Slater: Football Australia must take responsibility for the Matildas’ costly Olympics failure

An unmitigated disaster – there’s no other way to describe the Matildas’ failed Olympic Games campaign. And Football Australia has themselves to blame for what is a costly failure, writes Socceroos great ROBBIE SLATER.

An unmitigated disaster – there’s no other way to describe the Matildas’ failed Olympic Games campaign.

A quarter-final berth should have been the bare minimum requirement for the Aussies, even in the absence of their best player Sam Kerr.

With only four of the 12 nations missing out on a spot in the last eight, it was harder not to qualify for the knockout stages than to qualify.

Yet, the Matildas, a team which reached the Women’s World Cup semi-finals last year, still couldn’t do it.

What’s worse is all the money wasted by Football Australia on the Olympics campaign.

A devastated Hayley Raso after fulltime. Picture: Getty Images

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Many family and friends, and over-inflated number of staff, were with the team at the Games as well as at the pre-tournament training camp in Spain.

I believe the way the squad was pampered was embarrassing and probably part of the reason they performed so badly.

Instead of working on their on-field performance, it seemed the priority was making sure the players’ clothes were neatly folded, that every player had a single room and didn’t even carry their own bags. It would be funny if it wasn’t true.

There’s little doubt they started to believe in the hype generated in part by FA chief executive officer James Johnson, who stated days before the Matildas’ first game that it didn’t matter how the team performed at the Olympics because of the “legacy” they had already created.

The millions of dollars spent on unnecessary extras means that, for example, the Young Matildas and Young Socceroos will miss camps and trips essential for their development.

That spending will also impact on the ability to help coaches prepare players to the level needed, because the lack of player development is alarming.

This is a common problem for not only the Matildas but the Socceroos.

Mary Fowler is the only current Matilda with the technique required to be a genuine playmaker and she was largely self-taught.

Socceroos great Robbie Slater says Mary Fowler is the only current Matilda with the technique required to be a genuine playmaker. Picture: Getty Images

The Matildas defence is also a huge cause for concern. To concede a handful of goals in three matches from set pieces is unacceptable and a blight on the team’s coaching, as was conceding five goals against Zambia, the lowest ranked team at the tournament.

Considering it was goal difference that ultimately cost the Matildas a quarter-final spot, to allow Zambia to score that many times against them was the killer blow, not the losses to Germany and the USA.

Similarly inexcusable were the comments about the Matildas not being ready for the start of the tournament.

Australia coach Tony Gustavsson appeals for a review after his team conceded a goal during the crucial clash with the USA. Picture: AFP

What were they doing in their lengthy camp in Spain? What happened to the second warm-up game, against New Zealand, that was supposed to be played?

These are questions that must be answered, and Johnson should have faced the music immediately in France, not waited until he got home to Australia and after an assistant coach and player were put up to front the media.

Or will he continue to worry about how much money FA can make from the team’s popularity and paint over the obvious cracks.

If it’s the latter, it’s going to get a whole lot worse than what we saw at the Olympics before it gets any better.

Investment in developing young boys and girls is the only way to ensure that the “legacy” endures.