Matildas’ World Cup exit not just down to Alen Stajcic’s sacking
The fallout from the Matildas’ premature World Cup exit will capture the imagination of fans around the country. But it can’t be boiled down to an Alen Stajcic versus Ante Milicic debate, writes EMMA KEMP.
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This is not an Alen Stajcic versus Ante Milicic debate.
It’s a case of unnecessary chaos, missing continuity and insufficient investment.
As the Matildas’ World Cup ends and an uncomfortable post-mortem begins, the obvious question is already doing the rounds: would Stajcic have taken the team further?
Unless there’s a clairvoyant out there, that will remain an unknown in perpetuity.
And besides, it’s distressingly simplistic to put Australia’s bitterly disappointing campaign down to the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the current coach compared to those of his predecessor.
To hang it all on a selection choice or a high defensive line discounts the myriad other contributing factors.
There’s no denying the lead-up was messy, and it would be naive to believe the tumult in the wake of Stajcic’s highly contentious sacking did not influence the squad, despite their professionalism and Alanna Kennedy’s post-match declaration that “it’s got nothing to do with it”.
Football Federation Australia’s gross misjudgment and mishandling of the situation diverted talk off the field at precisely the time it should have been all about the football.
An independent inquiry is the right way forward but the inevitable by-product of the whole unhappy and hurtful affair is negativity and politics that permeate the squad and distract from the main objective.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a bit strange,” said vice-captain Steph Catley.
“I’ve been in America for most of it so I’m away from it a lot which is probably good.”
Furthermore, if the change in coach was made for football reasons, as FFA now claims, was it worth it?
To boot a long-term coach less than five months before the biggest tournament in four years and then give a new one little more than three months with an unfamiliar group is highly risky.
Most coaches will attest it takes years for a national team to fully grasp the nuances of a particular philosophy, if at all.
In that sense, Milicic was up against it the moment he took the job in February, with a total 44 days in camp between then and the Matildas’ opening match against Italy, not to mention injuries to key players.
There were flashes of the world beaters the Matildas might be another year or two down the track, but those moments were the exception in an overall underwhelming tournament let down by a susceptible defence and a gifted attack that ran out of ideas.
But perhaps the most pertinent lesson is one that’s been lost in the great coaching debate: the global women’s game is moving quickly and Australia are at risk of getting left behind.
Asia is one thing, and the Matildas’ Asian Cup semi-final struggles against Thailand and final loss to Japan early last year was a worry.
Then there’s Europe.
Last month’s friendly defeat to the Netherlands was the 11th game against European opposition between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Of those, they won two.
In France they beat South Americans Brazil and Caribbeans Jamaica but lost to less-fancied Europeans Italy and Norway.
Barring several major upsets, the bulk of quarterfinalists will be from the rapidly improving continent and only perennial powerhouse the United States look any chance of stopping them.
“The Euro women’s game is moving so strong in the right direction, particularly in the last few years,” Milicic said in his final press conference.
“Look at how the league is improving and the investment that these countries are giving to their girls.
“It really benefits them, so we’ll review the tournament and look to get better and improve and move on from there.”
A radical revamp of the 14-round W-League is already on the wish list of several former players and commentators, along with extra tournament play.
The FA Women’s Super League is 20 rounds long, while the US National Women’s Soccer League is 24 matches — double the length of the W-League season.
Professional environments, coaching, resources and wages must also be addressed as the Matildas look towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Because the Matildas’ raw talent is exceptional, but it will take more than that to win a World Cup. Or progress past the round of 16.
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