by Ben Gilby (27/10/24)
Above: Caitlin Foord (9) in action for Australia against Switzerland on Friday. Photo: Marcio Machado / Football Australia.
Some powerful performances for Arsenal in the WSL this season were transferred onto the international scene for Caitlin Foord on Friday night local time.
The 29-year-old attacker put the Matildas in front against Switzerland in Zürich from the penalty spot before the team was pegged back by Géraldine Reuteler’s equaliser just before the hour mark.
Reflecting on the game, Foord said: “I think we were a little bit disappointed not to come away with the win, and we wanted to keep a clean sheet. There are a few things we can work on but there are positives from our first game back together.”
After bagging a stunning strike against Chelsea in the WSL recently to add to her four-goal haul against Rangers in Champions League qualifying, Foord was thrilled to see another hit the back of the net – with the method being a particular reward for a recent training ground focus, “To do it (score) from the penalty spot, it’s something I’ve been working on, so I’m super happy.”
All eyes now turn towards Germany, in a game played on Monday evening local time in Duisburg. The European side is in rampant form having run up a 3-0 lead at Wembley Stadium against England within the opening 29 minutes (see Ruby Vince’s analysis on the game here: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/10/25/germany-triumph-in-seven-goal-thriller-over-england/) before dealing with the Lionesses’ fightback to win 4-3.
However, Australia know all about Germany’s multiple face-paced attacking weapons, having been on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat themselves at the Olympic Games back in July. With interim head coach Tom Sermanni looking to be deploying a tighter defensive system than the one used three months ago in the previous fixture, there is belief that this time could be different.
Looking ahead to that fixture, Foord underlined that hope: “We don’t have much time…it’s the same for them as well. We want to come away with a win against them, especially after our game in the Olympics.”
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