By Vince Rugari
A half-time pep talk from Sam Kerr helped the Matildas overcome a sluggish first half to thump Czechia 4-0 and take a solid if unconvincing first step on the home stretch towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Tony Gustavsson’s side finished a turbulent 2022 with a string of impressive friendly wins that threw the many critics off his back – but it was hard to tell whether those performances were a long-awaited sign that he finally had Australia heading in the right direction, or just a flash in the pan.
Hayley Raso celebrates a goal with teammates during the Cup of Nations match between the Matildas and Czechia at Industree Group Stadiumin Gosford.Credit:Getty
As much as it is a glorified series of friendlies, the Cup of Nations was always going to a much truer barometer – and the Matildas’ opening match in Gosford on Thursday night, scoreline aside, did not always provide the most promising reading.
Kerr gave up the captain’s armband for veteran defender Clare Polkinghorne, who wore it as she became Australia’s most capped player of all time in her 152nd appearance for her country, breaking the record set by Cheryl Salisbury – and she will have not only a win to remember the occasion by, but a goal, too, which came with six minutes to go.
But Kerr was still acting as the skipper, and provided a verbal intervention at the break which Gustavsson said set the team on the right course after a frustrating first half in they were not only held scoreless, but were lucky not to concede at least one goal to the Czechs.
Gustavsson had urged everyone – media included – to treat this game as if it was July 20, the day of their World Cup opener against Ireland. Indeed, Czechia were hand-picked as opponents to help replicate the sort of stubborn challenge they expect to face that day at Accor Stadium in Sydney – and that’s what they got, facing a low block in defence they struggled to penetrate.
Sam Kerr celebrates a goal with Alex Chidiac during Australia’s 4-0 thumping of Czechia on Thursday night.Credit:Getty
“It was [Kerr’s] half-time speech,” Gustavsson said.
“What we actually said at half-time was, ‘What if this was the opening game of the World Cup with 80,000 in the stands, being frustrated?’ If we let that thought come to us emotionally, we probably don’t see the second half.
“And Sam also spoke about that: ‘Don’t freak out. Don’t stress out. Believe in the plan, believe in the process, believe [your] teammates. But we need to do it better.’
“She has grown with her leadership. Sam is an emotional player, and she has gotten much better at the emotional control, when it needs to be controlled, to say the right things. She can be the passion and the heart of the team when need be, and drive people, demand, and be that voice. She can also be composed and distant and be very clear in her instructions.”
Hayley Raso also grabbed a brace to spearhead that second-half onslaught from the Matildas, who were cheered home by 7702 fans at Industree Group Stadium.
To be fair to Gustavsson, most fans would happily endure another dreary 45 minutes if it would guarantee them a 4-0 win over the Irish – and at a World Cup, results are all that matter. Plus, this one came with a rare clean sheet, their third in a row.
That said, the absence of attacking imagination early on from the Matildas was problematic – and the gulf in class between them and their next opponents Spain, who moved the ball beautifully in their 3-0 win over Jamaica earlier on Thursday, was crystal clear. And that was Spain’s B team.
Ranked No.28 in the world by FIFA, Czechia failed to qualify for the World Cup but aren’t exactly mugs, having held world champions United States to a draw last year – and so in that light, this wasn’t bad at all. Yet if Australia are to challenge for the sport’s biggest prize, they simply have to play better football.
Granted, there were some late arrivals from Europe in camp this week, and as Gustavsson pointed out pre-match, more than half of his squad for the Cup of Nations has played little to no football in the last few months. The lack of rhythm and imagination was obvious.
Czechia actually generated the three best chances of the first half – and while all were saved by Mackenzie Arnold, who got the nod at goalkeeper ahead of Lydia Williams, the way they were given up was worrying.
Raso finally broke the deadlock three minutes into the second stanza after receiving a brilliant pass from Kerr and finding the near post via a deflection off Czech custodian Olivie Lukasova.
She then scored her second in the 55th minute from a corner kick, bundling debutant Clare Hunt’s header across goal over the line to effectively take the sting out of the Czech resistance.
Kerr then made it three with 20 minutes to go with a powerful finish after Alex Chidiac’s blocked shot fell neatly for her – although the substitute midfielder deserves the credit for crafting a chance out of nothing with a clever, darting run – while Polkinghorne rounded it out by poking home from another corner in the 84th minute.
Still, better will be needed from the Matildas as they switch their attention to Sunday’s showdown with Spain in Sydney, which looms as a much sterner test of their credentials.
“We need to be much better,” Gustavsson said. “If we give away that type of space when we lose the ball to Spain … it’s going to be a completely different challenge.”
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