Summer Paris 2024 - The Matildas Thread

[stax on the mull]

We've got some players who have played two full games now in the 3 days like Carpenter, Cooney-Cross and Fowler. Fowler in particular looked tired in the last 15 minutes.

 

[stax on the mull]

USA 4 Germany 1.

France 1 - Canada 2. Canada scored the winner in the 102nd minute. They had 17 minutes of extra time in that game.

Means Canada can still finish on 3pts if they win the next game against Colombia and have a good goal difference- currently on +2.

 

[Angry Red Bull]

We've conceded 8 goals in 2 games and now more than likely have to beat the USA to go through a team that beat Germany 4-1 (Germany the team that destroyed us 3-0). USA have conceded 1 goal in 2 games. I didn't get to watch the Zambia game but 5 GOALS conceded is just rubbish. Zambia are ranked 64th on FIFA rankings .ie we should smash them!

Too much drinking own bathwater after WC excitement. Kerr qives us flexibility in that we can always catch a team on counter with her if we have to. Absent her , we are compelled to open the game up and with it, exposes how slow we are at back and the basic defensive flaw in tracking / chasing back/ skills

Gustavson has tried to expand the depth to counter that we just don't have enough high quality players with the right skill mix. We've been brittle in defence for as long as I can remember.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Tony G starting Van Egmond up front. Why?

 

[peternorth]

Tony G starting Van Egmond up front. Why?

Mates with Van Eggs father?

 

[peternorth]

masole letting the ball slip through her hands.

I do enjoy referees doing a power ranger stance while announcing the VAR decision

 

[peternorth]

The pro Aussie crowd absolutely upon a goal. Wonder if the featured crowd members are related to any of the players

 

[peternorth]

 

[And_ROOS]

The Zambian goalkeeper looked devastated.

She probably blames herself for losing that game by letting a goal slip through her hands but she saved a lot more.

It's a tough gig being a goalkeeper, they don't remember the saves but they remember the bad misses especially when they lose.

While that slipped goal hurts, she should be more annoyed with her defence. The amount of chances Australia had in easy, high xG spots that they absolutely butchered was insane from being unmarked so often.
Don't remember who it was but in the first half there was an easy open miss from a header, and not long afterwards Gorry ran into the box, cut the ball back and someone skied what should have been a fairly easy tap in.

Australia probably should have had 4 by HT.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Crazy game.

Saw both sides score their first goal then started watching other sports and when ever I came back someone had scored a goal it seemed.

It seemed like there was more space and gaps than the girls Rugby 7 game. It was a great defensive effort by either side.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Australia probably should have had 4 by HT.

Possibly do if their only real top A liner wasn’t injured

 

[And_ROOS]

Possibly do if their only real top A liner wasn’t injured

The badly missed goals are regulation stuff though, Kerr likely buries them but the talent was there to not ship 5 goals to Zambia.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

The badly missed goals are regulation stuff though, Kerr likely buries them but the talent was there to not ship 5 goals to Zambia.

Since when have we had a good defence? Kerr has saved our defence as she’s that good at scoring/setting up they haven’t had to worry about not being terrible defensively

 

[Dory_77]

Since when have we had a good defence? Kerr has saved our defence as she’s that good at scoring/setting up they haven’t had to worry about not being terrible defensively

The defence was solid (bar v Nigeria) at the WC without Kerr. They have prone to the odd howler but the number of basic cockups recently is v worrying.
Hope Heyman starts v USA. Knows how to finish chances

 

[Lebbo73]

The US will have a field day with our supposedly statue deserving side.

 

[swingdog]

The defence was solid (bar v Nigeria) at the WC without Kerr. They have prone to the odd howler but the number of basic cockups recently is v worrying.
Hope Heyman starts v USA. Knows how to finish chances

The more immediate question is why she hasn't been starting until now. Gustavsson sees something in Emily Van Edmond that nobody else has for at least 5 years.

More broadly, Football Australia needs to hire whoever has overseen the junior program at Barcelona women's, throw cash at them and give them carte blanche to set a new culture across Australian women and girls' football, starting with NPL juniors.

 

[stax on the mull]

Van Egmond is one of the vice captains for this tournament which must mean she is seen as a key senior player even though she didn't start the first game against Germany. I think she is an off the bench player that comes on and helps control the possession in midfield when we are ahead. She cost a goal against Zambia by being dispossessed in our defensive half. Tapped it with her foot and was too slow on the next touch and one of the opposition players snuck up and stole it. She's been too slow up forward to sniff chances that come her way because she doesn't have the instincts of a striker. She's better at feeding the ball through. Bigger muddle was how we had Gorry, the shortest person in the team, in the centre of the box trying to get on the end of a couple of clear chances. Thought Wheeler made a big difference coming on in the midfield. Gorry has been out for a fair time with injury, otherwise she would be one of the players that would be playing every minute.

Would need to draw against USA to be certain of going through in 3rd spot. Losing to USA, which seems more likely, we can still get to the knockout stage if Colombia win or draw against Canada.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Nadal vs Djokovic is starting soon

 

[kaiserchief13]

The Australian keeper is just as bad as the Zambian keeper. Every attempted save in slow motion. Diving with 2 hands instead of 1 when she can't reach it - how can a 'professional' keeper do that?

 

[Sydney Kicker]

Far out. I hadn't seen the Zambia v Australia highlights before now. Have to declare I'm an awful football player - or was as a kid, but I have watched a few games in my time. How bad was the defending and keeping on both sides!

Can't ever see Australia being internationally competitive into even the far future. When I spent some time in Sweden many years ago my sports club (running) had a junior kick around. The girls and boys (around 10-12 years old) all had such sound fundamental football skills. Then there was the neighbours kid who could barely kick a ball in street footy with my son. He went to China for two years with his parents on a posting. When he came back he'd had some coaching at International school with a Spanish coach. His technique was now amazing.

Just don't think soccer in Australia has the coaching setup or the culture to be great. It would need a complete overhaul in both departments.

 

[stax on the mull]

 

[swingdog]

Far out. I hadn't seen the Zambia v Australia highlights before now. Have to declare I'm an awful football player - or was as a kid, but I have watched a few games in my time. How bad was the defending and keeping on both sides!

Can't ever see Australia being internationally competitive into even the far future. When I spent some time in Sweden many years ago my sports club (running) had a junior kick around. The girls and boys (around 10-12 years old) all had such sound fundamental football skills. Then there was the neighbours kid who could barely kick a ball in street footy with my son. He went to China for two years with his parents on a posting. When he came back he'd had some coaching at International school with a Spanish coach. His technique was now amazing.

Just don't think soccer in Australia has the coaching setup or the culture to be great. It would need a complete overhaul in both departments.

Yep, that's where the money Albo promised after the World Cup should have gone. Not to the AFL.

 

[intangible]

Classic stuff the womens team sooking about the coach when it doesn't work. Familiar story.

 

[revo333]

Far out. I hadn't seen the Zambia v Australia highlights before now. Have to declare I'm an awful football player - or was as a kid, but I have watched a few games in my time. How bad was the defending and keeping on both sides!

Our media rightfully copped it for glitzing it up like it was some historic performance and a rabbit out of the hat.

First time in a long time where people have not being afraid to talk about how poor the quality of a Matildas soccer match was.

I feel the overall public perception of the team has turned downwards a little.

 

[swingdog]

The Matildas did two things at the World Cup: raise the profile of women's sport in Australia and reach the semi-finals. Those two things are not necessarily related.

The team had already raised the profile of women's sport before the semi-final. No other women's sport is selling out Stadium Australia. To do this requires results and a media campaign that highlighted players' stories and built a narrative around the team. This has been an overall good. Anyone involved in girl's and women's soccer has seen a massive influx of new players this season. Thumbs up.

The fourth placed result (better than traditional powerhouses USA, Japan and Germany, remember) was a fair reflection of where the team was while playing at home. This has been achieved despite a coach who is far from the best game day operator. Rather, it's a reflection of a wave of talent which peaked and is now coming to an end. The Olympics have been a wake-up call for the more casual follower but Australia has always been a mid-ranked team. To break that requires an overhaul of coaching and playing culture here, but that's another story.

What's happening now is that the two things are being conflated, at least in the minds of saddos who have been waiting for the opportunity to have a go at women's sport.

It might be good if the viewing public has a more mature understanding and appreciation of what the team has achieved but also how far away it is from the likes of Spain.