Well, that was surprising. Tony Popovic’s 26-player squad to face Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in two crucial World Cup qualifiers over the next fortnight has dismantled the status quo.
The family, as the squad and environment were so often described under former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, has been broken up and, in its place, sits an eclectic mix of new faces and ones that seemed to be surplus to requirements.
Others, meanwhile, are completely missing through their own choosing; as is the case with Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson, or have been excluded, where they were previously part of the furniture.
Popovic, after taking on the role just weeks before the last international window in October, said he wanted to ensure that nobody felt they had a right to a Socceroos jersey. With this squad he has done just that and perhaps the biggest story surrounds three players who won’t feature in Melbourne and Bahrain this month.
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THE MISSING PLAYERS
Alex Robertson
When Alex Robertson made his debut for Australia in a friendly against Ecuador in March last year, it seemed like the next 100-cap Socceroo had been discovered.
The midfielder, who is now on the books of Championship side Cardiff City, is one of those players blessed with both tactical and technical skill in abundance and it appeared as though the battle for his allegiance was won.
After all, with his father Mark and grandfather, also named Alexander, in the stands in Sydney that night, he became a third-generation Socceroo.
Mark represented Australia in 2001 and Alexander in the mid 1980s.
But Robertson is also eligible to represent Scotland, England and Peru through birth, residence and family.
After playing his junior football in Sydney, Robertson made the move to the UK as a teenager and represented England at youth level.
The 21-year-old hasn’t featured for Australia since a 2-nil friendly defeat to Argentina in Beijing in June last year and whether he adds to his two caps is now up in the air.
Last month, Robertson’s absence from the squad for games against China and Japan was explained as a paperwork issue with FIFA that hadn’t been resolved yet.
Now, it seems, Football Australia has done everything it can to resolve the matter.
“That sits in his hands now,” Popovic said after unveiling his squad in Melbourne.
“If he wants to play for the Socceroos, he needs to make himself available.
“It’s an Alex decision on what he wants to do.
“If he wants to make himself available for the Socceroos then we can look at whether we select him, but at the moment we don’t have that option.
“You have to respect the shirt, the badge; you have to respect the honour of playing for the Socceroos and we also have to respect the fact that everyone can make their own choice.
“Right now, his decision is not to make himself available.”
It’s a measure of Robertson’s immense talent that Popovic went on to say that the door hasn’t been closed because of this latest development, but fans who have long called for his inclusion in green and gold, at least now have some clarity on the matter.
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Nestory Irankunda
The other big name missing from the squad list was that of Nestory Irankunda.
The 18-year-old, who swapped Adelaide United for Bayern Munich in the off-season, has made a positive start to his time at the German powerhouse.
The winger has been scoring for both Bayern II in the Regionalliga and also in the UEFA Youth League, but his output at international level has been mixed.
He looked lively and dangerous in the last fixtures of the Graham Arnold era, but struggled in his first match under Popovic, when handed a starting role against China in Adelaide last month and then didn’t feature against Japan.
Nestory Irankunda of Australia controls the ball during the round three 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Bahrain at Robina Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Popovic’s system, where the wingers play a more inverted role, doesn’t seem to suit the teenager. He’s more comfortable wider on the right, and so far, that is at odds with Popovic’s preferred tactical set-up.
“It’s just a selection decision,” Popovic said.
“We know he’s a young man with a lot of potential, who is signed at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“We just feel it is an opportunity for him to settle in at Bayern and get the development that he needs there and the growth.
“We still hope that we really see this potential moving forward from him in the national team in years to come.”
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Keanu Baccus
It won’t be a major headline, but the decision not to call-up Keanu Baccus is still notable.
The combative, deeper lying midfielder, was a mainstay under Arnold, who shot to prominence at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 while locked in a fierce battle with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in a heart stopping round of 16 defeat in Doha.
Under Popovic, Baccus has only seen 10-minutes of action, and that was in a largely unfamiliar right-back role against Japan, in the 1-1 draw in Saitama.
The new coach has plenty of options in central midfield too in the form of Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Max Balard, Anthony Caceres and Patrick Yazbek.
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THE NEW PLAYERS
Anthony Caceres
Anthony Caceres has often been referred to as the best player never to represent Australia at any level.
Now 32, it appeared the chance of the Sydney FC midfielder shedding that tag was slim, but the door has finally opened.
Caceres seems perfectly suited to Popovic’s system where those further forward are required to be comfortable and make good decisions in extremely tight spaces.
In fact, he’s done just that his whole career.
There was a school of thought over the years that while Caceres was technically gifted, he lacked a killer edge in the final third.
But with three goals, 10 assists and 13 goal involvements to his name last season, those concerns have been allayed, if Popovic ever had them at all.
“He’s been a player that I’ve admired for a very long time,” said Popovic.
“He deserves his chance.
“Every coach has their ideas and this is his chance now.
Max Balard
It’s perhaps the ultimate compliment, that after moving from the Central Coast Mariners to Dutch Eredivisie side NAC Breda this season, the local media in the Netherlands quickly dubbed the 23-year-old the ‘Australian Kante.’
It’s a nod to former Leicester City and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante, now playing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, who is one of the finest ball-winning midfielders of his generation.
Balard missed selection for last month’s window, but should now get the chance to shine, after proving to Australia’s new coaching staff that he can be just as damaging with his range of passing as well.
“He’s had some very good performances this year,” Popovic said.
“We’ve been monitoring him prior to the last camp, but I think in the last month, his game has become more consistent; more balanced in his play, with and without the ball.”
Hayden Matthews
The 20-year-old Sydney FC central defender only signed his first professional contract in January this year and has now earned his maiden international call-up.
At 195 centimetres, he is a towering figure, and although on the surface, it looks like Matthews has been included to get some experience in an extended 26-player squad, it’s interesting that he’s on the radar of the national team boss so early in his career.
Keanu Baccus did not find himself in Popovic’s squad. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE RETURNING PLAYERS
Rhyan Grant
The last time Rhyan Grant featured for the Socceroos was in a third round World Cup qualifying defeat to Japan in Sydney in 2022.
The tireless right-back has seen a long list of players cycle through that position in an Australian shirt since then, but never in his wildest dreams did the Sydney FC captain think he’d be considered again.
“I honestly didn’t see this coming, but I’m absolutely delighted,” Grant said.
The 33-year-old, who has 21-caps to his name, thought his time had passed, and stressed that point whenever the topic of a recall to international football surfaced, but could well be the answer to the problematic position again.
Brandon Borrello
The search for a striker who can score on a consistent basis is just as puzzling as the absence of an established right back.
Brandon Borrello will fight for minutes alongside Mitch Duke and Kusini Yengi.
The Western Sydney Wanderers quarter-final exit at the hands of Adelaide United in the Australia Cup left the forward short of minutes for the October window, but with 266-minutes and two goals from three games under his belt in the A-League this season, he’s moved back up the pecking order.
Milos Degenek
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek.
In an extraordinary interview at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 he offered an insight into the mentality he takes into games.
“The lion mentality is, you either eat or you get eaten, and that’s the simplest way to put it,” Degenek said at the time.
“I used this term before the Peru game with the boys, I said ‘there’s bread on the table’.
“Either we eat tonight; my kids, my wife and my family eats tonight, or they eat and my kids go home to sleep hungry and my wife as well – and I don’t want that to happen.”
Degenek has missed most of 2024 due to injury but is back on the park and played in FK Crvena zvezda’s first round Serbian Cup game just over a week ago.
The 30-year-old, who can play as a central defender or right-back, adds versatility to the squad and even if he doesn’t feature on the field, he’ll be a force for good around the squad.
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Martin Boyle
Martin Boyle looked out of sorts in the September window as the Socceroos stumbled against Bahrain and Indonesia in, what turned out to be, the final days of the Arnold era.
He didn’t feature in Popovic’s first squad, but his form for Hibernian, in Scotland, has been hard to ignore.
The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists to his name this season and could potentially be deployed as an inverted winger or striker.
His experience will also help the side deal with the scale of the challenge in-front of them.
A victory over Saudi Arabia next week will go some way towards rectifying the Socceroos dire start to the third round of qualifying.
Australia is currently second in group C but locked on five points with their next opponents, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
A top two finish in the group earns automatic qualification for the next World Cup in 2026, so the stakes around every fixture from here are high.
Squad: Max Balard, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Jordy Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Anthony Caceres, Milos Degenek, Mitch Duke, Joe Gauci (GK), Jason Geria, Craig Goodwin, Rhyan Grant, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Paul Izzo (GK), Hayden Matthews, Riley McGree, Lewis Miller, Aiden O’Neill, Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan (GK), Harry Souttar, Nishan Velupillay, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi.
Johan Neeskens, part of the Ajax and Netherlands teams that created “total football” in the 1970s and a key team-mate of Johan Cruyff, has died aged 73, the Dutch football federation said Monday.
“With Johan Neeskens, the Dutch and international football world loses a legend,” the KNVB federation said in a statement, adding that the midfielder had died on Sunday from an unspecified illness.
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Neeskens was part of the Ajax team that won three straight European Cups in the early 1970s and was also a member of the ‘Clockwork Oranje’ Dutch team that reached consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978.
He won 49 caps for the Netherlands.
“With his characteristic tackles, sublime insight and iconic penalties, (he) will forever remain one of the leading players that Dutch football has ever produced,” said the KNVB.
After his playing career, Neeskens took part in coaching programmes around the world including as an assistant to Australian national team manager Guus Hiddink for the 2006 World Cup where the Socceroos progressed from the group stage to the Round of 16.
Known on the pitch for his uncompromising tackling, he also had a softer side, the KNVB said in its statement.
He was “a world citizen and a gentle family man who was proud of his children and grandchildren and who, until the very end, knew how to touch others with his love for football.” The KNVB said it would hold a minute’s silence at the next two international matches against Hungary and Germany.
Ajax wrote on X: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Johan Neeskens. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.” “Rest in peace, Ajax legend.” Barcelona, where he was known as “Johan The Second” (after Crujff), according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS, also tweeted condolences.
“A blaugrana legend who will forever be in our memory.” Current Dutch coach Ronald Koeman described Neeskens as his “great idol”. Playing football in the street as a boy, Koeman said his friends either wanted to be Crujff or Dutch star Willem van Hanegem.
“But I wanted to be Neeskens,” said Koeman, cited by local news agency ANP. “His style really appealed to me. His fight, for example. And he was also a great penalty specialist.”
Neeskens, tough midfielder in Cruyff’s Ajax and Dutch teams
Johan Neeskens, who has died aged 73, was the powerful but smooth engine of the Ajax and Netherlands teams that created “total football” with Johan Cruyff at their heart.
Neeskens was part of the Ajax team that won three straight European Cups and a key component of the “Clockwork Oranje” Dutch team that reached consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, losing both.
“He was worth two men in midfield,” Ajax team-mate Sjaak Swart once told FIFA.com.
Neeskens was a relentless runner and tough tackler, but he was also skilful. He finished the 1974 World Cup with five goals, second to only to Grzegorz Lato of Poland and top scorer in a Dutch team that also contained Cruyff and the flamboyant Johnny Rep.
“I always liked to play with style — and to win,” Neeskens said. Johannes Jacobus Neeskens was born in Heemstede, west of Amsterdam, on September 15, 1951. He was signed from his home-town club by Ajax coach Rinus Michels in 1970.
Neeskens was right-back when the club beat Greek side Panathinaikos 2-0 for their first European Cup win in 1971. He then switched to central midfield, playing there as Ajax won two more titles in 1972, against Inter Milan, and 1973, against Juventus.
The Ajax team led by Cruyff and Neeskens formed the spine of the Dutch side that dazzled on the way to the 1974 World Cup final in West Germany.
After just two minutes in Munich, Neeskens set two World Cup final records, scoring the quickest goal in as he converted the first penalty, awarded before any West German and most Dutch players had touched the ball.
“As a player it is a little bit strange because sometimes you need the feeling,” he later told FIFA.
“I’d hardly touched the ball and wasn’t even warm. Then you have to make that penalty in front of 80,000 who are against you and of course the whole world is watching it.
“That was the first time that I was a little bit nervous in taking a penalty,” he said.
“When I started running, I was thinking: ‘which side am I going to shoot?’ It was more or less always in the right side of the goal. At the last step, I thought ‘no, I’m going to shoot the other way’. It was not my meaning to kick the ball straight through the middle.” But he also said: “If you’re not sure, just hit it as hard as possible. If you don’t know where it’s going, nor will the keeper.” The West Germans fought back, equalising with the second ever World Cup final penalty, converted by Paul Breitner, and winning with a goal by Gerd Mueller.
Despite the loss, “that tournament was a dream,” Neeskens told FIFA. “I was 22 and a key player.” The Dutch had caught the eye, but West Germany took the trophy. “We lost that game but everybody was talking about our team and our football,” Neeskens recalled. “We deserved to win that final.”
– ‘Kamikaze pilot’ –
Four years later in Argentina, as Cruyff opted to stay at home, Neeskens was again a key part of the Dutch team that reached the final.
He was injured early in a group loss to Scotland and missed the revenge victory over West Germany. He returned for the last two matches, including the 3-1 defeat in extra time as the Dutch again lost the final to the host nation.
By then Neeskens had followed Cruyff to Catalonia, where Barcelona fans dubbed the midfielder “Johan the Second”.
In five years at Barca, he won a Copa del Rey and European Cup Winners’ Cup before heading to the United States for five seasons with the star-studded New York Cosmos.
Bobby Haarms, Michels’ assistant at Ajax, was quoted in “Brilliant Orange”, a book on Dutch football by David Winner, as saying Neeskens was “like a kamikaze pilot.” He coached in the Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland and South Africa and spent more than four years as Netherlands assistant coach under first Guus Hiddink and then Frank Rijkaard.
He was also Rijkaard’s assistant at Barcelona and Hiddink’s assistant with Australia.
Tottenham have completed the signing of Leeds midfielder Archie Gray in a player-plus-cash deal which sees Joe Rodon return to Elland Road.
The 18-year-old Gray won plaudits in an impressive breakout season at Leeds and Brentford had a reported £35 million ($AUD66 million) bid rejected last weekend.
That allowed Spurs to come in for the England Under-21 international, who has signed a six-year deal.
No fee has been disclosed, but British media reported Gray had signed in a deal worth up to $AUD57 million, with the added inducement of former loanee Rodon returning to Leeds on a permanent basis.
Leeds’ failure to gain promotion to the lucrative Premier League from the second-tier Championship in May put pressure on the Yorkshire club to make big-money sales to comply with financial fair play rules.
In Gray’s first in-house interview with the club, he spoke about how Postecoglou was a “massive factor” in wanting to join Tottenham.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Gray said.
Gray becomes Tottenham’s first signing of the summer window. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I’m a massive Celtic fan, so I love him, my whole family love him.
“I haven’t really said this to be fair, but he’s a massive factor because playing under a really good manager is really important for me as well. I’ve still got loads to learn because I’m only 18 so that’s really important.
“It still hasn’t sunk in to be honest and I don’t think it will for the next few days and until we’ve played a few games and I’ve got to meet everyone.
“I’m just really excited and looking forward to it. It’s massive opportunity for me and I’m really excited.
“When Spurs came and I had the opportunity to play in the Champions League eventually and the Europa League this year, you know I couldn’t really say no.”
Gray, who can play at both right-back and in central midfield, became a regular under Leeds boss Daniel Farke last season. The teenager made 52 appearances in all competitions following his league debut against Cardiff in August.
Postecoglou was a big factor behind Gray’s decision to join Tottenham. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Gray’s great-uncle Eddie was a star of the successful Leeds teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Grandfather Frank also played more than 300 games for the club. Father Andy also played for the Elland Road side. All three were Scotland internationals.
Archie won the Championship Young Player of the Year award last season. Wales international Rodon has now headed in the other direction, bringing to an end his four-year stay at Spurs.
Rodon signed from Swansea in 2020 but only played 24 times for Tottenham with his last appearance as a late substitute against Burnley towards the end of the 2021/22 season.
After spending the last two seasons on loan at French club Rennes and then Leeds, the 26-year-old has returned to Elland Road after signing a four-year deal.
Ange Postecoglou admits “nothing magical” will happen in the January transfer window to help injury-hit Tottenham.
Postecoglou’s depleted side crashed to a 4-2 defeat at Brighton in the Premier League on Thursday.
Nine players were unavailable to the Tottenham boss and, after Sunday’s clash with Bournemouth, he will lose Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Son Heung-min for January due to the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup.
However, Postecoglou tried to quash assumptions he will herald the new year with a flurry of transfer activity.
“Nothing magical is going to happen in the January window,” Postecoglou said.
“What we need to do is just keep building. We’ve had one window with this team to change it around, to do things differently.
“The fact that we’re in the (fifth) position we are is a credit to the players. For all the challenges we’ve had, we just kept ploughing forward and that’s what we’ll do.
“We’ll see what we can do in January, but ultimately it’s about building a side that will get us to where we want to.”
Despite Postecoglou’s claims, The Telegraph reports the Australian has informed Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy of the three positions in the team he needs strengthening in.
Unsurprisingly one of those is at centre back, a position Tottenham have been decimated in through injuries and suspensions at various intervals this season.
Additionally, Postecoglou is hoping for some help in central midfield as well as a winger.
Tottenham have been linked with a move for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, but the report claims the French club will look to hold onto him for the rest of the season.
Instead, The Telegraph reports Tottenham are eyeing up a move for Romanian centre back Radu Dragusin.
After spending last season on loan at Genoa, the 21-year-old made the permanent switch at the start of the 2023/24 campaign so he will not come cheap.
As for a new winger, Postecoglou appears likely to reunite with former Celtic winger Jota.
Jota moved from the Hoops to Saudi club Al-Ittihad in the summer but his move has not gone to plan and will be desperate for game time.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is another name that could move to Tottenham in January amid the Blues’ need to balance the books to comply with FFP regulations.
However, The Telegraph claims Chelsea are unlikely to budge from their £50 million ($AUD93 million) valuation of Gallagher, a figure Tottenham are not keen to pay.
But that could change should defensive midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg depart Tottenham in January, with the Dane linked with a switch to Italian giants Juventus.
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Tottenham’s long list of absentees means Postecoglou has used 27 players in all competitions this season.
As a result, their early title bid has taken a blow, with the north Londoners presently in fifth place, six points behind leaders Liverpool.
“We’re still at the beginning. Within that context, we want to compete. We’ve got ourselves in a position where we can compete. That’s what we need to keep pushing forward for,” Postecoglou said.
“For us to sustain and maintain that and be a team, it’s no secret we need a strong squad.” Hugo Lloris’ departure from Tottenham is set to be finalised shortly, with the French goalkeeper close to agreeing a move to Los Angeles FC on a free transfer.
“Obviously there’s stuff happening but I’ve been focused on the game. I’m sure we’ll hear something in the next couple of days,” Postecoglou said.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has finally arrived.
For the Matildas and the 31 other teams competing, it is the culmination of a four-year journey filled with plenty of trials and tribulations.
Tony Gustavsson’s side isn’t the favourite to win the World Cup, but with a nation behind them on home soil, they are expected to go deep into the tournament.
This Australian squad has undergone a major revamp from its last appearance at a World Cup when they exited in the Round of 16 in 2019.
One of the key issues four years ago was the glaring lack of depth, especially in the backline.
Thankfully, Gustavsson has rectified that issue not just on the defensive front but all over the park, with seven players set to make their World Cup debuts.
Talismanic skipper Sam Kerr will lead the line with the weight of a nation on her shoulders, but who else could play a starring role alongside her?
Foxsports.com.au breaks down every member of the 23-player Matildas World Cup squad, forecasts what role they will have throughout the tournament and predicts the starting line-up for the opener against Ireland on July 20!
Oddly enough, the goalkeeper position has long been one with strong stocks over the years for both the Socceroos and Matildas.
Although the men have often had a clear No.1 goalkeeper, the Matildas have often been blessed with riches between the sticks.
That is no more evident than the trio of goalkeepers in the Matildas squad for the World Cup.
Mackenzie Arnold, Teagan Micah and Lydia Williams have all spent time as Gustavsson’s top option in goals throughout his tenure.
It has fluctuated over the four-year journey since the 2019 World Cup, but it appears we now have a clear front-runner for the role.
Regardless, the Matildas would be in safe hands no matter who ends up as the final line of defence.
Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham)
35 caps
Making her third Women’s World Cup squad (but having not yet featured on the pitch), Arnold is one of many veteran Matildas who have travelled around the world to take their game to the next level. From her hometown club Brisbane Roar to Norway, the US, and now England with West Ham, Arnold is in the peak of her powers and her exceptional club form has been repeated in the green and gold. In February, she was Player of the Tournament in the Cup of Nations after some commanding performances between the sticks.
Teagan Micah (FC Rosengard)
14 caps
The 25-year-old is widely viewed as the ‘next generation’ keeper to inherit the No.1 jersey from the veterans in Arnold and Williams, and her standout performances at the Tokyo Olympics saw her surge into genuine contention for the starting role.
But Micah endured a torrid six months after suffering a major concussion in a Champions League match in early December.
She could hardly leave bed for two months and continued to experience ongoing symptoms like severe headaches, nausea and dizziness for months afterwards. Her battle with concussion and the subsequent toll it took on her mental wellbeing was largely hidden from the public, with her club and the Matildas only stating she was injured. But just last month she returned to club action and will run out for the Aussies at her second World Cup.
Teagan Micah is back in action after dealing with the effects of a major concussion. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Lydia Williams (Brighton)
102 caps
Williams has made her fifth World Cup squad, the most for any Australian player (alongside a fellow Matilda, but more on the later).
The veteran goalkeeper made her debut in 2005 and has remained a constant presence for the Tillies ever since.
Although she was seen as the No. 1 option between the sticks in recent years, Williams has since been struggling for game time for her country with the recent rise of Micah and Arnold.
She’s also battled for minutes at club level too with stints at Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain largely spent on the bench, before a switch to Brighton helped her to some much-needed action on the park.
Whether Williams can nudge ahead of Arnold and Micah in the pecking order remains to be seen, but her experience and calming presence will prove critical for the Tillies.
DEFENDERS
At the 2019 World Cup, the Matildas’ worrying lack of depth in defence was brutally exposed.
Fast forward to today and one could argue it’s our deepest area on the park.
There’s strong competition for places with plenty of young faces breaking into the Matildas squad in recent years, but there’s also the reliable veteran faces of Steph Catley, Alanna Kennedy and Clare Polkinghorne to name three.
Although Gustavsson is spoilt for choice in several areas across the back, he must make a number of harsh calls going into the World Cup opener against Ireland.
Ellie Carpenter (Lyon)
62 caps
Carpenter burst onto the international scene as a fresh-faced 15-year-old for the Matildas in an Olympic qualifier against Vietnam and has never looked back since.
The Cowra native, who plays as a right-back, is undeniably coach Gustavsson’s first choice in the position as she provides endless amounts of energy up and down the flank.
There were fears she could have missed a home World Cup when she ruptured her ACL during Lyon’s UWCL victory over Barcelona last year, but returned to action in February and is chomping at the bit.
Her overlapping runs and bursts of pace on the right are critical to how Gustavsson wants the Matildas to play, so expect to see Carpenter joining in with plenty of attacks only to see her racing back and putting in a crunching tackle.
Carpenter has battled her way back from a torn ACL. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
Steph Catley (Arsenal)
110 caps
From featuring on the cover of FIFA16 to proving her credentials overseas, vice-captain Catley is one of the most recognisable faces in the Matildas line-up.
The 29-year-old is able to play anywhere across the back four, but is predominantly used as a left back or a left centre back.
The Arsenal star also has a wicked delivery from set pieces which, in tournament football, can be the difference between winning and losing, such are the fine margins.
Over the years Catley has been beset by a number of injuries and struck fear into the hearts of Matildas supporters when she was subbed on and then subbed off during Arsenal’s win over Leicester City in May.
She also missed the Matildas’ friendlies against Scotland and England in early April with a foot injury.
However, Catley was at her dependable best against France and will be a lock for the Ireland clash.
Charlotte Grant (Vittsjo GIK)
18 caps
Grant has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence for the Matildas ever since she made her international debut against Ireland in September 2021.
The young fullback, who specialises on the right flank, will enjoy her maiden World Cup appearance which is sure to be one of many throughout her budding career.
The South Australian began her career with Adelaide United before moving to Swedish outfit FC Rosengard and then Vittsjo GIK last year, where she counts fellow Matildas Clare Polkinghorne and Katrina Gorry as teammates.
Although she has been stuck behind Carpenter in the pecking order, her injury opened the door for Grant to earn a number of starting berths against the likes of Sweden, Spain and England.
Her first goal at international level and a player of the match award against the Lionesses proves Grant can more than hold her own and will push Carpenter all the way for the starting role.
Clare Hunt (Western Sydney Wanderers)
6 caps
With a dad who played one first grade match for the Canberra Raiders and a brother, Henry, who plays for the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, Clare Hunt comes from a strong sporting background.
She made her debut against the Czech Republic during the Cup of Nations in February earlier this year and coach Gustavsson remarked how absurdly comfortable she seemed on the park for a debutant.
It has not been a straightforward journey to this point given she underwent seven different operations from 2018 to 2022 for a variety of injuries.
Hunt made the PFA A-League Women’s team of the season thanks to an outstanding campaign for the Wanderers and impressed once again against France after a shaky moment early on.
She’s made it extremely difficult for Gustavsson to drop her from the starting line-up, so expect Hunt to start the World Cup opener.
Clare Hunt has displayed a maturity beyond her six Matildas caps. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
Alanna Kennedy (Manchester City)
109 caps
Kennedy has been a mainstay in the in the Matildas squad ever since she made her debut in June 2012 against New Zealand at age 17.
This World Cup will be the centre back’s third and her eighth major tournament for the national team.
Although she may have over 100 appearances for the Matildas under her belt, Kennedy has battled for game time at club level in recent seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
This past season the 28-year-old dealt with a series of frustrating injuries that kept her to only four games across all competitions for City and hasn’t played since March.
Yet she slotted in at the back alongside Hunt in the France friendly and looked as if she’d missed no time at all, earning her a highly likely starting berth against Ireland.
Aivi Luik (BK Hacken)
49 caps
What a remarkable journey for Aivi Luik.
After retiring from international duty in August 2021, the 38-year-old was convinced to backflip on the decision by Gustavsson and is now headed to her second World Cup.
Luik’s versatility will be crucial to the Matildas, as she can play at left back, centre back and even in centre midfield very comfortably.
She may not have as many caps as one might expect, but having played in 10 countries throughout her career, Luik has plenty of experience in the bank that the youngsters of the squad can call on.
It’s highly unlikely Luik will be a starter, but she could certainly feature at some stage should Gustavsson need someone to help see out a game in the latter stages.
Courtney Nevin (Leicester City)
23 caps
Nevin is at her first World Cup having been handed her debut by Gustavsson as an 18-year-old against Denmark in 2021 before making the Tokyo Olympics squad.
The young full back then earned a move to Swedish side Hammarby IF in 2022 but came into her own during a loan spell at WSL side Leicester City.
Thanks to three assists and a clean sheet, Nevin was nominated for the WSL Player of the Month award in April as she played a key role in keeping the Foxes safe from relegation.
She’s since signed a permanent deal with Leicester and will no doubt come on in leaps and bounds over the years.
Nevin is unlikely to be a first choice option at fullback for the World Cup, but her quality will be critical to the Matildas’ depth should something happen to Carpenter or Catley.
Courtney Nevin (right) has proven to be a dependable option at left or right back when needed. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)Source: AFP
Clare Polkinghorne (Vittsjo GIK)
157 caps
There’s a good reason as to why Sam Kerr described Clare Polkinghorne as the “mum” of the team at the press conference for the squad announcement.
Polkinghorne is headed to her fifth World Cup and holds the record for most caps in Matildas history with a staggering 156 to her name across a 17-year span with the national team.
Evidently the most experienced operator in the team, Polkinghorne is a cool head at centre back and a guaranteed starter provided she is 100 per cent fit, although she missed time in April for Swedish club Vittsjo GIK with a lower-leg injury.
The only worrying aspect of Polkinghorne’s inclusion is her lack of pace which can get exposed in Gustavsson’s high-press style of play, but her tactical nous should be more than enough to not get into such situations often.
She was left out of the starting line-up for the France clash but came on in the second half and did her job to keep a clean sheet.
A fully-fit Polkinghorne starts, but Hunt and Kennedy showed the team is still strong at the back without the veteran’s presence.
MIDFIELDERS
There’s a youthful exuberance about the midfield options but, like in defence, Gustavsson has named a number of experienced stars.
In Gustavsson’s current system, there’s just two central midfield positions up for grabs and we already have a good idea as to who will start in them for the World Cup.
However, the France friendly proved a number of these players can slot seamlessly anywhere else on the park and make an impact.
They also present as serious impact options off the bench and can flip a game on its head, an invaluable quality in tournament football.
Alex Chidiac (Racing Louisville)
27 caps
Chidiac has developed a cult following for her bubbly personality and humorous nature, but don’t think for a second she doesn’t flip the switch once it comes time to take the park.
The silky midfielder’s six goals in 13 games while on loan at Melbourne Victory in the 2022/23 A-League Women’s season earned her the Julie Dolan Medal, the league’s most prestigious honour.
She’s since returned to Racing Louisville in the NWSL and continues to impress.
The 24-year-old is not a guaranteed starter and will likely be used by Gustavsson as a fresh injection of guile, creativity and energy off the bench.
Kyra Cooney-Cross (Hammarby IF)
28 caps
Cooney-Cross looms as one of the most important players at the World Cup for the Matildas.
Having made her A-League Women’s debut for Melbourne Victory at age 15, Cooney-Cross has continued to impress with each passing year.
She’s also become a massive hit with fans of her Swedish club Hammarby after playing a starring role en route to the side winning the Swedish Cup and thus ending a 28-year trophy drought.
Cooney-Cross has developed a formidable partnership with Katrina Gorry in the heart of the Matildas midfield and looks set to reprise that role at what will be her first World Cup.
Cooney-Cross has made the centre midfield position her own. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
Katrina Gorry (Vittsjo GIK)
94 caps
Gorry has been a mainstay of the Matildas over the course of 11 years and has become a vital player in Gustavsson’s high-octane style of play.
The pint-sized midfielder, affectionately known as ‘Mini’, is back in the Tillies set-up after giving birth to her daughter Harper.
She wasted no time in finding her feet on the park when she was named Player of the Match in her comeback game against New Zealand where the Matildas came from behind to win.
Gorry is expected to line up alongside Cooney-Cross in the midfield with the duo having played alongside one another in Australia’s five games played in 2023.
Emily van Egmond (San Diego Wave)
128 caps
It’s hard to picture the Matildas in the modern era without Van Egmond running around in the No. 10 jersey.
She made her debut aged 16 in 2010 and scored her first Matildas goal the following year at the Women’s World Cup against Equatorial Guinea.
Since her debut in 2010, Van Egmond has failed to play 10 games or more in a calendar year just three times, highlighting her longevity and importance to the side.
However, the 29-year-old has been battling form and fitness issues in recent times and only recently returned to action for NWSL side San Diego Wave after a back injury.
If Gustavsson opts for a two-player central midfield, which looks likely, Van Egmond may be squeezed out of the starting line-up.
Van Egmond has been a mainstay in the Matildas team since debuting in 2010. Photo by Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia
Clare Wheeler (Everton)
13 caps
Another one of the several World Cup debutants in the Matildas’ ranks.
Wheeler logged plenty of minutes for Everton in the WSL this season so she will not be short of match fitness.
However, she isn’t exactly a guarantee to start in the midfield, especially if Gustavsson is to go with two centre mids instead of two holding midfielders and a No. 10.
She is a defensive midfielder by nature and relishes doing the dirty work of breaking up opposition attacks and, if games become stretched, Wheeler could be a vitally important option off the bench.
Tameka Yallop (SK Brann)
113 caps
This is Yallop’s fourth World Cup having made her tournament debut in 2011.
The 32-year-old is one of the most versatile members of this Matildas squad, an invaluable quality given how quickly a game can turn.
Yallop underwent ankle surgery late last year but returned to the Matildas fold for the 2023 Cup of Nations.
Yet she hurt her ankle again during Australia’s thrilling win over England, which leaves her under somewhat of an injury cloud going into the tournament.
An injury to her left knee against France will have everyone sweating nervously as they await the verdict of how severe it is.
She’s likely to feature in cameos off the bench throughout the World Cup.
FORWARDS
This is where the magic happens and the area with the most recognisable names.
Sam Kerr, our superstar striker, is the first name on the team sheet and will lead the Matildas’ attacking line for the tournament.
Gustavsson has toyed with different formations in the final third but looks to have settled on having two up top, one of which is Kerr.
But the versatility of all the forward options gives the Swede plenty of choices in which to slightly tweak things during a game if need be.
There’s also a clear theme when it comes to the key attributes of the wingers selected and it’s one that aligns perfectly with how Gustavsson wants his side to play.
Caitlin Foord (Arsenal)
109 caps
Although Sam Kerr may be the headline act in the Matildas’ attack, Caitlin Foord has become a superstar in her own right at the top end of the field.
Her World Cup debut in 2011 earned her the Best Young Player of the Tournament award and Foord has never looked back since, scoring 29 goals in her 108 games since.
But a run of 12 goals in her last 30 appearances proves she’s in outstanding goalscoring form for the Matildas in recent times.
Not only that, she’s been a phenom for Arsenal in the WSL this season.
Gustavsson has recently deployed Foord in a two-striker formation alongside Kerr, but don’t be surprised to see her out on the wing either.
Regardless, Foord is a nailed-on starter for the World Cup.
Foord has linked up well when paired with Kerr in a front two. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Mary Fowler (Manchester City)
37 caps
At just 16 years of age, Mary Fowler was a member of the 2019 World Cup squad but didn’t see any game time.
Four years on, she’s grown to be an integral part of this Matildas line-up under Gustavsson and will undoubtedly see more minutes.
An attacking midfielder who can also play along the front line with ease, Fowler can pick out a pass, drift past a player as if they’re a training cone or fire in a strike from range.
Her arsenal of weapons is sure to be critical to the Matildas’ hopes, although she fractured her back while playing for club side Manchester City in April and has been unable to play since.
Came on at half time against France and was quiet in the early stages, but once she moved into a more central role she thrived and scored the only goal.
More than good enough to start, but will likely have an impact role off the bench going into the World Cup opener against Ireland.
Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
121 caps
What more is there to say about Sam Kerr?
Captain fantastic. Australia’s record goal scorer. The first Australian to score a hat-trick at a World Cup.
Kerr scores goals for club and country like there’s no tomorrow and has been unlucky not to pick up the Ballon d’Or Feminin in recent years.
The Chelsea sharpshooter has also picked up two Golden Boots, four league titles and three Women’s FA Cup trophies along the way since moving to London from the Chicago Red Stars.
She’s the first name on the team sheet and her goals will be critical to the Matildas’ success.
As for the danger she poses to the opposition, Kerr put it best when she said rival defenders may pocket her for 89 minutes, she just needs that one chance to seal the deal.
Enough said.
Hayley Raso (Real Madrid)
71 caps
The rapid Hayley Raso is one of the most important outlets for the Matildas.
Her lightning-quick pace helps her leave opposition defenders in a spin and has a keen eye for goal too, showcasing that with a double in Australia’s Cup of Nations win over the Czech Republic earlier this year.
Raso’s impressive form for Manchester City this season also earned her a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid and will look to carry the momentum into the World Cup where she aims to score her first goal in the tournament.
Instantly recognisable with her trademark bow, Raso’s attacking intent will be key and is a guaranteed starter.
Raso’s rapid pace gives defenders nightmares. (Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Kyah Simon (unattached)
111 caps
One of Australia’s great comeback stories, Simon has battled injuries time and again in her career, from a broken leg aged 15 to a syndemosmis injury in 2019 that ruled her out of the 2019 World Cup.
Always, the resilient star has fought back – making her debut aged 16 in 2007, or fighting back from that 2019 injury to play a key role in the Matildas’ best-ever Olympics result in Tokyo 2021.
In September last year, that injury curse struck again when playing for Tottenham, tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus. Having already underwent multiple knee reconstructions in the past, as well as hefty shoulder and ankle surgeries, another comeback seemed out of reach.
But she worked tirelessly on physio and rehabilitation and is back in the squad for a third World Cup (after 2011, ‘15).
She said: “When I did my injury, straight away, my first thought was the World Cup. That was my sole motivation and focus every day … I’ve probably worked the hardest that I ever have in my career.”
Simon has a knack of goals in big games – the winning penalty at the 2010 Asian Cup, two goals against Norway at the 2011 World Cup to reach the knockouts, or her goal against Brazil in the 2015 tournament to hand Australia a first-ever knockout win.
The Anaiwan and Biripi woman is also the first Indigenous player to score at a World Cup and the first to reach 100 caps for the Matildas.
Sam Kerr said: “She’s kind of an X factor and she has been her whole career.”
Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC)
17 caps
One of just two A-League Women’s players in the Matildas World Cup squad, Cortnee Vine has more than earned her place.
Her remarkable speed is a major asset whether she starts or comes on as an impact substitution, especially against tired defenders.
Vine made her debut in January last year and has since made 16 caps, highlighting how impressed Gustavsson has been with the Sydney FC flyer.
Was handed a starting berth against France in a big show of faith from Gustavsson and although she couldn’t find her shooting boots, her pace was pivotal to the Matildas’ attacking play.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson was given plenty of food for thought after his side’s 1-0 victory over France in Australia’s final tune-up clash ahead of the Women’s World Cup.
Mary Fowler’s second-half strike was all that separated the two sides in an end-to-end contest played in front of a record crowd of 50,629 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
Crucially, Fowler’s goal came at a time when neither of the Matildas’ star strike duo of Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr was on the park.
A clean sheet from a defensive pairing playing alongside one another for the first time has also given Gustavsson a good problem to have, as he faces leaving a veteran out of the line-up.
Fans also got a glimpse as to how Gustavsson’s “in your face” brand of football will look throughout the World Cup and it certainly had its moments of success.
Foxsports.com.au analyses the key takeaways from the Matildas’ victory over France in Talking Points!
HOW DEFENSIVE DUO HAVE GIVEN GUSTAVSSON MAJOR HEADACHE
Prior to the match, Clare Hunt had just five caps to her name and Alanna Kennedy was making her Matildas return after a 314-day absence due to injury.
But Gustavsson elected to name the two as his starting centre backs for the France clash, as record-cap holder Clare Polkinghorne was left on the bench as she continues to recover from a lower leg injury.
Hunt got off to a shaky start when she coughed up possession in a dangerous position thanks to a heavy touch.
Yet that was the very few, if only lowlight from the 24-year-old.
She displayed plenty of poise when passing the ball out from the back or knocking it along the defensive line.
But, more importantly, she came up big with a number of goal-saving blocks and crucial clearances to keep France at bay en route to a morale-boosting clean sheet.
Speaking after the match to Channel 10, Kennedy was in awe of Hunt’s performance especially for how few international caps she has to her name.
“The confidence she has on the ball is unbelievable,” Kennedy said.
“She’s such a force off the ball as well.
“I said to her when she first came in, ‘Where have you been? We could have used you a long time ago!’
Hunt has proven herself at international level despite holding just six caps to her name. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
“But I’m glad she’s here now.”
As for Kennedy, her physical presence remained a trademark element of her game yet she was as cool as a cucumber on the ball.
Although she was forced off just shy of the 80th minute with what appeared to be cramp, it was an impressive showing from the towering defender considering how little football she had played in the 2022/23 season.
Polkinghorne came on in the dying minutes of the game to help see out the contest but given how comfortable Hunt and Kennedy looked together, could the 156-cap veteran find herself out of the team for the World Cup?
Granted, Polkinghorne is carrying an injury and may not be fully fit, so keeping her minutes regulated and not forcing her to play more than she needs could be Gustavsson’s main plan of action.
But defensive partnerships are so crucial and should Hunt and Kennedy be named as the starting duo against Ireland, disrupting their rhythm by reintroducing Polkinghorne could be detrimental.
Kennedy was as dominant as ever in the air. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
BURNING KERR QUESTION ANSWERED IN EMPHATIC FASHION
Once Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord were substituted off, many fans likely would have felt the Matildas’ goalscoring chances had gone with them.
The formidable duo combined well in the first half and had their chances, but couldn’t quite find the killer final pass.
Kerr and Foord’s departure resulted in a reshuffle as Hayley Raso, who had spent the game on the right wing, moved up top.
Mary Fowler, who came on at halftime in place of left winger Cortnee Vine, moved into a more central role while Tameka Yallop went out to the left.
Kyra Cooney-Cross was shuffled out of central midfield onto the right wing while Emily van Egmond came on and slotted straight into the gap left by Cooney-Cross.
Yet three of those involved in the in-game changes combined perfectly for the opener.
Fowler celebrates after scoring. Photo by Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia
Cooney-Cross found space on the right and played in Raso, who had found space further ahead.
She beat her marker before cutting the ball back for Fowler who made a perfectly-timed run into the box and coolly slotted home for the only goal of the game.
It was a beautifully-executed move and proved to everyone that although Kerr is where most of our hopes lie, we can still score without her on the park.
Former Matilda Elise Kellond-Knight remarked how the unusual deployment of Raso up front highlighted just how versatile this team can be and the danger it now poses for our World Cup rivals.
“I think the most promising thing was we saw this goal in the 66th minute, it came after changes,” Kellond-Knight said.
“We found a way to be a threat without Sam Kerr. I think that has always been something we’ve questioned and we’ve shown that the team is able to do that.
“Having Hayley as a No. 9 was unusual for us all, we haven’t seen it before but it’s obviously paid off.”
Raso was equally adept as a striker as she was on the right wing. (Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
RAPID TRANSITIONS ARE THE WAY FORWARD
With speedsters like Hayley Raso and Cortnee Vine on the wing, Gustavsson knows the threat his team possesses on the counter attack.
That tactic was on display for all to see as the rapid Vine was often used as an outlet with her teammates knocking the ball into the left corner of the field for her to chase and stretch the game.
Raso tended to link up with the play a little more but still provided that counterattacking threat that had French defenders alert to the danger and happy to stay at home.
Although Vine was industrious, her final touch in the box did let her down at times and had she been more ruthless could have even had a goal.
Aside from the wingers, Foord and Kerr also were lethal in transition.
Foord would often drop back into almost an attacking midfield role to pick up the ball, turn and then drive at the heart of the French backline.
While Foord had the ball at her feet, Kerr would look to peel off on the left and make a run in behind.
Kerr was perhaps a little guilty of straying too far wide and ended up playing in more crosses from the left edge when she would have preferred to be the fox in the box looking to bury the ball into the back of the net.
Regardless, it showed that the chances will come in transition play for the Matildas and their Group B rivals must be on red alert if they turn the ball over.
Far from home, confronted by a sell-out crowd on a rainy and miserable London night, and beset by a host of injuries. If the Matildas wanted a brutal test to prove where they stand ahead of the World Cup, they could hardly have asked for a better one than England posed on Wednesday morning.
But the Matildas stunned the world number four side 2-0 in the finest win of coach Tony Gustavsson’s tenure, taking a massive step forward in their World Cup preparations thanks to goals from captain Sam Kerr and young defender Charli Grant.
Here are the biggest talking points from the match. IS IT TIME TO START BELIEVING?
“I think there are many teams that could win the World Cup. I think Australia’s one of them.”
They are the words of Sarina Wiegman, England manager, immediately after watching her superstar team’s 30-game unbeaten streak come unstuck at the hands of Sam Kerr and the Matildas.
As a player, Wiegman represented the Netherlands 104 times. As a manager, she is a three-time winner of FIFA’s award for the best women’s coach of the year, guided England to a first-ever European Championship and a two-and-a-half year unbeaten run – and before that, she took the Dutch to a runners-up finish at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
Wiegman knows what it takes to win a World Cup. Her team is narrowly second-favourites in the betting market to do so this year. So when she says the Aussies are in the mix when the Cup kicks off in 99 days, believe her.
“I think they have some ingredients that are really good,” she said.
“They’re aggressive, they’re tight, today in the 18-yard box, they were good with the headers.”
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A couple of years ago – when Tony Gustavsson took charge of the side in September 2020 ¬– the prospect of an Aussie World Cup win on home soil seemed far-fetched.
The checklist of problems facing the Matildas was lengthy: a thin squad with an over-reliance on a core group of veterans; defensive vulnerability; attacking profligacy; an inability to manage games or effectively execute a tactical plan for a full 90 minutes.
Sam Kerr of Australia. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
The 935 days under the Swedish coach’s rule have been a rollercoaster ride for Aussie fans. There were gutting defeats where one or more of those problems reared their ugly heads. There were flashes of promise, moments of magic, too. Plenty of those. But win or lose, Gustavsson didn’t change his tune. His belief in the squad’s potential, and his faith in the painstaking process of realising that potential, never wavered.
Today, after the greatest win of his tenure, others might finally believe the Matildas can go all the way and lift a trophy that seemed far out of reach a couple of years ago.
But things are different for Tony.
“This might sound a bit strange,” he said. “It hasn’t changed my mind at all … The internal belief has always been there.”
Belief, yes, but mixed with humility – and an unshakeable focus on the end goal.
Gustavsson added: “But I also think it’s very important we don’t get carried away. We need to stay very, very humble.”
Sam Kerr made a similar point.
“Unfortunately beating England tonight doesn’t win us anything,” Kerr said. “I wouldn’t be here if it did,” she joked, “I’d be out celebrating!”
Beating one team – no matter how good they might be – does not win you a World Cup.
But the belief that the Matildas can match it with the best has now been backed up with proof.
As Gustavsson said: “We know that on any given day we might not be the best team, but we can beat the best team.”
Matildas end England’s 30-game streak! | 01:06
THE SQUAD — AND A SILVER LINING TO BIG WORRY
Let’s go back to that list of problems that faced the Matildas when Gustavsson arrived. Firstly, an over-reliance on a group of veteran players. Football Australia’s ‘Women’s Performance Gap’ report published in December 2020 presented a host of worrying findings.
Australia had some of the worst squad depth among 12 top nations, having used the fewest number of players in the four years from 2017-2020 – and giving ‘Fringe’ players the fewest number of minutes.
Gustavsson’s mandate was clear: broaden the pool of Matildas while simultaneously preparing for the biggest tournament in Australian football history.
Today’s starting XI against England shows the end result of the concerted effort to increase the depth of the squad.
Clare Hunt is 24. Ellie Carpenter is 22. Kyra Cooney-Cross is 21. Charlotte Grant is 21. Mary Fowler is 20. Alternatively, consider who wasn’t playing. Steph Catley, Emily van Egmond, Caitlin Foord, Emily Gielnik, Elise Kellond-Knight, Alanna Kennedy, Chloe Logarzo, Kyah Simon – the list goes on and on and on, and tallies well over 700 international caps of experience. All of those veterans are injured.
Tameka Yallop, yet another centurion, went down with an ankle injury against England, as did Sydney FC star Cortnee Vine. An update on their status has not yet been released.
No wonder Gustavsson is frustrated.
Tony Gustavsson, head coach of Australia. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“Enough is enough,” Gustavsson said of the injuries.
“I mean, we had enough of this now in terms of injuries, and I just hope enough is enough and that there’s time enough for these players to get back, and I can’t comment on how severe it is.
“But if this win came with too big of a price, then it will hurt me and the team, and I hope it’s not that severe.”
But as Gustavsson pointed out, it’s not the first time his Matildas have been beset by a wave of injuries. Two years ago, an injury-struck Matildas team faced Germany and the Netherlands and were demolished: 5-0 and 5-2. Today was proof of just how far the project has come. “We’ve spent two years investing in depth in this roster,” he said.
“We had Western Sydney Wanderers [Hunt’s team] in the A-League against Man United out here. We had Charli Grant, who plays for Vittsjö, a mid-table team in Sweden, against Chelsea – all these big names, big clubs. “We might not have the biggest resources, the most players in the big clubs in the big leagues, but what we have is heart, and commitment, and pride to represent Australia.”
Injuries are an unfortunate fact of life – never more than in tournament football, where the turnaround between games is short. But the silver lining to the long line of injuries has been more chances to expose young or fringe players to elite international opponents – and giving them a chance to prove they belong.
GRANT AND THE YOUNG GUNS STAKES HER CLAIM TO STARTING SPOT
One of those rough diamonds has been Charlotte Grant. A rampaging fullback with seemingly endless energy – and boundless personality to boot – the 21-year-old finally stepped out of the shadows left by two of Australia’s bigger superstars: Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley.
Carpenter spent most of the last 12 months recovering from an ACL tear. In that time, Grant proved herself a more-than capable replacement at right back.
But Carpenter is back – and back to her best, as her form in recent weeks for French giants Olympic Lyonnais as well as her performance against England proves.
Luckily for Grant, the other side of the defensive line has an absence. Steph Catley has been out for a month with a non-contact foot injury, and Gustavsson said when the squad for this camp was announced that: “When it comes to the World Cup, it’s too early to comment.”
Assuming she is fit, there’s no guarantee that Catley – so brilliant and so reliable for the Matildas for a decade – will get her starting spot back. That’s how good Grant has been, with her maiden international goal just reward for a fantastic performance on both ends of the pitch.
“To get a goal was just so exciting, I am just pumped,” she said.
“I just put my head on it and hoped for the best and I am just glad it went in the back of the net”.
Charlotte Grant of Australia celebrates. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Her brilliance gives Gustavsson the kind of headache he will love to have. And Grant wasn’t the only youngster to put her name up in lights. Five-cap Clare Hunt was fantastic in centre-back alongside centurion Clare Polkinghorne.
21-year-old Kyra Cooney-Cross was equally superb next to vastly experienced 30-year-old Katrina Gorry in central midfield.
Former Matilda Grace Gill said on Channel 10: “I thought across the game, she got better and better.
“As the side started to fatigue, I thought she really grew into the game. There’s a few occasions where she just ran into space ball at her feet. She’s still outrunning players for speed, with the ball at her feet on the dribble and then connecting and finding players in in on the past.
“And she’s also got this wonderful ability to shoot from range, which we saw her line up on a couple of occasions, too.”
But one very difficult decision on who to start at the World Cup might be all-but-locked in: Mackenzie Arnold as goalkeeper.
Player of the tournament in the three-match Cup of Nations series in February, she has now started five-straight games for the Matildas despite plenty of competition at the position – and her superb performance against England has plenty of pundits pencilling her in to hold onto her No. 1 spot come July.
