want to go out and play the best we can and take home (the win),” Williams said.
Team USA have left some of their big name players behind including star striker Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Megan Rapinoe and Kelly O’Hara.
Williams said with a playing roster with as much depth as the American’s it would be a tough game regardless of who was or wasn’t on the pitch.
The Matildas will be vying to impress coach Tony Gustavsson and earn their spot in the squad for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup set to be played in India in January.
“It’s a cup and a trophy and medals and ultimately we want to get the silverware,” Williams said.
The Matildas will play the USA women’s team at 3pm AEDT on Saturday at Stadium Australia.
Originally published as Football news: Matildas lose 3-0 to US team in friendly game
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