Canaries flying high after winning battle of the top two

Norwich City 2-0 AFC Wimbledon

by Lucy Chen at The Nest for Impetus (5/12/23).

Above: Norwich City celebrate Tash Snelling’s opening goal in their hugely important win at home to AFC Wimbledon. Photo: Norwich City Women.

Norwich City hosted AFC Wimbledon at the Nest on Sunday for a top-of-the-table clash in FAWNL Division One South East. Both sides started the season superbly, with Wimbledon winning all but one of their games and leading the table by six points while the Canaries have a game in hand and remain unbeaten in the league.

Norwich City returned to a back three with Hope Strauss coming in for Freya Symonds while their talisman Tash Snelling returned to the lineup.

The Dons had the first chance two minutes into the game when they secured a corner, though the shot was well over. A minute later, the visitors broke down the right again and delivered an excellent cross for a header that smashed into the crossbar. Though the Canaries had plenty of possession in the opening minutes, Wimbledon held the upper hand.

The visitors happily conceded possession to deny Norwich City the opportunity to press them and force turnovers high while marking the pivots Eloise Morran and Katie Knights to make central progression difficult. City were forced to build up play from the back, with Ceri Flye receiving the short pass from goalkeeper Sarah Quantrill and looking for the outside centre-backs. The visitors, however, jumped on the outside centre backs whenever they received the ball, forcing them to go long and breaking forward quickly in transition.

The Canaries increasingly resorted to going long, with Snelling and Megan Todd dropping to act as target forwards, winning their duels and holding up the ball before playing in teammates. Ellie Smith – Norwich’s creative hub – pushed higher whenever Snelling dropped in a bid to receive in more dangerous areas, but this was to their detriment as Smith’s more advanced positioning limited her involvement. The Yellows would often look for her to pick up the ball deeper and carry it forward, but with Smith higher their buildup became one-dimensional and almost entirely reliant on going long and winning duels.

A player of Smith’s calibre, however, only needs a split second to make a difference, and she did just that in the 31st minute, winning the ball on the edge of the box with a tackle before finding Snelling at the far post for the opener.

Above: Tash Snelling (yellow shirt) scores the opener for Norwich City past the diving Faye Baker of AFC Wimbledon. Photo: Norwich City Women FC.

Unfortunately, Smith sustained an injury in the process and was forced to go off, replaced by Rachel Lawrence. Meanwhile, play resumed and the Dons pushed for the equalizer, coming close in the 39th minute with a ball into the box. Quantrill initially claimed the cross, but the ball slipped from her gloves and looked for all the world like it was going in the net. However, Strauss got there just in time to clear the danger.

Two minutes later, the Canaries had a chance of their own with Lauren Tomlinson sprinting down the left in one of her signature marauding runs, though her cross missed the target. Wimbledon goalkeeper Faye Baker went long from the resulting goal kick and Morran found the ball at her feet in the ensuing chaos. She found Lawrence on the edge of the box with a long diagonal pass, and the Canaries’ number 24 delivered her cross with pinpoint accuracy, finding Snelling at the far post again to make it 2-0.

The second half began more slowly, but the pace picked up and the game quickly devolved into open-ended exchanges with the two sides contesting the midfield fiercely. Turnovers were frequent and the Canaries’ midfielders fared well in those battles.

Morran is the archetypical number six and held position in front of defense, winning her duels and screening the backline though she had few chances to dictate play given the frantic nature of the proceedings. Knights on the other hand, thrived in the chaos and was at the center of the action, harrying opposition players in defense and driving forward in attack, although the Canaries lacked that creative spark without Smith and were happy to sit back and protect their lead.

The Dons had their best chance after the restart in the 65th minute with a cross into the box, but Flye managed to block the resultant shot. Five minutes later, the trio of Snelling, Knights, and Lawrence combined brilliantly on the right, with Snelling dropping for the wall pass and knocking the ball back to Knights who released Lawrence down the flank, though it ultimately came to nothing. Snelling had a chance to complete her hat trick in the 76th minute but Baker managed to parry her shot.

In the end, AFC Wimbledon were not able to breach Quantrill’s goal and Norwich City saw the game out to win 2-0. Only three points behind now, the Canaries will close the gap if they win their game in hand and the title race promises to be a tight one.

Teams: NORWICH CITY: Quantrill; Strauss, Flye, Larkins, Tomlinson, Knights, Parker; Smith (Lawrence 33 (Hailes 90+3)), Todd (Symonds 71), Snelling (Daviss 86)

Scorers: Snelling 31′, 42′.

AFC WIMBLEDON: Baker, Russell, Highman, Ali, Hinks, Gibson, Donovan, Billingham, Dorey, Goddard.

Attendance: 320.

Gustavsson talks turf, load management and player debuts

By Emma Burke (6/12/23).

Above: The Matildas in training to face Canada: Photo: Rachel Bach/Football Australia.

Matildas’ head coach Tony Gustavsson has faced Australian and Canadian media in a match day -1 press conference to discuss his reasoning behind line-up choices, playing on synthetic grass, and the importance of this game as an opportunity to farewell one of the game’s greatest players.

“It’s important to give them a taste of what football is like at this level,” said Gustavsson regarding his youthful and inexperienced starting eleven that was dealt a 5-0 loss by Canada.

Gustavsson stressed the importance of being able to send the players back to their respective clubs or youth national teams knowing exactly what it takes to play at the highest level.

“They were ready to get that experience,” he said. 

While it had been said previously, Gustavsson also noted that his choices were also impacted by player load management, ensuring that player safety and well-being was considered.

The game was played at Starlight Stadium, located in Langford, and uses synthetic grass, which “adds another layer to player safety and load management.”

Changing playing surfaces can increase the risk of player injury, due to the shifts in moments by the ball and by the players.

“Some players expressed frustration from the last game, they thought it was very difficult, especially the ones who play on grass week in week out,” said Gustavsson.

“It’s been easier for our players based in Sweden, as they have experience with it,” he said regarding the synthetic playing field.

The second game will be played at BC Place, in Vancouver, which also uses a synthetic surface, and will be the final national team game for Canadian Christine Sinclair.

Sinclair has scored 190 international goals, a record number irrespective of gender, and has played against and alongside many of the Matildas.

“Before the game, I hope that we can be a part of honouring her, that’s the respect she deserves, and I know the [Matildas] want to do it as well,” Gustavsson said of the legendary player.

“But I’ve said before, the best way to respect her once the game starts, is to make it a game, a proper game, and really compete, because that’s what she wants.”

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Foord: “There’s been lots to learn from and lots to gain”

by Ben Gilby (4/12/23)

Above: Caitlin Foord speaking today from the Matildas camp in Vancouver. Image: Football Australia.

Ahead of Australia’s final game of a historic 2023, attacker Caitlin Foord reflected on both the challenges of this particular international window, and her year for both club and country.

Foord was one of a number of key Matildas who were not involved in the first of the two games against Canada. She highlighted the particular challenges that were involved in getting to the camp venue.

“With the travel, not only coming into Canada, but then coming into Victoria was an hour bus ride, two hours on a ferry, and then another hour on a bus, that was all before matchday one. To hit the ground running was hard. I give all credit to all the girls that played. We’re building to a bigger picture and he (head coach Tony Gustavsson) wanted to see different players. It was a good test.”

As well as the hurdles faced in getting to the camp, the Matildas also had to reacclimatise to playing on synthetic turf for the game at Starlight Stadium on Friday night. For Foord it was a return to a surface she was once familiar with during her time at the NWSL – but that was a long while back, and now the green, green grass of England is what she knows.

Above: Caitlin Foord in action for Australia during the Olympic qualifiers in Perth during October. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.

“It’s different. I used to just get on with it, and it was what it was. Now having been in England with world-class pitches where the grass is absolutely perfect to then come and play on (synthetic) turf, it just changes the whole dynamic of how the game is played. It’s a lot quicker, the whole detail of your pass has to be different, there is a different spin on the ball. It does take a little bit to get used to again.”

Also added into the mix to make the first game a challenge was the continuation of the Matildas new style of play which came about as a result of Tony Gustavsson and his coaching staff reviewing the World Cup performances.

Whilst the Arsenal attacker recognises it was a tough watch at times, the longer-term goal needs to be taken into account.

“It’s a new playing style, and we haven’t had many trainings…(with) it, let alone matches. It’s just another style that we’re able to play come the tournament (Olympics). It’s important to be flexible (about) what game plan you have. To have another one in your toolbox is important.

“With all the analysis and footage…you spend a lot more hours on opponents and what they do. For us it’s about no matter how an (opposition) team plays, finding a solution for it, and finding the space against top teams when you have very little space and time. it’s about us getting on the same page and getting in and out of different formations and different styles.”

Above: BC Place – the venue for The Matildas final game of 2023 in Vancouver against Canada. Photo: Vancouver Whitecaps.

Things are likely to be different in terms of the squad selected for tomorrow night’s second game (local time) which will take place at the 54,500-capacity BC Place Stadium as the Canadian public bids a fond and emotional farewell to the legendary Christine Sinclair.

Foord feels a sense of honour in being able to take part in the encounter. “It’s a big game to look forward to. The World Cup Final in 2015 was here. I’ve been to this stadium before to watch a game and it’s incredible. The importance of it, with ‘Sincy’ (Christine Sinclair) retiring, I’m glad it can be us that her last game is against.”

With this being the last international game of the calendar year, Foord was in reflective mood about 2023. A historic fourth place at the World Cup, plus a string of excellent performances for Arsenal in both the WSL and Champions League were achieved by the 29-year-old. However, she is hungry to achieve far more and recognises that 2023 could easily have been even better.

“I think it’s been successful, but also not. We’ve been good both club and country but fell short both times. There’s been a lot to learn from and lots to gain, but I don’t have much to show for it in my trophy cabinet. I have a Conti Cup, but that’s about it.

Above: Caitlin Foord is loving life at Arsenal but is determined to win trophies with the North London side. Photo: Mariella Prew for Impetus.

“It makes me hungry to win more – the league and FA Cup at Arsenal, and, again keep the Conti Cup, qualify for the Champions League. I hope this year is a stepping stone for next year.

“I love it over there (with Arsenal). With the facility and my team, it’s an environment you can only get better at. That’s something I was lacking – just that bit of consistency (in club football). At a top club, you have to have that to keep playing. I needed that pressure on me to keep performing to play every week. I’ve seen my game improve since I’ve been there. Hopefully, it can only get better and better.”

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Spectacular O’Grady strike seals win for Young Matildas.

China U20 1-3 Australia U20

By Kieran Yap 3/12/23

Above: The Young Matildas celebrate Ella O’Grady’s (right) goal against China’s Under 20’s. Photo: Football Australia.

There was no A-League Women this weekend, but many of the competition’s best players were still in action as the Young Matildas defeated China in an international friendly.

Goals to Daniela Galic opened the scoring early in the first half, while Sasha Grove and Ella O’Grady completed the result after the break. It was an interesting and encouraging performance by Australia’s Under 20 side as they prepare for the Asian Cup in 2024.

China presented a different level of opponent to what The Young Matildas have recently been facing. They have been ruthless, dynamic and high professional as they racked up high scores and dominant performances in qualification for the upcoming tournament. Under Leah Blayney, they have played an exciting brand of football, but also been defensively disciplined and composed.

With respect to earlier opposition, China are another beast compared to Vietnam or Lebanon and the question was how would they perform against a team that might have more possession. The answer was encouraging.

For periods of the first half, China had Australia on the back foot, but with Naomi Chinnama, Jessika Nash and Alexia Apostolakis sitting deep and Sasha Grove dropping back to help, Australia proved hard to break down. China’s best opportunities came from earning repeated free-kicks around the area.

When Australia was able to attack, they were efficient. Khali Johnson struck the woodwork in the opening minutes and an Alana Murphy corner had China scrambling.

When they were able to set up their preferred pressing formation, Australia reaped immediate benefits. Johnson closed down a short goal kick with urgency and Galic latched onto the next pressure pass. She side stepped an oncoming challenge and finished with the class that Melbourne City fans are fast becoming accustomed to.

Australia eventually gained control of the match, Murphy was the principle ball mover in midfield, and her passing range helped set Johnson free to run at the China defenders.

The second half saw some rotation from the bench. Indiana Dos Santos came on for Murphy and Peta Trimis was swapped for Ella O’Grady. Australia doubled their lead in the 66th minute.

Chloe Lincoln played the ball out from goalkeeper and that began a 10 pass move involving eight players before Sasha Grove arrived on schedule to prod the ball home from the other six yard box. It was a perfectly executed team move that required confident quick passing through both the middle of the pitch and the left flank. It might have been the best goal of the day had Ella O’Grady not decided to produce some magic.

O’Grady has quickly developed a reputation for clinical finishing since her move to Melbourne Victory and has long shown that ability at youth team level. Her 68th minute strike was easily her best of 2023.

With China enjoying an attacking surge, The ball was cleared long from defence. O’Grady ran onto it and out wide, she looked cornered by the covering defenders. O’Grady quickly cut onto her right foot and unleashed a high dipping effort that flew beyond the Chinese goalkeeper to make it 3-0 in spectacular fashion. It was a long range effort that only gets better with repeated viewing.

China continued to work for a way back into this game and eventually found it through a late penalty. Naomi Chinnama was judged to have handballed in the box, but given the extremely short distance between her and the ball, it was harsh, although to the letter of the law.

There were some fortunate misses as far as Lincoln was concerned. One effort bounced off the crossbar, another skimmed just wide, but for the most part Australia defended well and Lincoln looked to have the shots covered.

Australia will play China once again on the 6th of December and will be broadcast on YouTube.

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Siemsen: “It’s all part of the learning of becoming an international footballer”

by Ben Gilby (3/12/23).

Above: Remy Siemsen speaking as The Matildas begin their preparations for the second match against Canada this international window. Image: Football Australia.

Just under two years since her last international start, and within weeks of making a return to club football after a debilitating ankle injury, Remy Siemsen revealed the challenges of Friday night’s return against Canada and how she is relishing it all.

The former Sydney FC star has been doing it tough in the past few months, but things are now looking a lot more positive – and the international recall is a major part of that. “It’s something I always aspired to be part of…I love this group and the staff, so it’s great to be back in camp.”

Siemsen outlined the frustrations and challenges of getting injured just as her Leicester City side were about to kick off their WSL campaign.

“I’ve just come back from a ligament ankle injury. It’s pretty tough as it happened just a week out from my (WSL) season starting. It was pretty draining. It was motivating to get back and get game time at Leicester. It has helped being called back to the national team for my confidence.

“It feels amazing to be back. Being out for six to eight weeks was tough – sitting and watching your team mates play is not what you want to do. It was a challenge to get back from this ankle injury – I had a lot of pain around my body and inside my heart as I wanted to be played, but I’m so proud of my Leicester team mates, they’ve started the season so well.”

Friday’s game was Siemsen’s first start for the Matildas since January 2022, and it was an emotional experience. “I always get a bit teary singing the national anthem as it’s always been an ambition of mine to play for the national team…it’s something I hold close to my heart and do it alongside some of my friends in the green and gold…but obviously we played a very good opposition in Canada. They are a top ten-ranked team and you can’t underestimate any team, especially in that top ten.

Above: Remy Siemsen – over joyed to be back as a Matilda. Photo: Football Australia.

“You can definitely see their quality from the goalkeeper, the backline, all the way up to the front line…as a young player as well as an inexperienced player, it was so valuable to get those match minutes in international football and play against some of the best. It shows the level and what we need to aspire to to get there. It gives you motivation for when you go back to club land what you need work on and get better at and transition into that high speed, high-intensity game.”

Whilst the result was painful, it has only made the attacker more determined to go away and work harder at her craft to ensure she does not have to wait so long for another start in a Matildas shirt.

“It’s all part of the learning of becoming an international footballer. It’s not all roses and daisies, it comes with tough spells, and it’s something as part of the growing in that. It’s sticking to the game plan that Tony (Gustavsson, head coach) wanted us to play in defence and attack, and learning how quick and how fast the game really does go. It’s a level really above anything you get. That’s why I wanted to push myself to move overseas and play in the WSL to prepare for these sorts of games and get closer to that level.”

Siemsen’s joy at making her first start for the Matildas for such a long time was allied with the first-ever starts for her former Sydney FC team mates Charlize Rule and Sarah Hunter. “I was extremely proud of them as they are both talented young players. I’m proud they have gone overseas to try two of the toughest leagues. It was a privilege to share the pitch with them and have some continuity with the (former) Sydney FC girls!”

Three years on from her Australia debut, the Leicester City striker considered how the international game has changed in that period – both on and off the pitch.

“It’s got significantly better. Quicker. Everyone is super talented…(but) it comes with a lot of public scrutiny. More people are invested with the game and have an opinion. But that comes with football, that’s something women’s football has tried to get to, be something that is always talked about.”

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Cymru crash to Nations League relegation after cool as ice visitors seal win

Cymru 1-2 Iceland

by Martin Townley, Impetus Cymru correspondent at the Cardiff City Stadium (2/12/23).

Above: Iceland’s opening scorer Hildur Antonsdóttir (on ground) celebrates after putting her side ahead. Photo: Rob Mellor for Impetus.

Iceland secured third place in Nations League A Group Three with a 2-1 victory over Cymru at Cardiff City Stadium.

In a must-win game to avoid relegation to Nations League B, Cymru pressed forward in the first half and created several chances.  As it has been for much of this Nations League campaign though, Gemma Grainger’s side found themselves behind.  Hildur Antonsdottir taking advantage of some poor defending to put the visitors in front. 

In the second half much like the reverse fixture Cymru tried to break down Iceland but again didn’t trouble Telma Ivarsdottir in goal.  As the hosts pushed for a goal, Iceland caught them on the break with Dija Zomers adding a second.  Crystal Palace’s Elise Hughes pulled a goal back in added time but Iceland took a deserved win from Cardiff which confirms they finish above Cymru, who will finish in fourth spot and be relegated. 

Above: Cymru’s Rachel Rowe (right) tussles with Glodis Viggósdóttir last night. Photo: Rob Mellor for Impetus.

A good piece of play down the right gave Cymru their first real chance of the game.  Ceri Holland played the ball down the right into Kayleigh Green.  Green cut the ball into the box finding Rachel Rowe who hit a shot on the turn but sent it over.

Iceland then had a chance as Hlin Eiriksdottir turned the Welsh defence to find space in the box, but she hit her shot straight at Oliva Clark.

Cymru then began to take the impetus and looked for the opening goal.  Jess Fishlock saw her effort blocked and Kayleigh Green sent a shot just wide. 

It was the visitors who took the lead through Hildur Antonsdottir in the 28th minute.  Saedis Heidarsdottir sent a cross into the Welsh six-yard box which hit Hlin Eiriksdottir and moved onto Antonsdottir who slid in to poke the ball over the line.

The goal rattled the home side, and it took them some time to regain the momentum. When they did Angharad James stuck the ball for the edge of the box and saw her effort go narrowly over the bar. Cymru continued to pressure and Fishlock took aim from outside the box.  Her low effort needed a good save from Telma Ivarsdottir. 

Above: Glodis Viggósdóttir looks to beat Wales Kayleigh Green (9). Photo: Rob Mellor for Impetus.

Iceland started the second half with a goal disallowed after a good move that saw Hlin Eiriksdottir put the ball in at the far post.  The ball hit Eiriksdottir’s hand before going into the net. 

Cymru were finding it hard to break down the Iceland back line and Jess Fishlock hit a half volley from outside the box that went wide of the goal. 

While Cymru struggled to get shots on target, Iceland had no such problem.  On a counterattack, the ball came into Dilja Zomers who curled a fine effort around Clark.

Elise Hughes pulled one back in added time when she headed in from Lilly Woodham’s cross. 

More of Rob Mellor’s exclusive photos from pitchside at the Cardiff City Stadium for Impetus:

Teams: CYMRU (4-3-3): Clark, Roberts (Morgan 72′), Ladd, Evans, Woodham, Ingle, James, Fishlock, Holland, Rowe, Green (Hughes 63′).

Scorer: Hughes 90+4′.

ICELAND (4-3-3): Ivarsdottir, Antonsdottir (Johannsdottir 73′), Gudrun Arnardottir (Gudny Arnadottir 64), Eiriksdottir (Nielsdottir 73), Halldordottir (Asgrimsdottir 81), Heidarsdottir, Jessen (Zomers 64′), Magnusdottir, Sigurdardottir, Viggosdottir, Vilhjalmsdottir.

Scorers: Antonsdottir 28′, Zomers 79′.

Referee: Esther Staubli (SUI).

Attendance: 5,275.

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Matildas suffer after they “go extreme”

Canada 5-0 Australia

by Ben Gilby (2/12/23).

Above: Three of Canada’s four goalscorers come together to celebrate – (from left to right) Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, and Cloe Lacasse. Photo: CANWNT.

An Australia side, which could be described at best as “experimental” crashed to a 5-0 defeat to Canada on Vancouver Island in the first of the two-match series marking the end of Christine Sinclair’s international career.

Speaking after the game, head coach Tony Gustavsson said: “We said we wanted to go extreme today and really test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.” That they did.

Going into the international window, the Matildas were already without Sam Kerr, Mackenzie Arnold, and Charli Grant. For this match, Emily van Egmond, Mary Fowler, Alanna Kennedy, Hayley Raso, Katrina Gorry, and Kyra Cooney-Cross came off the bench. The likes of Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Clare Hunt, and Ellie Carpenter were unused substitutes.

Coming into the backline was Charlize Rule after an impressive start to her WSL career with Brighton and Hove Albion. Remy Siemsen, who has missed a fair chunk of the same league this season with Leicester City due to injury started up front. Amy Sayer was retained after her impressive string of performances in the Olympic qualifiers in October. Sarah Hunter, who is beginning to break into the Paris FC matchday squad after her move came into the midfield.

Conversely, Canada started with seven of the team that won the Gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics to pose the toughest of tests for the Matildas.

Above: Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island last night as Canada hosted Australia. Photo: CANWNT.

The boutique Starlight Stadium was filled to its capacity of just over 6,000 on a night when the temperature did not get above zero degrees.

The home side hit the front 10 minutes in when Rule played the ball back for Clare Polkinghorne. The most capped Matilda had her pocket picked by Nichelle Prince around 15 yards from goal. The Canadian star advanced and cooly slotted into the right-hand corner of the net.

Teagan Micah denied both Prince and Vanessa Gilles before the half-hour mark. Prince’s sparkling form continued with a shot that went agonisingly wide of the post. However, her performance would be rewarded with her second of the night.

Three minutes before the break, Canada found space in the midfield to play out to the right flank where Ashley Lawrence showed her pace to accelerate away from Tameka Yallop and play a delightful square ball for an unmarked Prince to poke home first-time from just inside the box.

Any hopes of a recovery in the second half were undone within three minutes after another defensive woe. Adriana Leon went down in a challenge by Rule, which saw possession fall to Hunter at the back for Australia. However, Arsenal star Cloe Lacasse pounced to dispossess the Matildas midfielder on the edge of the box and calmly ran through to slide her finish past Micah.

Just six minutes later it became 4-0. Jayde Rose had the freedom to accelerate along the right and fire in a pacey ball which was initially headed clear but came out to Simi Awujo centrally just outside the area on the bounce and the midfielder fired home a low shot.

Above: Nicelle Prince (left) and Cloe Lacasse celebrate last night. Photo: CANWNT.

Just after the hour mark it got worse still. Kadeisha Buchanan released Jordyn Hutiema on the right. Her fierce shot from the byline was pushed up by Micah to the back post where it was headed goalwards once more by Sydney Collins and directed over the line by the head of Leon.

Whilst stats never tell the full story of the match, Canada had 19 shots to Australia’s two, with The Matildas having one on target to the hosts’ eight. Canada also bossed the corner count seven to one. With such an experimental offensive line, it was always going to be a massive challenge for Australia to break through Canada’s experienced and high-quality back line. In order to stay in the game, The Matildas needed their own defence to remain as watertight as possible for as long as possible. Neither eventuated.

One cannot help but feel that Gustavsson’s hand was forced in his selection for this game by the Matildas’ stars’ club sides requesting a lighter load for their players this window with major WSL and Champions League clashes coming immediately after the second match of this window. Despite this, I expect those who were on the bench tonight to play a far longer role in the second match this window on Tuesday night Canadian time.

In his post-match media conference, the Matildas boss said: “We said we wanted to go extreme today and really test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world,” he explained. “We tried to play out from the back, tried to break lines, tried to combine to see where we are in that process, both as a team and also with individual players. That cost us – we knew that could cost us.”

Despite the outcome, Gustavsson saw some positive takeaways. “The 30 minutes with Charlie Rule’s centre-back play was impressive. She hasn’t played that before. She has a profile that we think is exciting if you want to play more with the ball and I think her last 30 minutes was very impressive.”

“There was still enough there to feel that we had a balance and a structure,” the Australia boss noted. “But I really credit the players for being committed to what we did. A couple of players have already said it straight after the game – this is exactly what we needed.”

Teams: CANADA (3-4-3): Sheridan, Rose, Gilles, Buchanan, Lawrence, Fleming, Awujo, Collins, Leon, Prince, Lacasse. Substitutes used: Zadorsky, Huitema, Sinclair, Schmidt, St-Georges, Abdu.

Scorers: Prince 10′, 43′. Lacasse 49′, Awujo 55′, Leon 62′.

AUSTRALIA (4-4-2): Micah, Nevin, Luik, Polkinghorne, Rule, Chidiac, Wheeler, Hunter, Yallop, Sayer, Siemsen. Substitutes used: van Egmond, Fowler, Kennedy, Raso, Gorry, Cooney-Cross.

Attendance: 6,102.

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Toone heroics keeps Lionesses’ hopes alive in classic game of two halves

England 3-2 Netherlands

Impetus’ Beth McCowen was in the Wembley Stadium press box with Grace Jones’ pitch side supplying exclusive photography from last night’s UEFA Women’s Nations League match (2/12/23).

Above: Rachel Daly challenges the Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar last night. Photo: Grace Jones for Impetus.

Ella Toone’s strike in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes sealed a sensational comeback win for the Lionesses who had trailed 2-0 at halftime after a below-par performance in the opening 45 minutes.

The first chance of the match came quickly, with a cross from Lauren Hemp to Lauren James for the Lionesses, but the header went wide. The opening five minutes saw Wiegman’s side look dominant, with the stakes glaringly high.

The momentum shifted in the Netherlands’ favour, and the 11th minute saw the visiting side open the scoreline. The visitors finally got the ball into their attacking half, immediately creating a big chance. England’s defence was messy, failing to stop Lineth Beerensteyn’s powerful strike from reaching the back of the net.

Above: Netherlands’ Lineth Beerensteyn celebrates at Wembley last night. Photo: Grace Jones for Impetus.

With another chance in quick succession, the away side rocketed towards goal again. England’s captain Mary Earps made a huge clearance from the edge of her box to prevent Jonker’s team from furthering their lead. The Netherlands had found their pace and were making it increasingly difficult for the Lionesses to launch a counterattack.

The backline of the Netherlands formed a strong barrier between the Lionesses and the Dutch number one, Daphne van Domselaar. Their captain, Sherida Spitse, was particularly instrumental in winning the ball back. England’s defence, meanwhile, was clearly under a lot of pressure.

In the 35th minute, following a tense build-up in and around the box, the visitors created another good opportunity, and Beerensteyn made it a two-goal lead for the away side with an assist from Victoria Pelova, as the end of the first half approached. Beerensteyn was consistently impressive, and her performance was helped by top quality delivery into the area from her teammates. The Lionesses’ backline and their goalkeeper did not appear to be at their best, and coming back from this was not set to be an easy task.

The Netherlands were tight in their defence with lots of bodies in the box any time their opposition appeared threatening. England remained behind at the break.

The opening minutes of the second half saw England work their way towards goal, but fail to make something of these openings. The Lionesses appeared somewhat lost without Millie Bright leading their backline. They also, of course, still await the return of key player Leah Williamson following her ACL injury.

Above: Lauren James driving a ball into the box. It was her cross just before the hour mark that led to Georgia Stanway’s goal for the Lionesses. Photo: Grace Jones for Impetus.

Finally, in the 57th minute, Georgia Stanway set the home side back on track with a header following a smoothly delivered cross by the technically brilliant James. Stanway was in good form and had been fighting hard to keep the ball in possession despite the imposing presence of her opposition in the midfield.

Just a couple of minutes later, Hemp (with an excellent finish) provided England with the equalizer, as the Netherlands’ previously indestructible defence looked slightly startled.

The Netherlands’ goalkeeper prevented a hopeful England from taking the lead in the 69th minute, making an important clearance. Van Domselaar was fearless and demonstrated outstanding technical ability in her shot-stopping, her distribution of the ball, and her command over their defenders. She quickly made another impressive save as Wiegman’s side were relentless in attack.

Esme Morgan, a substitute brought on by Wiegman just after the 60-minute mark, denied Beerensteyn a hat-trick as she successfully blocked a shot from the forward in the 77th minute.

The pinpoint accuracy shown by Jonker’s side earlier on in the game was now missing, and the English capitalised on this, refusing to allow the Netherlands a third goal, and seeking one of their own. Danielle van de Donk exited the pitch due to injury in the 85th minute, and the Dutch side looked slightly less cohesive.

Above: Jess Carter (6) and Lucy Bronze had a lot of defensive work to get through last night. Photo: Grace Jones for Impetus.

The star of the show for Jonker’s side, Beerensteyn, made another break for goal. This time with Lucy Bronze’s intervention, England kept the score level and were desperate to take what had been a drastic improvement on their first-half performance even further.

Earps made a huge save in the 88th minute, denying a stellar Lieke Martens the chance to regain the lead for the Netherlands. In the next minute, Morgan proved herself as something of a super-sub by keeping Beerensteyn away from goal once again.

Reinforcing the valuable role of substitutions in England’s play, Ella Toone delivered a beautiful goal, giving the Lionesses a last-minute winner over a strong Netherlands side. A last-ditch fast-break from the Dutch was prevented by Morgan, and following the five minutes of added time, the final whistle went.

The atmosphere at Wembley was electric as England’s Lionesses narrowly kept their hopes of competing in Paris 2024 alive, and threatened the often-untouchable Netherlands. It is now all to play for next week. To keep qualification hopes alive in their game against Scotland, England must beat the Netherlands score against Belgium by at least three goals. They would then need to finish at least third in the final stages of the Nations League competition. There is a lot of hard work still to be done.

More of Grace Jones’ exclusive photos from Wembley Stadium for Impetus

Teams: ENGLAND (4-3-3): Earps, Bronze, Charles, Walsh, Greenwood, Carter, Kelly, Stanway, Kirby, James, Hemp. Substitutes: Morgan, Hampton (GK), Toone, Wubben-Moy, Zelem, Mead, Clinton, Daly, Le Tissier, Keating (GK), Turner, Russo.

Scorers: Stanway 57’, Hemp 59’, Toone 90+1’.

NETHERLANDS (4-3-3): van Domselaar, Dijkstra, Roord, Beerensteyn, Spitse, Van de Donk, Martens, Groenen, Pelova, Janssen, Brugts. Substitutes: Lorsheyd (GK), Weimar (GK), Casparu, Damaris, van Dongen, Jansen, Kaptein, Leuchter, Miedema, Van de Sanden, Snoeijs, Wilms.

Scorers: Beerensteyn 11’, 35′.

Referee: Tess Olofsson (SWE).

Attendance: 71,632.

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Gustavsson tells fans to expect some new faces and tactics against Canada

By Kieran Yap 1/12/23

Above: Sarah Hunter is one of the players who may make their debut in this international window. Photo: Rachel Bach/By The White Line. Supplied by Football Australia.

As Australia prepares to play Canada, fans should expect the team to seize the chance to experiment and improve

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson will be using the two games against Canada to improve the team and provide opportunities for new and fringe faces to push for a spot on the Olympic roster should Australia qualify.

Preparation for this match has been disrupted by the unavailability of Sam Kerr, and Charlie Grant but that has opened the door for the likes of Sarah Hunter and Charlize Rule to make senior debuts and for fan favourite Alex Chidiac to impress the coaches.

“This is one of the very few windows before the Olympic qualifiers and the potential Olympic that we can actually experiment and look at things…this window is the one opportunity against top ranked opposition where we can actually test players.

“It’s maybe not about winning a game but winning a player. So we’re going to give a lot of players an opportunity in this first game to look at them and what they’ve got in this environment so they are given a fair chance to fight for a spot on the Olympic roster.”

Gustavsson’s star has risen since the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It was not so long ago that he was fielding questions about facing the axe, now he is being sought by Sweden to take over their men’s national team.

Despite the interest from other nations, Gustavsson remains committed to The Matildas.

“My sole focus is on the Matildas and qualifying for the Olympics,” he said.

“We have unfinished business with this team.”

For the first time in over a year, the focus of this game is not entirely on Australia. Canada are using this window to farewell one of the greats of the sport. Christine Sinclair will wear the national colours for the final time against Australia, it is something that The Matildas feel honoured by.

“I’ve had the privilege to see her play a lot,” said Gustavsson about Sinclair.  

“I’ve coached against her a lot. For me she represents so much more than being one of the best forwards to ever play the game. the way she leads a team and the way she carries herself as a person has been tremendously impressive to watch. “

With Canada certain to perform well for their talismanic captain, this presents an excellent opportunity for Australia to test themselves and new ideas against a strong and highly motivated side.

Gustavsson pointed out that despite recent strong results, there are still some areas that The Matildas need to improve on. At the World Cup, they were among the top three nations for pressing and breaking down the final line of defence, but needed to work on winning the ball back after losing possession and bringing the ball out from the back. Canada presents the perfect opportunity to enhance these aspects of their game.

“We need to be brave enough to test certain players in certain positions. We need to test certain tactical aspects in certain phases of games and learn from the mistakes that we will make tomorrow but also learn to get some good perfect pictures.

“We always want to step on the field trying to win, but we’re trying to win by getting better in everything we do.

“In that sense it’s a unique game. we’re going to do the same thing on Tuesday but with a different lineup…Both of these games are development games and trying to take this team to the next step.”

With an unprecedented and still increasing number of eyeballs on The Matildas these days, Gustavsson is aware that the team still needs to play in a manner that will entertain the fans. The result may not go Australia’s way in this window, but they will still set out to play an attacking game.

“We’re in this together,” he said

“What we can do is to make sure the product of 90 minutes of football is as good as possible so that people are going to want to watch us.

“If you look at the goal scoring average in the last year, that says a lot about what kind of product you get when you come and watch the Matildas.

“The on-field stuff is one thing. The other thing is how they carry themselves outside of the field and the role models that they are.

“That’s one of the key reasons why I’m so passionate, and why I love working with this team as much as I do. I think they are such good role models for so many people out there, not just as footballers but as people as well.”

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Inside The Lionesses: Keira Walsh on “putting things right”

by Aimee Logan at St. George’s Park for Impetus (30/11/23).

Above: Keira Walsh (middle, stretching forward) in action at a previous Lionesses camp. Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.

Keira Walsh recognises the huge challenge that the Lionesses face tomorrow night in their must-win clash with the Netherlands at Wembley and the desire of the squad to right the wrongs from their defeat against Belgium in the last international window.

Speaking to the media, Walsh said: ‘’Its going to be a difficult game for us, we know it’s a must-win. Obviously, we want to put the things right that weren’t so good in the Belgium game’’ where the Lionesses fell short and lost 3-2 in October.

Reflecting on what has gone wrong results-wise since the World Cup, Walsh feels there isn’t a lot to feel negative about, saying: ‘’If you look at the games I think all the stats are still in our favour, we had a lot of chances, a lot of ball possession.’’ 

‘’Let’s not catastrophise it, it wasn’t the worse game for us’’, she explained, Walsh significantly noted that the England loss was mainly down to how Belgium punished the side for their mistakes. 

Obviously, plenty is riding on these next two fixtures for the Lionesses, an Olympic qualification is on the line: ‘’The Olympics is obviously a special one, it’s not one that everyone talks about in football but obviously everyone grows up watching the Olympics.’’ said Walsh. However, she did emphasise that the team ‘’want to win games regardless’’ of the end goal. 

I asked Walsh whether the squad were feeling the pressure from the fans as they are obviously all eager to see the team at the Olympics in the summer, she replied, ‘’I don’t have a lot of social media so for me I don’t see a lot of that, I think I know what my internal feelings are and the team’s feeling is that we want to be there. We’re kind of just putting the football first.’’

She was also asked on how she was feeling, physically, after injury scares in the World Cup and during the first weeks of the season with Barcelona: ‘’I feel good…somebody sent me something the other day saying I’d played the second most games from anyone in Europe.”

Above: Keira Walsh (right) along with Georgia Stanway representing Team GB at the Olympic Games in 2021. The Lionesses are likely to have to beat both Netherlands and Scotland to ensure they get a spot in the 2024 Games. Photo: Anano Ikko/ AFP.

There are currently two holes in the England backline as both Leah Williamson and Millie Bright are injured. Walsh was questioned on whether she felt any extra responsibility in defence because of these gaps: ‘’I think it’s up to the group as a whole when there are certain players missing. We’ve still got a lot of quality within the team… whoever is going to come in and fill in what Millie has been doing will be more than capable of doing that.’’ 

The midfielder didn’t appear concerned about the loss of the captain and now vice captain as ‘’there are lots of natural leaders in the team’’. ‘’That is something Sarina (Wiegman, head coach)has asked of me, to take a little bit more responsibility in that aspect, especially in the midfield, and vocalise and communicate a little bit more.’’ 

Some of the biggest excitement expressed by all of the players was having Beth Mead back in the England squad after just over a year out with an ACL injury. Walsh was beaming as she said: ‘’Having Beth back is really nice, the vibe she brings and she’s just such a good person… she makes everyone feel really comfortable and anyone can speak to her… I’ve really missed Beth to be fair!’’ 

She also had nothing but paise for Mead, describing her as such a talented player on the pitch, ‘’You can see the goal she scored for Arsenal the other day (against West Ham United on Sunday) and she really special in that fact that she’s just such a goal scorer. I think that she’s probably one of the best I’ve played with, a natural finisher, whatever you give her she always scores or is there or thereabouts.’’ 

Something that has been questioned within England’s group is the fact that their final must-win game is against Scotland, where there is huge historic rivalry. Yet if England are victorious, some of the players from that squad will join them to create Team GB next year. Walsh described it as ‘’a little bit strange’’ due to the qualification structure, but she knows that they “won’t want England to beat them”

Ultimately, Walsh made it clear that the team understands the pressure that’s riding on their backs for the two games this camp that determine whether Team GB secure a place at next year’s Olympics. Despite this, she’s excited for the match and eager to show that England have plenty more to give and are going all out to ensure qualification for the wider group of home nations for another tournament next summer.

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