Matildas drop to lowest world ranking in 20 years

The Matildas have copped another blow, falling in the pecking order of world football to a 20-year low following a dire run of results.

The Matildas’ tough few months have continued with the Aussies falling to their lowest spot on the FIFA world rankings in 20 years.

Defeats to Japan (4-0), the USA (2-1) and Colombia (2-1) at last month’s SheBelieves Cup amped up the pressure on Australia’s women’s national team, who have struggled for form in the past year.

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The Matildas have dropped one place to 16th in the world rankings — it’s a 20-year low and an equal worst ranking for the Aussie women. The Matildas were ranked as high as fourth back in 2017.

Heading into the 2023 World Cup, the Matildas were ranked 10th.

Japan, who claimed three wins at the SheBelieves Cup, climbed to fifth in the rankings and loom as the favourite to win next year’s Asian Cup, being held in Australia.

Olympic champions the USA remain in top spot ahead of World Cup winners Spain, Germany and European champions England. Sweden, Canada and Brazil are also in the top 10.

The Matildas have dropped in the world rankings. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty Images)

The Matildas will be aiming to replicate what Ange Postecoglou’s Socceroos achieved in 2015 by winning the Asian Cup on home soil next year, but they will need to turn their form around soon.

There are growing calls for Football Australia to appoint a permanent coach to help settle the players. Tom Sermanni has been serving as interim coach since Tony Gustavsson stepped down following the Matildas’ exit in the groups stage at the Paris Olympics.

Code Sports reports a replacement for Gustavsson is unlikely to be appointed until the middle of the year.

The losses at the SheBelieves Cup made the Matildas’ goalscoring struggles in the absence of Sam Kerr very clear — the Matildas had two shots on target across the three games and scored two goals.

It has been over a year since Kerr injured her knee and her club team Chelsea are taking a cautious approach with her return to play.

The 31-year-old’s recovering from her ACL injury is taking longer expected but she could return to action in the next few weeks as the Women’s Super League reaches the pointy end of the season.

The Matildas lost all three games at the SheBelievesCup. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

Matildas great Joey Peters believes the Matildas over-achieved by making the 2023 World Cup semi-finals and expectations may be too high for the team.

“I was amazed that they got that far. With that progress of women’s football around the world, we really were over-achievers in that tournament,” Peters said.

“Having done that, the expectation is we’ll be like that forever now, but that’s not the way it is with world football, particularly women’s football.

“I feel for the girls at the moment because they have played together for such a long time, and then you hear things like they’re not gelling, but they should be able to go on to the field and understand the player you’ve been playing next to for your whole life, but you can’t necessarily rely on that either

“We’re being shown up on the basics as Australian players.”

The Matildas have struggled in the past year. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

Tom Sermanni has been serving as interim coach since the Paris Olympics. Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images/AFP.

The Matildas will next be in action in April for a two-game series against South Korea.

It’s unclear whether Kerr, who also endured an ugly court hearing in the UK during which she was found not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer, will be back for those games.

Last week Football Australia announced next year’s Asian Cup final will take place at Sydney’s Olympic stadium on March 21.

The Matildas will also play a pool game at the Gold Coast and the Opening match at Perth’s Optus Stadium on March 1.

The Matildas have a great record at the Asian Cup, making three of the last four Asian Cup finals and winning the title in 2010. They missed the semis at the last tournament in 2022.

— With NewsWire