Caitlin Foord wants Matildas to play ‘fun kind of football’ again after Olympic Games disaster

Why the Matildas performed poorly at the Olympics remains a mystery to one of their best players.

Star forward Caitlin Foord is still scratching her head about why the Matildas flopped at the Olympics as she yearns for the return of a “fun” and “positive” atmosphere in the squad.

The Matildas will play for the first time since their disastrous Paris Games campaign when they meet Switzerland in a friendly international in Zurich on Saturday morning (AEDT).

Desperate to win a medal in Paris after finishing fourth at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup  and the previous Olympics in Tokyo, the Australians failed to reach the knockout stages in a forgettable end to coach Tony Gustavsson’s tenure.

As Football Australia searches for a permanent replacement for Gustavsson, 70-year-old former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni has been placed in charge in an interim capacity.

“Tommy was my first national team coach, so it feels like almost a full circle having him back in,” Foord said.

“Right now we’re here with Tommy, and ... that’s our coach,

“For us just to have a good environment, a positive environment ... (because) as we all know it was quite a negative one from the Olympics not going the way we wanted to, so (it’s) just to get back to that Matildas’ fun, positive football feeling.”

“The results (in Paris) and getting knocked out of the tournament where we did, it’s not really fun.”

Touchdown in Switzerland 🛬

🇨🇭v🇦🇺 26.10.24 - 5:00am AEDT
🇩🇪v🇦🇺 29.10.24 - 4:10am AEDT
📺💻📱: @ParamountPlusAU#Matildaspic.twitter.com/zaFCbxOTra

— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) October 21, 2024

Foord said a shortened preparation was part of the reason for the Matildas failing at the Olympics, but she was unsure of what other factors there were in Australia’s poor showing.

“I don’t really know what went wrong. I like to move on quickly, because I can’t dwell on it too much,” she said.

“It’s just (about getting) back to our winning ways, getting results ... (and) a fun kind of football and (being) positive (from) purely on what’s last in our memory from being in this Matildas environment.”

It’s not only at international level where Foord’s teams have struggled in recent teams, with her English Women’s Super League club Arsenal having made an ordinary start to the season.

Jonas Eidevall resigned as coach last week, and has been replaced by previous assistant Renee Slegers in an interim capacity.

“It’s strange, but it’s just obviously down to me to play football,” Foord said.

“I trust in both club and country that when the coach comes in, it’ll be the right person.

“For me, it’s just the same thing day in, day out, but it shows you how quickly the game can change.

“For me, it’s more to just enjoy what I have in front of me, and playing the game as best I can because it moves quickly.”

Foord has not been involved in Football Australia’s conversations with Matildas players about who should be appointed the team’s next permanent coach.

“I’m not in the leadership group, so I haven’t been part of those, but for me, it would purely be what’s best for the team,” she said.

“We need to (have someone) to take us to the next level, to have that Australian fighting experience, to keep that going, and to just find a way like we always have done.”

Originally published as Caitlin Foord wants Matildas to play ‘fun kind of football’ again after Olympic Games disaster