Motivation no problem as Alen Stajcic looks for Matildas to respond

Matildas coach Alen Stajcic has signalled he may make changes to his starting XI for the return match against Chile tonight.

Chile’s Yessenia Huenteo celebrates after scoring against the Matildas in Penrith on Saturday. Picture: AAP

As losses go, the shock 3-2 defeat to Chile in Penrith on Saturday afternoon didn’t go down well with coach Alen Stajcic and his Matildas team.

Going into the match as the sixth-ranked nation in the world, up against a team rated way below them in the high 30s, things didn’t go to script as the talented South Americans made the Australians pay for some defensive lapses and a failure to capitalise on a number of chances early in the game.

The sense of hurt, disappointment and frustration was understandably palpable in the dressing room afterwards given the Matildas have been carrying the international flag superbly, not just for soccer but for sport in general in this country.

But for Stajcic, who has been largely responsible for the emergence of the Matildas as a powerful force and brand over the past four years, the Chile result was not about delivering some home truths.

Yes, there were issues mainly to do around a defence that sat too deep in the second half and didn’t back themselves as they have done so often in the past, and that allowed the Chileans to dominate field position for a long period.

But the Matildas boss knows that problem is “easily fixed”.

That is why he is not overly concerned, nor did he see the need to rip into his charges.

“Those lapses are going to happen, but as it so happened we had two or three in the one game and that’s not how we usually operate,” Stajcic said yesterday ahead of the return match at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle tonight.

“We gifted them a few chances, but you can’t take anything way from Chile because they are away from home and capitalised on our errors … four chances and three goals.

“But we are going to keep going as we have, to play the way we know how and to play the way we want.

“We are an aggressive team, an attacking team and we will have that mindset tomorrow. It is why the sporting public has gravitated towards us because they can see those characteristics all the time and that is what they want to see in their national sporting teams.”

Asked if he expected a huge response from his players, Stajcic fired back, saying his team never worked on motivation.

“Will we be more motivated? I don’t know if you can be, it’s just almost like ‘you weren’t but now you will be’. I think they are always motivated, especially in front of their home crowd,” he said.

“Of course, the loss hurt everyone so it is good we have got to a point where it really hurts to lose.

“I don’t think our fight, the attitude, the courage or resilience is ever below a nine out of 10. They are not the things we need to worry about, they are the things these players give all the time.

“It just all about what we do in the moments of the game and ensuring we keep evolving to deal with anything that happens whether you are the dominant or non-dominant team.”

Stajcic has signalled he intends to make three or four changes to the side.

Katrina Gorry, Alanna Kennedy and Emily Gielnik, who all came on as second-half substitutes on Saturday and gave the team some impetus, and Newcastle’s Gemma Simon, who plays in Norway, are all in with a good shout of making the starting XI.

In particular, Stajcic indicated pocket dynamo Simon, 28, is in the frame.

“Gemma is a good chance of playing but we will see how she goes at training later today,” he said. “She has had her injury worries but seeing her fit and well again is the most important thing for me. I have known her since she was 15 and I have always thought she is an excellent player.”