by Ben Gilby (23/2/24)
Above: Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson and defender Alanna Kennedy at today’s media conference ahead of the first leg of Australia’s Olympic Games qualifier with Uzbekistan. Image: Football Australia.
Ahead of the first leg of the final round of Olympic qualifiers tomorrow, Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson underlined to the media how his team needs to control the tempo and play smart when they take to the pitch in Tashkent against Uzbekistan.
“We want to bring our game, who we are as a team, and I’m not talking formation…I’m talking the principle of how we play… We’ve looked at different ways of how we can create chances when the space is less. We’re playing with a strong starting lineup but an even stronger finishing lineup as game-changers are key in games like this. Patience and tempo is key in games like this.
“Patience is not about playing slow, it’s about controlling the tempo. Knowing when to play fast, knowing when to play the final pass, knowing when to change the point and wait for the next opening, knowing when to move the opponent to get in behind…we need to work to create them, and the longer the game goes the more the space will open up for the final pass, and we’ve worked a lot on that this week.”
It would not be a Matildas camp without significant hurdles to overcome in the early days of the gathering whether it be long-distance travel, injury worries, or player load. Gustavsson outlined how he and his staff have been working to make things come together as smoothly as possible whilst maximising the short amount of time the players have together.
“We came into this camp with a lot of challenges, some players coming in with a lot of game time and some niggles, others coming in with not a lot of game time and underloaded. It was important for us to find the right sweet spot in training…and the same time we haven’t been together for three months, so we need to get everyone on the same page for these extremely important Olympic qualifiers.
“Now, five days into camp, the players are in a really good spot mentally and physically, so we have a really good feeling coming back into the game tomorrow now.”
One of those players who was at the centre of concern was Steph Catley, who had to leave the pitch for Arsenal last Saturday against Manchester United with a potential concussion. The Australia head coach had good news on the condition of one of his key defenders.
“She was one of those I was really worried about… Arsenal have done a good job taking care of her, and our medical team have done a good job taking care of her, and she’s looking good in training, so no issues there.”
Whilst all eyes have been on the recall of Michelle Heyman to the international set-up after six years away, Gustavsson preferred to focus on the wider group that the legendary striker is part of this time round – one of a collection of new players coming into the squad – and how they are dealing with the step up.
“It’s a huge thing for her (Heyman) to come back after so long away from the national teams, but it is deserved…now, the question is can they bring that up a notch in terms of intensity at international level.
“Some players have adjusted quickly, some adjusted at the end of the week, and some still struggle…it’s a big step from clubland, and I’m not just taking about Heyman here – even those that play at the top clubs can sometimes feel that the intensity and speed of play…that will influence who is available for the game, who will start, and who comes off the bench.”
Whilst many are expecting Uzbekistan to take a defensive formation and set out to frustrate The Matildas tomorrow, Australia’s head coach isn’t so sure with the match being over two legs, and the Central Asian side potentially needing to make the most of that advantage to take a lead into the second leg in front of a sell-out Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“That’s the question mark…this is now a qualifier against us on home soil, how will they approach it? We have prepped for a lot of scenarios. They are very well organised and they have been in a very long pre-camp as well. We have a game plan that we want to execute but we have to adapt depending on what is thrown on us.”
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