Matildas report card: What fell apart in calamitous World Cup defeat against Nigeria

The Matildas are at risk of bombing out of their home World Cup in the group stage after a 3-2 loss to Nigeria. TILLY WERNER analyses every part of the performance to find what went wrong.

Caitlin Foord and Rasheedat Ajibade compete for the ball

Australia’s 3-2 loss against Nigeria has put it on the brink of a disastrous group stage exit at a home World Cup.

Here is how the Matildas performed in Brisbane.

Goalkeeper: D

Mackenzie Arnold faced six shots on target and conceded three of them. A miscommunication with Alanna Kennedy cost the Matildas a goal and, while the crowd noise or their lack of familiarity may have contributed to the mishap, it’s a mistake you can’t afford to make at this level. She’ll be incredibly disappointed with the match, but needs to shut it down quickly, as she can expect to face a barrage of attempts from Canada’s world-class strikers.

Nigeria striker Asisat Oshoala goes past Alanna Kennedy and Mackenzie Arnold on her way to scoring her team's third goal. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Defenders: C-

The defensive four barely put a foot wrong for 45 minutes, but dropping a goal doesn’t mean you can drop your heads and, unfortunately, the backline did. Clare Hunt had another impressive performance through the first half, until both she and Kennedy were caught napping and Asisat Oshoala pounced. With Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley effectively nullified by the Nigerians’ speed, the central pairing of Hunt and Kennedy needed to watch how high they played their line. Alas, Oshoala was watching with them. There were miscommunications, misjudgements and messiness but, ultimately, it was the pace and chaotic attacking style of the Super Falcons which proved too great.

Clare Hunt takes on Asisat Oshoala. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Midfielders: C

It’s difficult to judge the work of the midfield, given the Matildas dominance in possession and the amount of deliveries into the box. A nod from the sidelines asked Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross to continue to send aerial balls into the frontline, but with the tactic not working from running play, the question of ‘do we stick with it?’ needed to be asked.

Cortnee Vine and Hayley Raso found it difficult to be effective on the wings with their speed comfortably matched. This should have demanded more play through the middle, with Caitlin Foord comfortably beating the Nigerian central defence for speed, but tunnel vision, especially in the final 15 minutes, won out as the Matildas lost in attack.

Katrina Gorry on the ball for Australia against Nigeria. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Forwards: C+

Two goals is usually enough to win a World Cup match.

Two goals from 28 attempts, with only eight on target, is not.

It was always going to be a difficult task for Caitlin Foord, performing sole striker duties, a formation she hasn’t played with the national side for years. Australia’s deliveries into the box were focused high and, while Foord can meet the ball in the air, asking her to do it time again as Nigeria’s defensive line got the measure of Australia’s attack was a tactical failing. A lack of variation going forward was going to be costly against a cluey defence, and the Matildas paid.

Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria challenges Caitlin Foord, who is playing a lone hand for Australia up front amid an injury crisis. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Bench: D+

When the Matildas pulled ahead of the Republic of Ireland last Thursday, Tony Gustavsson made the call to switch out a striker for a central defender to secure the lead. nderstandable, if a little safe. Last night, he made the same move against Nigeria, 3-1 behind and in desperate need of creative options in the final third. Mind boggling and defeatist.

Yes, Clare Polkinghorne’s entry allowed Alanna Kennedy to move forward and become a bigger target in the box but the aerial strategy was broken - and the move did nothing to fix it. There will be plenty of questions asked of Gustavsson’s decision, especially given Alex Chidiac’s eventual, fiery entry into the game with ten minutes to play. Chidiac looked to keep the ball on the ground, forced turnovers and applied defensive pressure from the front line, something desperately missing from her teammates across the previous 80 minutes.

It seemed obvious the directive from Gustavsson was to leave space at the back and ensure they weren’t caught high (whoops), but the lack of pressure seemed a missed opportunity given the amount of unforced errors the Nigerians racked up through the first half.

Originally published as Matildas report card: What fell apart in calamitous World Cup defeat against Nigeria