No Sam Kerr, no permanent coach, a horror showing on debut at a major tournament and now the lowest ranking ever; the shine has well and truly come off the Matildas since they became Australia’s No.1 team at the 2023 World Cup.
The latest FIFA rankings have heaped further misery on a team that was ordinary in three defeats at the SheBelieves Cup in the US that came on the back of a dismal Olympic campaign in Paris after which coach Tony Gustavsson stepped away.
Without injured captain Sam Kerr to bail them out with her bevy of goals, the Matildas have slumped to 16 on the world rankings, their joint-worst spot since they were introduced in 2003.
It’s a position they last held two decades ago in 2005.
Hayley Raso and her Matildas teammates have fallen off the pace. Picture: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFPSource: AFP
As Football Australia stalls on appointing a successor to Gustavsson, with Tom Sermanni doing his best in the interim, the Matildas have battled for success since an exhilarating run to the World Cup semi-finals on home soil in 2023.
The Matildas were still in their familiar top-10 position this time two years ago.
But after defeats to Japan, the US and Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup, and performances that raised serious questions given the quality of the line-up, albeit without Kerr, the slide down the rankings has hit a new low.
The Matildas will next be in action in a two-game series against Korea Republic in April.
It’s unclear whether Kerr, who also endured an ugly court hearing in the UK during which she was found not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer, will be back for those games.
The recovery task proved too hard for injured Matildas captain Sam Kerr who will miss the Paris Olympics as coach Tony Gustavsson endured a “very, very tough period with injuries” ahead of the Games.
Kerr suffered an ACL injury while on a training camp with her club Chelsea in early January and Football Australia confirmed the superstar striker would continue her rehabilitation program in her home club environment and subsequently will not be available for selection.
The captain’s name was always going to absent from a squad for pre-Olympic clashes with China which includes key defender Clare Hunt who has recovered from a foot injury.
The Paris Saint-Germain centre-back missed the Matildas’ 2-0 win over Mexico last month, but fears she would be in doubt for Australia’s Olympic Games campaign have been eased with her selection for games against China on May 31 (Adelaide) and June 3 (Sydney).
Also returning to the squad after overcoming injuries are Leicester City defender Courtney Nevin and Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Lydia Williams, who will retire from international football after the Olympics.
The squad also includes three members of the Arsenal team – Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross – taking on the A-League women’s All-Stars at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
However, star midfielder Katrina Gorry (ankle) and veteran Aivi Luik (hamstring) remain sidelined along with long-term casualties Amy Sayer (knee) and Kerr.
“Unfortunately we have had a very very tough period with injuries,” Gustavsson said.
“I just got the summary sheet here a week ago and 15 out of these 37 players are either injured or just coming back from injury which means some of the players that are selected now is selected to be evaluated where they are with their physical status in the gym window and see where they will potentially become the Olympics.
“I think everyone can do the math here and understand that obviously the Olympic roster will be based mostly out of those that are in camp. “
Clare Hunt is back in the Matildas squad. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Gustavsson knows exactly which players he wants in his squad in terms of positions, but knows he may have to wait to see who is actually available as the Matildas pursue a first ever Olympics medal.
“This window will be a tough one for me and my staff in terms of evaluating players, where they are, and then the final selection process for Paris,” he said.
“I have to make some decisions in June based on players that I think might become available come the Olympics and then closer to the tournament we can see if we have to do an injury replacement or not but that comes into place as well.”
“We want to use this camp to summarise the evolved playing style we have built upon in the last couple of months.
“With the Olympics approaching, selection is about seeing the overall picture over four years of performance and assembling the best team possible.
“We have looked at providing cover in each of the different positions and ensuring the player profile for those positions enhance the squad.
“We are pleased and confident we have those options across the pitch.”
The Matildas will play China in Adelaide and Sydney before the Paris Olympics.
Matildas: Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley (c), Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Sharn Freier, Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Michelle Heyman, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Teagan Micah, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne, Hayley Raso, Kaitlyn Torpey, Emily van Egmond, Cortnee Vine, Clare Wheeler, Jada Whyman, Lydia Williams, Tameka Yallop.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has hinted that there could be some unexpected names in the starting line up for the first leg against Uzbekistan in a bid to manage player fatigue.
Meanwhile, the team is facing brutal conditions in Tashkent, with snow currently falling at the stadium and temperatures expected to dip into the negative.
According to renowned Australian football statistician Andy Howe, neither the Matildas or Socceroos have ever played a match in the snow.
The 23 women in the camp have all come from a range of domestic competitions – some midway through season, some in their off-season and others in pre-season.
Adding to the juggle is players like Alanna Kennedy who have only recently returned from injury or Arsenal midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross who has had limited minutes in the top flight English league.
Caitlin Foord has played more than 1000 minutes of football for Arsenal this season, while Mary Fowler has played just a touch over 500 minutes.
World Cup defensive star Clare Hunt could be one of the overloaded players – spending 1200 minutes on the field for PSG across their domestic competition and the Champions League. While fellow defender Clare Polkinghorne hasn’t played since the Swedish league wrapped up in November.
In his pre-match press conference Gustavsson, who didn’t want to reveal his starting 11, hinted that some of the decisions were out of his hands and based on recommendations from the medical staff.
“We came in with a lot of challenges this camp, some players were coming in with a lot of game time with fatigue and niggles, some players coming in with very little game time and underloaded,” he said.
Tony Gustavsson is hinting at a new-look Matildas line-up. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“So it was important for us to find the right sweet spot in terms of training load and make sure the ones that came in with some fatigue and niggles are fresh on Saturday.
“Without revealing the line-ups there are a couple of players that came in with overload and niggles and we need to be mindful how we use them now in this first game if we do, how many minutes and how that can influence the availability in the second game and so forth.
“So we look at form and physical readiness for the game as well.
“We are going to go all in and maximise the performance in game one.”
Gustavsson dropped another hint that the line up could feature a few surprises in order to have the experienced stars on the bench as “game changers”.
“When you’re planning you are planning for a strong starting line up but maybe even a stronger finishing line-up because game changers are key in games like this,” he said.
THE MATCH
Despite Uzbekistan being the clear underdogs Gustavsson wasn’t willing to count them out of the contest.
The 47th ranked team in the world has never qualified for an Olympics before, or played at a FIFA Women’s World Cup.
But Gustavsson was quick to point out that any team playing at home can be tough to handle.
“You can play an opposition doing a certain thing, you look at what they have done in the past, but this is an Olympic qualifier against us, on home soil,” he said.
Gustavsson said Uzbekistan could bring a completely different approach to the match, play one way for part of the game and then switch it up.
“They have shown they are really well organised and have a clear game plan. They’ve been in a very long pre-camp going into this game as well.
“We know we are going to be playing a team that is very well prepared. We need to understand that and also be prepared for different types of challenges.”
One of those challenges the players will have little control over or time to adapt to is the weather.
It is forecast to reach a high of just two degrees in Tashkent on Saturday.
While the players based in Europe and England will be more accustomed to the brisk weather it will be a shock to the system for the A-Leagues players.
“The sports science team does a tremendous job in terms of acclimatisation – whether it is nutrition, whether it is recovery or training load or preparing for weather as well. I’m sure we are going to be well prepared,” Gustavsson said.
“It doesn’t matter the circumstances around them when they step on the field they always give it 100 per cent, no matter the pitch, the wind, the rain, the weather.
“This is a game when we have a game plan that we want to try to execute but we also need to be able to adapt to what’s thrown at us whether it’s tactics or weather or the pitch circumstances.”
Gustavsson wants the Matildas to be aggressive. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
BALANCE IS KEY
While Gustavsson kept the game plan under lock and key he did reveal the intention is still play the attacking, high-pressing style of football the Matildas became known for during the recent World Cup.
“No matter who steps on there we’re going to be true to who we are,” he said.
“I’m not talking formation when I talk about who we are, I’m talking about the principle of how we play. We’re always going to be a pressing team.
“We’re going to be a high octane energy team that likes to attack with numbers. We looked at different ways of how we can create those chances when the space is less which we think it is going to be in this game.”
Defender Alanna Kennedy, who is fit after a recent calf injury in the WSL, said she was feeling good and the team was “looking sharp”.
“To have made it this far Uzbekistan is obviously a team of good quality and I think for us it will be about being patient,” Kennedy said.
“I’m sure we will find them in a bit of a block at different points in the game and just being patient with our game plan and clinical in the moments that we do get up top, so it’s definitely a challenge ahead but we are well prepared for it.”
TIGHT TURN AROUND
While the focus is on the first leg of the two-game series Gustavsson said medical staff had also had to form a plan to optimise recovery ahead of the second game in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Players will have to endure a 20 hour flight from Tashkent to Melbourne, arriving on Monday – just two days before their second clash.
Kennedy said it was far from ideal but something the players, especially being from Australia, had to come to accept as part of being a professional footballer.
“I think if anyone is well prepared for it, it will be us,” Kennedy said.
“Of course there is the extra one percenters that you have to be more careful with, looking after your body recovery, what you eat and obviously what we prioritise during those few days, like just getting the legs going after the long flight.
“As a player I think it is more about mindset and what we can do mentally to be prepared but as well as physically for the short turnaround.”
Gustavsson said lots of strategies would be used to maximise recovery time.
“We need to be world class when we travel,” he said.
“Whether it is compression pants or getting used to jet lag, or sleeping routines or nutrition or recovery strategies – the players are all phenomenal when it comes to that and it comes down to mindset as well.
“I know once we step off that plane and come to Australia the players will be prepared as they can.
“I also know they are going to be refuelled and energised by the fans and coming back to play on home soil. That is going to compensate for a lot of lack of energy from travel.”
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Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane reportedly punched his teammate Leroy Sane in the face after their team lost to Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The two teammates had to be separated in the Bayern Munich locker room after the skirmish, and Sane’s lip was bleeding, according to Sky Sports Germany.
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The argument had apparently spilled over from the game, in which the two players were seen arguing on the field toward the end of Bayern Munich’s disastrous 3-0 away loss to Manchester City.
The game was the first leg of the teams’ two-game series in the Champions League quarterfinals.
The second leg is set for next Wednesday, April 19.
The report said that the teammates were still separated when the team landed back in Munich, as Mane got a private ride from the airport while Sane took the team bus.
Bayern Munich won Germany’s domestic league, the Bundesliga, in the 2021-22 season.
The club has not publicly commented on the incident.
The game carried extra significance as it was the first time Pep Guardiola, who managed Bayern Munich from 2013-16, faced his former team since leaving to become coach of Manchester City.
A three-goal deficit headed into the second leg is a particularly large total for Bayern Munich to overcome.
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged after the game that his team has an uphill climb.
“This does not feel like a 3-0 but it is a 3-0 and it is a huge, huge task now to turn this around. We are realistic but we will not give up,” Tuchel said.
“It will not be over until we are in the shower.”
Mane, a 31-year-old Senegalese forward, is in his first season with Bayern Munich after spending the last six years with Liverpool of the English Premier League.
Sane, 27, joined Bayern Munich in 2020 after the German winger played four years with Manchester City.
This story originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
