Matildas v France: Tony Gustavsson closing in on history with Matildas

If the Matildas lost against Canada, or then Denmark, Tony Gustavsson might’ve been sacked. Now, he’s on the verge of history.

Ever seen one of those documentaries where a lone buffalo cut adrift from the herd wanders the prairie, looking outwardly confident before nervous eyes give it away?

The occasional sideways glance to nearby bushes is a sign that, deep down, they know that hidden eyes are watching their every move and any stumble will have the most dire consequences.

Only if you can get this “lone soul against a fierce world’’ vibe can you fully appreciate what an achievement it is for an overseas sporting coach to survive and thrive in the hostile jungle that is Australian sport.

For they are that buffalo … brave, outwardly strong-looking but isolated, exposed and vulnerable.

Matildas Swedish coach Tony Gustavsson is walking across the open plains and has nearly found his way to the promised land.

He has a qualified pass mark for getting Australia into the World Cup quarter finals against France. If he wins another game it’s close to a distinction because that would mean taking Australia where they have never been – to a semi-final.

Tony Gustavsson (L) is on the verge of history. Picture: AFP

Talk about a game of extremes. A couple of weeks ago he was being mocked, ridiculed and branded a man without a workable plan.

If the Matildas keep bounding along he will slip into an eternal sweet spot occupied by Dutchman Guus Hiddink whose short but successful stint as Socceroos coach saw Australia reach the round-of-16 at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

For overseas sports coaches in Australia this is rare air.

For mentors in other sports like sacked Wallaby coaches Robbie Deans and Dave Rennie (both from New Zealand) and South African raised Australian cricket coach Mickey Arthur coaching Australia was a life without sympathy or safety nets.

When you come from a faraway world (even though Arthur settled in Perth) there’s never any old mates from playing days defending you when others are chucking spears. And Gustavsson copped plenty, not that he minded playing lightning rod for his team.

“The rule of any coach and leader is to take the hits when the team needs one,’’ he said on Friday.

Both Arthur and Rennie were brutally hauled out of their jobs and replaced by Australian raised coaches at a time when they looked safely booked in for major assignments (Arthur the Ashes and Rennie next month’s World Cup).

They were savage calls but Australia officials knew there would be little backlash. When you are a hired hand raised in a foreign system Australia rarely wraps its loving arms around you.

It’s different in soccer because it’s a global game and Australians don’t see our coaches as the oracles – but it’s still tough.

When a journalist doing a feature story on Gustavsson before the win over Denmark was chasing some comments about the coach from his bosses, they were hesitant about talking him up, obviously accepting the reality if they lost the game he may have to be sacked.

Gustavsson is keeping positivity levels high.

Suddenly he is three matches away from becoming a coaching legend in a nation which knows next to nothing about him.

More than 50 journalists waited for the coach at his final press conference at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Friday and you could tell this moment exhilarated rather than intimated him.

He didn’t even wait to be asked a question before reinforcing his mindset … and his credentials.

“The quarter final of the World Cup is never easy,’’ he said. “I had the privilege to be in five quarter- finals in three World Cups and two Olympics before this one. You get an unhealthy addiction to these games.’’

He sounded sharp. He smiled often and it was the smile of a man who has seen the bottom of the well, surged back upwards, got his pass mark and now is playing with the casino’s chips so even if he loses he still breaks even.

The best thing he had going at the start of his job was the senior players in the side wanted him, That’s significant because player power cost his predecessor Alen Stajcic his job and we still don’t know why.

One theory about Gustavsson’s success is that he is smart enough to get out of the road of his team who is dotted with a group of players at the peak of their careers who know how they want to play (with attacking gusto).

He is Doctor Detail as a coach and once quipped that he needed his key stats man would barely have time to leave his seat after a game before the coach tapped him on the shoulder for key details.

They say his halftime speeches are deftly nuanced to what the team needs and he has kept a wide variety of players on side by showing empathy and understanding when he dropped them.

Maybe he has found the secret creed for overseas coaches - keep your team and yourself happy for nothing else matters.

Originally published as Matildas v France: Tony Gustavsson closing in on history with Matildas