By Ben Carey 28/7/23
Above: The Matildas re-group after the loss to Nigeria Photo: Football Australia
The Matildas lost to Nigeria on Thursday night. Nigeria was fast, physical, and clinical. The Matildas were anything but. It cost them the match, and if things don’t go well against Canada next Monday, it could cost them the World Cup. But it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it could actually be a blessing in disguise.
I’m sure there are hundreds of articles out there that analyse how and why the Matildas lost the match. But that doesn’t interest me in the slightest. All that matters is the bigger picture. The Matildas have often struggled against lower ranked opponents but then performed really well when the pressure is on. As Sam Kerr herself said in her episode of Icons, “It’s still to this day, the challenge of the Matildas. We can play really well against top teams, but against the lower ranked teams it can be tough to get up to those games.”
In the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Australia lost to the lower ranked Italy in their opening group stage match. But they were then able to turn around and beat Brazil and Jamaica to make it through to the knockout rounds. More recently, they lost to lower ranked Scotland, and then four days later beat the best team in the world, England. Basically, the situation they find themselves in now is not new territory for the Matildas.
Their loss to Nigeria is actually hauntingly similar to Germany’s loss to Zambia just three weeks ago. A top 10 team that plays attacking, high-press football, exposed numerous times on the counterattack by the sheer speed and physicality of an African side with a much lower ranking. Believe it or not, the scoreline was the same as well. The reason I mention this is because that was Germany’s wake-up call. Luckily for them it came just before the World Cup. They were able to take what they learned from that match, make adjustments, and work on their improving their game in training before the World Cup even started. They have since made a scintillating start in their first group stage match, with a 6-0 win over Morocco.
The Matildas loss to Nigeria is their wake-up call. Granted, it has come at a bad time, and now they must beat Canada in their last group stage match to ensure that they qualify for the knockout rounds of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. A home World Cup. The opportunity of a lifetime. The pressure is most certainly on. But as Matildas player Emily Gielnik said to KeepUp’s Dub at the CupPodcast, “We thrive under pressure.”
This is a blessing in disguise because the Nigeria match taught the Matildas and Tony Gustavsson a number ofvaluable lessons. Now they have the chance to take those lessons, make adjustments, and work on improving their game in training. If the Matildas do that, they can do what they have historically done, they can do what Germany did, they can turn this around.
There is a reason “never say die” is stitched into the Matildas player jerseys. That’s because it’s not only a part of the fabric of their clothes but it is part of the fabric of their very being. Nowhere was this epitomised more than in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when Australia was down 1-2 against Great Britain late in the match, facing near certain elimination. The Matildas were able to dig deep, and Sam Kerr found an equaliser in the 89th minute to send the match to extra time, in which Kerr scored again to win the match.
Speaking of which, it is essential that Kerr play a role in the match against Canada. Her leadership on the field and unparalleled big match experience will be invaluable to the other players, and her presence alone will undoubtedly inspire the Matildas to new heights. Not to mention that she is one of the best strikers in the world and the Matildas are going to need goals to get through to the next stage. A draw will not cut the mustard.
The Canadian team has a lot going for them: they have a great defence, plenty of attacking threats, and lots of recent experience winning big matches against the very best (they beat USA, Brazil, and Sweden to win the Olympic gold medal). But they’ve got two big things going against them as well. The first is the Australian public, who will show up in droves and make their voices heard in Melbourne. The second is their high ranking. Against higher ranked opponents the Matildas are like a school of sharks, and “World No. 7” is just as good as blood in the water to them.
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