Matildas v USA: Australian coach says team needs to learn from loss

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By Dominic Bossi

The Matildas’ problematic defending is showing few signs of improving but the players are holding out hope that time, experience and harsh lessons such as Saturday’s 3-0 thrashing by USA at home will harden them in time for next year’s Asian Cup and the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Despite leaving several key players at home, USA made light work of Australia’s backline which has now conceded 36 goals in just 15 games this year under the guidance of coach Tony Gustavsson. Speaking the day after the match, forward Caitlin Foord didn’t hide her disappointment with the result and performance which showed no end to Australia’s inability to be clinical in clutch moments, particularly in front of goal and defending inside their own box.

Caitlin Foord rises to win a header against USA on Saturday.

Caitlin Foord rises to win a header against USA on Saturday. Credit:Getty

“Disappointing not to get the win but I think it’s pretty clear that the clinical moments, what happened in the final third and the back third, they were just clinical with their finishing and we obviously weren’t clinical,” Foord said. “These moments define games.”

The match was billed as a World Cup dress rehearsal by Gustavsson but showed the Matildas have a long way to go before being considered as contenders on home soil in 2023. Despite their woes at either end of the park, Foord believes there’s enough time to find familiarity in the backline before 2023 while trial and error is essential to establishing a strong defence.

“It’s us learning and growing as a team and learning from these mistakes,” she said. “I guess it’s about finding the best combinations as well because at the end of the day, we have to be solid all over the field and that’s something we are definitely working on and trying to find the best fit and the best structure and team to put out there.”

Gustavsson made the gamble of playing two teenagers in the heart of defence against the world champions, starting Courtney Nevin alongside debutant Jessika Nash, who was substituted at half-time. That lack of experience was punished by the Americans, who scored within 24 seconds by seizing on a mix-up in marking. The Matildas’s backline is set to be bolstered by the return of experienced centre-back Clare Polkinghorne for Tuesday night’s rematch in Newcastle while defender Alanna Kennedy is racing the clock to prove her fitness after suffering a quad injury.

Polkinghorne was spared on Saturday night having a heavy load with her club Vittsjo in Sweden but will likely start on Tuesday night. Despite being brought off midway through the second half on Saturday, captain Sam Kerr is likely to start again with the team reporting no other injuries other than Kennedy.

“Our medical team, they do anything and everything they can to get everyone turned around quickly. With the short turnaround it’s all about recovery and obviously today everyone is feeling a bit sore,” Foord said. “We have another two days before we play again.”