If the Matildas are to make something of next year’s World Cup on home soil, a lot needs to change. And with each game, it’s becoming increasingly clear that might have to start with their coach.
Tony Gustavsson oversaw the Matildas’ worst result in a quarter of a century as they crashed to Spain 7-0 on Sunday. If he needed to atone for that defeat on Wednesday morning against Portugal, ranked 30th, the dour performance in a 1-1 draw fell short of achieving that.
The Swedish coach inherited the seventh-best team in the world in February 2021. Now they are 12th. Where they will be by the World Cup next year is anyone’s guess.
He’s had 24 games in charge of the team yet no discernable style of play has emerged. Players have been used ad-hoc, the bigger names to the point of reliance. Many others have been deployed out of position while youngsters who are given chances have been used almost recklessly. This week’s friendlies was a case of all of the above.
Against one of the emerging powerhouses of women’s football, Gustavsson rested many of Australia’s stars, including Sam Kerr. A slightly experimental squad was selected, he said as part of the “groundwork for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.” After the eventual thrashing from Spain and poor showing against Portugal, Gustavsson reframed his selection as an eye on the legacy beyond 2023.
Tony Gustavsson believes the public should have expected a 7-0 thrashing from Spain.Credit: Getty
“I am about the programming, the long-term legacy and bleeding in the players,” he said.
Instead of taking responsibility for the Spain thrashing - or his selection - Gustavsson said the fans should have expected a heavy defeat, such is the shallow depth of talent in Australia.
“I’m actually surprised that people are surprised because that is where we are,” he said on Tuesday.
It’s in stark contrast to Graham Arnold’s “expect to win” slogan with the Olyroos or Socceroos, or his more recent phrase trumpeting the grit and determination of “Aussie DNA” before playing teams ranked higher. Before that, Ange Postecoglou’s mantra was that Australians “never take a backward step”, even against powerhouses. Gustavsson’s trademark appears to be the opposite.
For some, his view might be a fresh jolt of reality. At surface level, Gustavsson has admirably handed a number of debuts to youngsters to build depth. A closer inspection raises questions over the manner and timing players have been thrown into the deep end.
Princess Ibini scores her first goal for the Matildas.Credit: Getty
A month after turning 17, Jessika Nash started at central defence against world champions USA last year. She was hooked at half-time, didn’t feature in the return match and hasn’t been sighted in a Matildas’ shirt since. Gustavsson threw two more debutantes on against Spain on Sunday morning, sparking backlash from experts.
“A lot of people will be thinking why this, why now?” Ten commentator Andy Harper said. “You’re playing against Spain away from home, a year out from the World Cup. Iron sharpens iron, this was iron versus wood.”
On Wednesday, Gustavsson said he likes to shield the players from scrutiny. In doing so, he reiterated that those selected shouldn’t have realistic expectations of challenging Spain, who are ranked five places above Australia.
“It’s unfair to expect these players to come out and win against Spain. I think it’s unfair because they’re coming from an environment where they’re not ready for it,” he said.
Comments like this make his use of youngsters appear convenient; they can be pitched as part of a long-term strategy for the national team while also be used as regular excuses for poor performances and results.
When defending poor results in friendlies before tournaments, he would say the team was in “preparation mode”, which would be experimental by nature. He asked for judgement to be delayed until the Matildas were in “performance mode” at tournaments.
In January’s Asian Cup, the Matildas were eliminated in the first knock-out match by South Korea. While the team reached the semi-final of the 2021 Olympics, they did so by winning just one match in regular time, two overall and finishing third in their group.
The terms “performance mode” and “preparation mode” weren’t used this week but the ethos remained for their trip to the Iberian peninsula. While the squad included several inexperienced players, the Matildas began both games with five first-team regulars. Against Portugal, three had played 100 games or more for their country. Collectively, the starting teams for both games had almost 500 caps.
Against a lowly-ranked Portugal, only luck prevented the Matildas from being handed another defeat. They took 33 minutes to fire a shot and the Portuguese missed four good chances and hit the post once. When the game was still goalless, Australia benefitted from a case of mistaken identity when Charlotte Grant was booked instead of Courtney Nevin, who was already on a yellow card. Perhaps that was squared-up by Portugal’s eventual equaliser which looked offside.
While that goal was controversial, Gustavsson admitted “one-one was fair” .
Football Australia are backing Gustavsson, but the players look bereft of confidence, ideas and direction. Those given opportunities are becoming excuses. At this rate, Gustavsson is going to run out of those soon.
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