Women’s World Cup 2019: Defence, tempo keys for Matildas against Norway

The Matildas are focused on bringing a solid defence into their knockout clash with Norway at the Women’s World Cup.

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The Matildas are bracing for whatever Norway throw their way, in the knowledge anything short of marked improvement will send them packing on Sunday morning.

Australia’s World Cup campaign will go on the line in their first knockout match in France.

And while they enter the round of 16 with the second-highest number of goals scored only to prolific world No.1 defending champions the United States, defence remains a liability.

Come undone against an organised 12th-ranked Norway and an inquest will begin in earnest as to why sixth-ranked Australia have undershot expectations, with the January sacking of former coach Alen Stajcic almost certain to become a focal point.

Beat the ‘Grasshoppers’ and progress to the quarter-finals and the Matildas will equal their deepest run of 2015 when, in an expanded tournament, they became the first senior Australian side of either gender to win a knockout World Cup match.

Matildas players celebrate after Sam Kerr (left) scored the team’s third goal against Brazil. Picture: AP

As much as tactics is a focus this week in Nice, many of the players’ main priority is recuperating over a short four-day turnaround - one day less than their Norwegian counterparts who sealed second in Group A 24 hours prior.

With that in mind, several key personnel who’ve had heavy workloads sat out the main training session on Thursday, including Sam Kerr, Emily van Egmond, Ellie Carpenter, Chloe Logarzo, Steph Catley and Alanna Kennedy.

Team officials said their absence was nothing more than load management, with expectations they would return to the pitch for Friday’s session.

Tameka Yallop, who sat out Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Jamaica with calf soreness, is due to attend the Matildas’ pre-match press conference, suggesting the Norway-based midfielder may make her comeback.

Defender Clare Polkinghorne was also edging closer to availibility.

While some stars recover, the rest are plotting a plan to unpick Norway and have also been practising penalties consistently since pre-tournament camp in Turkey,

Logarzo said there’d been a focus on controlling the tempo, an element she felt her side had struggled with.

“The tempo that we brought to the game against Brazil was up here and how we played against Jamaica was down here,” Logarzo said.

“When we have more time and space on the ball, we end up slowing down the tempo which shouldn’t happen.

“(We need to) mix the two games together and and meet at a happy medium.”

Originally published as Women’s World Cup 2019: Defence, tempo keys for Matildas against Norway