Analysis: Caitlin Foord is now critical to Matildas’ World Cup hopes amid injury crisis
A triple injury blow has made Caitlin Foord priceless to Australia’s World Cup stocks. ADAM PEACOCK sifts through the carnage for answers as the Matildas prepare to face a dangerous Nigeria side.
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A giant image of Caitlin Foord has dominated the Sydney skyline for the past few weeks, emblazoned across one of the city’s biggest office blocks.
It appears to have been prescient.
Foord’s importance to the Matildas was always significant, but is now truly enormous on account of a seemingly endless run of bad luck for the co-hosts.
And now Mary Fowler is scratched due to a mild concussion.
For the Matildas, already light on attacking options before Fowler’s training mishap, the fearless Foord, who made her World Cup debut at 16, is now as vital as air is to lungs.
As the seconds tick toward another sellout, this time in Brisbane, and another monumental occasion on Thursday night, the Matildas find themselves once more reimagining their team sheet.
The good news is the game plan for those who are fit won’t need huge changes to get past Nigeria, who offer dangers and opportunities in equal measure.
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When the World Cup draw was completed, Nigeria looked the most comfortable game of the group stage for Australia on rankings and reputation,
The Super Falcons have won just four of 27 World Cup games and are ranked 40. So, lock us in for three points and a knockout stage berth?
Slow down.
Nigeria has its own attacking weapons and athleticism. They also have vulnerabilities that can be exploited if the Matildas are able to build on the pressure release of getting the job done in the emotional opener against Ireland, which was always going to be tricky.
The Matildas aren’t at ease playing against a side that likes to sit off, preferring a game with openness, which allows their most dangerous attribute, speed, to take hold.
Nigeria offers more opportunity in this regard, with their defensive shape nowhere near as disciplined, best illustrated in just the ninth minute against Canada last Friday.
Canada’s legendary striker Christine Sinclair was found at the top of the Nigeria box with not one defender within ten metres of her. Sinclair wasted the chance, but the lapse of defensive concentration was startling.
Throughout the match, Nigeria oscillated between a back four and back five. Sometimes narrow. Sometimes spread across the pitch. Defensive midfielder Christy Ucheibe was asked to do a mountain of work.
This is where so much now rests on Foord.
With no Kerr, Simon or Fowler, it cannot be emphasised enough how critical Foord now is for the Matildas, with her ability to outwit and outrun opponents.
Whoever Gustavsson uses to support Foord in a central attacking role, either established veteran Emily van Egmond – herself returning from a back injury – or the ultra-creative fan favourite in Alex Chidiac, it will be imperative that the Matildas remain mindful of Nigeria’s natural willingness to pressure the ball carrier and set up counter-attack moments.
Cleverness, not chaos, will win this contest.
Hayley Raso and Cortnee Vine should have more chances to use their express pace and cause damage. Nigeria allow their fullbacks to go forward, so it will be interesting to see if Gustavsson asks the two wingers to stay “high and wide”, almost getting a head start in transitional moments.
Gustavsson had a whole week to work on attacking patterns of play in the absence of Kerr. All would have been going to plan until Fowler copped a bump to her head at training on Tuesday.
Regardless of personnel, the quality of delivery from midfield to forward remains key. If the vertical passing game of Katrina Gorry, who admitted she wasn’t overly happy with her own performance last week, and Kyra Cooney-Cross is on, the Matildas will be away.
That’s one side of the equation.
The other is stopping the very real threats from the 11-time African champions.
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In Asisat Oshoala, Nigeria has a similar player to Kerr in status and style.
Oshoala is a lethal finisher for the best club team in the world, Barcelona, with 79 goals in the last four league seasons, although she did miss the recent Champions League success with a hamstring injury.
There was little evidence of that against Canada last Friday, with Oshoala cleverly picking her moments to mix up her movement. When Nigeria was under pressure, especially in the second half as Canada searched valiantly for a winner, Oshoala would drop into midfield to hold the ball up and link up with teammates.
When Nigeria have a bit more time on the ball, they aren’t afraid to go long from either goalkeeper or central defender to find Oshoala sprinting off the blind side of defenders into space.
Clare Hunt and whoever partners her – Clare Polkinghorne or Alanna Kennedy, the latter of whom has been managed this week and trained away from the main group in some sessions – will have their work cut out following Oshoala’s movement closely.
Nigeria, too, are an athletic team of runners. Physicality has been a feature of many games in the opening week of the World Cup and Randy Waldrum’s side are near the top of the pile when it comes to commitment. They deserved the point against Canada last Friday.
The Matildas must also be wary of corners. Nigeria go with the “party in the six-yard box” method of crowding the keeper. Defender Osinachi Ohale is the prime target.
Gustavsson was over the moon with the Matildas‘ defensive work at corners against Ireland. More will be required here on a night with plenty of challenges – in more ways than one.
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Originally published as Analysis: Caitlin Foord is now critical to Matildas’ World Cup hopes amid injury crisis
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