Matildas search for ruthless streak

Finishing goals and games will be near top of the priority pile when the Matildas shift focus to looming Olympics qualifiers.

The Australia players look dejected after losing the penalty shoot out. Picture: Getty Images

Finishing goals and games will be near top of the priority pile when the Matildas shift focus to looming Olympics qualifiers.

Yesterday morning’s soul-searching tournament-ending loss to Norway on penalties might have been a very different affair had Sam Kerr not skewed her shot a whisker wide 27 seconds in.

And again, in the sixth minute, when Caitlin Foord sent in another lovely ball that Hayley Raso directed straight at the goalkeeper.

Early missed opportunities ultimately came back to bite Australia, who finished 120 minutes of regular and extra time with 19 shots, but only four on target.

The world No 12 Norwegians, courtesy of their numerical advantage after Alanna Kennedy’s red card, tallied 27 shots, eight on target. And while Australia entered the round of 16 as the second-highest scorers of the tournament behind reigning champions the US, there could have been more.

“The first 10 minutes I thought ‘we’re good’,” said vice-captain Steph Catley. “We created a lot of opportunities and I honestly think if we’d finished some of those — different story.

“That’s been the case for us a little bit this tournament, you know. We’ve missed those clinical opportunities to just put games away.

“That’s something we need to work on. We’ve got the Olympics coming up so it’s the next major tournament we have to start focusing on.”

Having spent only three months with new coach Ante Milicic, Catley felt the team would benefit from a solid year under his charge before Olympics qualifiers start in January or February 2020.

“Yeah absolutely,” she said. “I think as much time as possible we can have together leading into a major tournament always helps. Playing the same way, understanding each other and our systems. We’re definitely gonna be together as much as we can and play as many games as we can to hopefully be ready for the tournament.”

The Daily Telegraph