Gustavsson laughs off Schwarzer as Matildas’ mind games continue

Did Sam Kerr train today? It depends what you mean by training, says the under-pressure Matildas coach.

Australia's coach Tony Gustavsson and Emily van Egmond at a media conference on the eve of the Matildas’ must-win clash over Canada Picture: AFP

Tony Gustavsson is the bloke under the biggest pump in Australian sport, Eddie Jones included. We’re accustomed to woebegone Wallabies’ failures but the Matildas were meant to go deep and meaningful at the World Cup.

He’ll be roundly blamed in the round-ball game if the campaign comes to nothing.

He did a bizarre interview with ex-Socceroos player Mark Schwarzer on Optus Sports on Sunday. You can understand details about Sam Kerr’s playing time in Melbourne on Monday night being kept from the Canadians but Gustavsson took it to the extreme of refusing to confirm if she even trained on match eve. There she was at training, boots on, but the media is kicked out of Matildas sessions after 15 minutes so we cannot accurately report if she had a kick or just dawdled around on her own.

This was how it went between Schwarzer and Gustavsson.

Schwarzer: “Did she train today? Did she take part in the session and will she play tomorrow?”

Poker Face: “Fair question. We had an extra press conference yesterday so that we make sure that we really respect all the fans out there that want to have answers. Sam took a time to answer all those questions. So in terms of today and tomorrow, I will quote Sam as an answer and then move on and focus on the game tomorrow. What Sam said yesterday is it’s always been a plan to rest up for two games and rehab and reassess going into this game and then it’s going to be down to the wire. We’re going to have a meeting tonight and the medical team is going to tell me what minute she’s available and what the risks are included with that. And like Sam said herself, we’re not going to say anything until game day. Whether we use her as a starter or a game-changer off the bench is all about a plan for 90 minutes and how we think she might have the most effect in the game, and also the risks.”

Schwarzer: “So did she join today with the team?”

Gustavsson: “I’m not going to comment on who trains and didn’t train. What I can say, though, is she’s been on an individual plan like every player has been. And there were some players that were adjusted today, some players that had a minutes load yesterday and also did some individual stuff today.

“So if you say train, every player trains very differently.”

Schwarzer: “So she didn’t train?”

Gustavsson: “It depends on what you mean, trained with a team.”

Schwarzer: “Had her football boots on and trained with the team.”

Gustavsson: “She had football boots on. Yes.”

Schwarzer: “So she didn’t train with the team?”

That was as far as it got. Which wasn’t very far at all. You’d call Gustavsson a poker face but he kept laughing at the questions. Just a train of thought – he’s contracted to coach the Matildas through to the Paris Olympics next year. His deal will be in jeopardy if the Australians fail to progress out of the group stage at their home World Cup. He needs a win. The train is leaving the station.