Former Matildas star Heather Garriock says Australia must fix defence to grab World Cup glory

World Cup glory could be on the horizon for the Matildas in France — but first they have to fix some defensive issues that could be their Achilles heel.

World Cup glory could be on the horizon for the Matildas — but first they have to fix some defensive issues that could be their Achilles heel.

That’s the view of former Matilda Heather Garriock, whose excitement at what Australia’s forward line could produce is tempered by the goals conceded in the 5-3 loss to America last month.

Garriock has pored over recent footage in her role as expert analyst for the Optus Sport coverage of the World Cup starting on June 7, alongside a variety of talent including fellow former internationals including Cheryl Salisbury and Amy Chapman, Sydney FC defender Georgia Yeoman-Dale and Sky Blues coach Ante Juric.

Steph Catley will be crucial to the Matildas’ defence. Image: AAP Image / Matt Sullivan

Garriock was involved in coaching the current squad under former coach Alen Stajcic, and believes Australia’s opponents at the World Cup will be losing sleep over the Matilda’s attacking prowess.

“With players like Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Emily Gielnik, I honestly believe we’ve got as good an attack as any in the world,” said Garriock.

“If those players are firing, any defence will struggle to contain them. I think they’ll score the goals to win the group, and we could go a long way into the knockout stages, possibly a very long way.

“What concerns me is our defensive structure, as we saw with the five goals against the US. The best teams can hurt us if Ante Milicic doesn’t fix that.”

The Optus commentary team for Fifa 2019 Women's World Cup (L-r): Georgia Yeoman-Dale, Ante Juric, Ashleigh Sykes, Tal Karp, Niav Owens, John Aloisi, Heather Garriock, Amy Duggan, Richard Bayliss, Melanie McLaughlin, Mark Schwarzer, Alicia Ferguson, Jules Breach, Amy Chapman, Cheryl Salisbury, Catherine Cannuli, Dean Heffernan, Michelle Escobar.

Optus will broadcast all 52 games at the tournament, and show a daily highlights show each morning, mirroring the coverage the men’s World Cup in Russia received last year.

Chapman said that would prove to be a watershed moment for women’s football, putting it on a par with the men’s tournament.

“I’m so excited by this as it means people will get to see how many fantastic women’s teams there are,” she said.

“We’ve seen the Matildas attract great crowds in the last couple of years, and now this will take it to the next level in terms of awareness.”