‘Hard to watch’: Matildas obliterated in SheBelieves Cup nightmare

The Matildas have been wiped off the field in the opening match of the SheBelieves Cup, with the horror show ripped apart.

The Matildas have been demolished 4-0 by Japan in an absolute humiliation in the opening match of the SheBelieves Cup.

In a match between the world No. 8 Japanese and No. 15 Aussies, it looked like it would have been a close match as the Matildas look to put a dire 2024 behind them.

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Unfortunately, it was a horror show in the Matildas’ first match since December as Asia’s true powerhouse put the Aussies to the sword.

The result was the biggest ever loss by the Matildas to Japan and should have been much worse with some terrible shots, but what was worse was that the Aussies quite literally didn’t even fire a shot, with no shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes.

At halftime, the commentators were stunned by the 2-0 deficit, with calls for the Matildas to break out of their malaise.

Host Tara Rushton said it was “difficult to watch”.

“It looks like a team that doesn’t really know where they’re at with each other, and a little bit flat and bereft of energy.”

Aussie football veteran Andy Harper agreed.

“This was beyond less than acceptable. This is nowhere near good enough,” he said on Paramount+.

“Tom Sermanni came in, wanted to build stability with this first game, get off to a winning start. This team knows each other intimately. There’s almost 1000 caps spread across … this is so far away from being an acceptable first half of football from our national team in a preparation for an Asian Cup which we’re hosting.”

The Matildas were thrashed by Japan. Photo: Jack Gorman/Getty Images/AFP

Former Matilda Grace Gill said the team would have to “take a good hard look at themselves at halftime”, hitting out at the team’s wasteful first half performance.

The only half chance the Matildas had a strong ball from Kyra Cooney-Cross that found an off-side Caitlin Foord but there was little else that could be considered a positive from a dire first half.

Even the Japanese goals were far from screamers with Mina Tanaka scoring off a weak strike after a failed header clearance from Australia.

The second was little more than a tap in after Clare Hunt and Alanna Kennedy ran into each other.

And the Matildas were lucky to not be further behind after a near-certain header clanged off the crossbar.

Gill said the goals were “easily preventable, easily fixed”.

“It was not controlling the ball, it was not settling things down, everything was going Japan’s way,” Gill says.

“Those (Japan) goals are easily defendable … it’s just defensively poor.

“It feels like the intensity is not there.”

But it was more of the same in the second half with the third goal five minutes after the break.

Despite a few positive moments from Japan showed the gulf in class with a sharp passing move giving Maika Hamano the easiest of tap ins.

At full-time, Harper called it “very very poor”.

“Disappointing doesn’t really come close to covering it,” Harper said.

“It was a morning which simply did not work.”

Hayley Raso reacts for the Matildas. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images

Gill said it exposed the “chasm” between the teams.

Harper said the loss exposed a hard truth for Australian football.

“We’re having the same discussion after a Matildas game against Japan as we have after a men’s game against Japan,” he said.

“This is not a team against another team, this is a system against another system.

“While Japan over five, 10, 15 years have made vast progress on a technical level with their players, we sit here sending out national teams out and the chasm between Japan and Australia technically seems to be getting wider, not narrower.”

Fans were quick to take aim at the performance, with criticisms focusing on the fact the Matildas still have an interim coach.

Sport broadcaster Daniel Garb slammed the performance.

“That’s a disaster for The Matildas with as strong a side as it can name at present. Heaviest ever loss to Japan. Concerning a year out from a home Asian Cup,” he said.

“Tom Sermanni is a great of the women’s game & is not to blame but they’ve got to get a move on with a permanent coach.”

The West Australian’s Ben Smith commented: “One shot on target. Matildas in dire need of a direction and a coach, because right now they’re just spinning the wheels. Sermanni in a tough spot, but there doesn’t feel like there’s any jeopardy for senior players.”

“This she believes cup was the perfect time to have a full-time coach in camp with the Matildas. Why there isn’t one yet is insane,” one fan said.

Another added: “The Matildas look seriously out of form and poorly organised. They are a metaphor for @FootbalAUS. We have NO coach and the classy Japanese have an Australian assistant coach. We have a thin bench and a porous defence. Reform is an urgent need.”

There was nothing to celebrate for the Matildas. Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty Images

Speaking after the game, defender Ellie Carpenter lamented a horrific day at the office.

“It was a bad performance from us and we need to regroup, refocus for the game against the US,” she said.

“I think we weren’t all on the same page with the press. But like I said, it wasn’t good enough tonight and we just need to refocus, regroup and focus on the next match.”

It gets no easier for the Aussies with the Matildas facing hosts and world No. 1 the US on Monday before finishing against Colombia next Thursday.

Originally published as ‘Hard to watch’: Matildas obliterated in SheBelieves Cup nightmare