by Next week a big milestone comes out. On Wednesday, the Matildas will have exactly 100 days before their Olympic opener against Germany in Marseille on the day the 2024 Games are announced. With the clock ticking, coach Tony Gustavsson’s side, led by a steady performance from Caitlin Foord, overcame a stern test against Mexico to register a satisfying 2-0 win in San Antonio and keep preparations on track.
Foord was heavily involved in the opening goal, beautifully finished by Hayley Raso, before adding a second half herself in a two-half game in Texas that saw the Matildas largely stifled as an attacking force before enjoying a performance in much sharper after the break.
“This is exactly what we needed to prepare for the Olympics and learn about ourselves,” said Gustavsson, who must now reduce his squad to 18 before the trip to France.
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The Swede said earlier in the week that he did not like to use the word experiment, even if he admitted that he intended to use this game as an opportunity to “try a lot of things”. A long list of injuries, including the likes of Katrina Gorry, Clare Hunt and long-term absentee Sam Kerr, weighed Sweden’s hand somewhat, and despite the verbal gymnastics, some experimentation in Texas was inevitable.
Steph Catley, the captain in Kerr’s absence, moved to centre-back, Kaitlyn Torpey moved to left-back and Emily van Egmond replaced Gorry in midfield. They were hardly radical changes in personnel but the game gave Gustavsson the opportunity to change his positioning and tactics.
“We got some learning in the first 30 minutes and the players came into the game,” said Gustavsson. “At half-time we made adjustments and completely dominated the second half, which is one of the best halves we’ve ever played, from an attacking point of view. The players were so brave against a very aggressive Mexican team.”
Mexico, ranked 31st in the world and a team on the rise that enjoyed a 2-0 victory over the United States of America earlier this year, high pressure and initially made it difficult for the visitors during the first half when the Matildas are struggling to get to their top. possession in any future meaningful threat.
With attacking opportunities few and far between, it took an individual moment of brilliance to unlock the Mexican defence. Raso, back in the starting XI and with a point to prove after a first and only season at Real Madrid, showed the kind of touch and vision on the ball that will make her an attractive prospect for post-Olympic suitors as she search. for a new club. A neat turn on the edge of the box from the winger led to a shot opportunity, and she found the back of the net despite goalkeeper Esthefanny Barreras getting a hand on the shot.
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The goal came from some good work down the left by Foord, who spent the first half rotating between the left and a more central role, with Mary Fowler – as bright as ever – switching out to the left as an expression of. some Gustavsson smiles. But it was from the left that Foord was most assured, stepping inside on 52 minutes and wrapping his right boot around the ball to curl into the far corner in an effort just as impressive as Raso’s challenger.
The dynamic of the game changed as the Matildas succeeded where they had failed in the first half, and scoring opportunities became more frequent. Fowler tested Barreras in the Mexico goal with a brisk shot on goal, Van Egmond fired over the bar and then substitute Cortnee Vine clipped the keeper’s palms in quick succession. Fowler should have added a third in the 78th minute, but her header from Ellie Carpenter’s cross curled just over the bar.
Vine was one of five substitutes deployed in the second half, along with Clares Polkinghorne and Wheeler, Charlie Grant and Sharn Freier, who was given her first international cap but was given little time to make an impact. Mexico, for their part, was threatened in fits and starts, and sometimes looked the most dangerous on the break, but mostly the nous was not in the final third. Mackenzie Arnold was tested just once in the Australian goal, by Jasmine Casarez late on.
Gustavsson now has two more games – against China in Adelaide and Sydney at the end of May and early June – to settle on the players he will bring to France. The Matildas then play Germany, the United States and Zambia, who were confirmed earlier in the day as Australia’s final group opponents following their African victory over Morocco.
