Matildas v Brazil: Australia buzzing as Alen Stajcic leads quest to be No 1

The Matildas will go in hard against Brazil in their quest to become the world’s best team.

Matildas defender Alanna Kennedy at training in Sydney this week.

Matildas coach Alen Stajcic says there is excitement but no ­pressure as Australia look to ­continue their push to become the best women’s team in world ­soccer.

The Matildas will almost ­certainly rise above their sixth spot on the rankings if they can beat Brazil in a two-match series starting with tonight’s opener at a sold-out ­Pepper Stadium in Penrith.

While the South Americans will likely provide sterner ­opposition, having recalled a number of players including the ­renowned Marta, the Matildas will go into the contest brimming with confidence after dismantling the Brazilians 6-1 in the Tournament of Nations in the US recently.

Australia won that tournament off the back of beating the US for the first time, demoralising Japan and finishing with the win against the Brazilians.

It was a result that lifted them to sixth spot on the world rankings and to within touching distance of a place in the top three.

The Matildas are playing at home for the first time since that tournament and the response from the fans has been overwhelming.

With scores watching, plenty of attention and the prospect of a rise in the rankings, there is a great deal on the line.

But Stajcic, who has been at the helm of the Matildas since 2014 and has been responsible for their wonderful transformation, remains as calm and collected as ever.

“No, we are feeling no pressure, we are just excited,” Stajcic said yesterday.

“It’s a great buzz for our team, one to be playing at home, two to be playing such a powerful football nation and three to have a sellout crowd on home soil for the first time in history. It’s a big achievement.

“We are ready for it and I am sure Brazil are, too.”

Stajcic also believes the Matildas are ready to make an even ­bigger mark in world soccer.

“I don’t think we’re far away at all in terms of play,” he said when asked about being the best team in the world.

“I think we’ve shown we can be the best in the world. We’ve beaten America, we probably should have beaten Germany at the Olympics, we’ve beaten Japan twice in a row now and they’re the last two World Cup finalists and the ­Olympic gold medallists.

“Our challenge is beating them on any given day, our challenge is being a consistent team.

“The truly world-class sports people and sports teams are the ones that can do it game in, game out.

“I think we’ve seen the maturity in our teams and I think the girls feel it as well that we’re becoming a lot more mature, we’re becoming a lot more professional and that ­itself leads to the consistency we’re starting to see.”

According to defender Alanna Kennedy, the win against the US, Australia’s first ever against the powerhouse of the women’s game, is one that has helped instil even more belief into the squad.

“I think it solidifies the belief. We always talk about it and it’s something we’ve tried to ­implement in our philosophy and team character, I guess,” Kennedy said.

“But to have it actually unfold and have that win made us believe that we can beat any team but we also know that we’ve only beaten them once. We have to continue to beat teams like that to be a world-class team.”

As for Brazil, exciting attacking Sam Kerr, a candidate for the best player in the world, admits it is an intense rivalry.

“I think so. I even feel like there’s a bit of tension with them (Brazilian players) in the NWSL. You go in that extra bit harder,” Kerr said. “It’s always a little bit ­different when you’re playing international players.

“You play in some of the most important games of your life against them and there’s really high stakes and the fact Brazil knocked us out of the Olympics, I’ll never like a Brazilian player.

“There’s a little bit of extra ­tension, but any time we step over that white line and play another country, it’s do or die for us, we want to win.”