Anticipation is already at fever pitch for the Matildas’ World Cup semi final against England on Wednesday night at Stadium Australia.
Tony Gustavsson’s side made the final four for the first time via a thrilling penalty shootout victory over France, while England beat Colombia 2-1 inside 90 minutes to progress.
Although there’s so much to be excited about, there are a number of big question marks surrounding this Matildas side going into Wednesday’s clash.
Foxsports.com.au breaks them all down in Matildas Burning Questions!
Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. Join now and start streaming instantly >
Barnaby commits ALL-TIME Matildas gaffe | 00:37
MORE COVERAGE
UK View: Poms say Aussies ‘punching above weight’ with ‘shaky’ weak link exposed
‘The only girl’: Kerr opens up on junior football ‘secret’ — and ugly moment she was forced to quit
‘Be there’: Stadiums open around the country for Matildas’ historic World Cup semi
WILL SAM KERR START?
Every single Aussie match, the biggest question on everyone’s lips has been along the same lines. Is Sam Kerr fit? Will she play? How much will she play?
Against Denmark, the answer was about ten minutes, though she said afterwards she felt she was ready to go from the start.
Against France, she entered the fray ten minutes into the second half, meaning she played 40 minutes (including stoppage time), plus thirty minutes of extra time and another seven of stoppage time from that period.
77 minutes in total – with coach Tony Gustavsson revealing afterwards he was informed by the team’s medical unit “that she had limited minutes” she was able to play.
“The biggest decision to be honest was when to bring Sam in. It was a massive decision even before the game to leave her on the bench,” he said.
“And then it was the timing. I was informed that she had limited minutes today.
“And then we needed to put extra time into consideration. That was a massive decision to get right.”
Kerr herself said she never expected to start against France, but hinted after the game she would be ready for a full game in the semi-finals.
“When I hurt my calf the plan was always to be ready for semi-final time so I could have (started) but who knows what would have happened,” she said.
“I played 65 minutes and feel better for it and I’ll have more training under my belt and feel ready to go now.”
But with just a three-day turnaround before the England match – much of that dedicated to recovery – Kerr might not be fit enough to play a full 120 minutes should the game go to extra time (more, if you include stoppage time).
The question then becomes whether to play the striker from the start and potentially have to take her off in the latter stages of the match (including possible penalties), or if you bring her on off the bench once more.
When she came on against France, Kerr’s introduction brought about an immediate momentum shift and inspired the Australians to push forward.
She said afterwards: “I tried to bring energy when I came on, I tried to lift the girls and I kind of think the momentum swung a bit in our favour and that’s what you have to do as a sub, to come on and just settle in and do your job.”
If the Matildas are struggling against England as the match wears on, that kind of game-changing impact could be invaluable.
But the last couple of games have exposed a major worry: Australia started very slowly against Denmark and also struggled in the opening exchanges against France, with only a horrible miss from close range saving the Aussies from conceding in the opening 15 minutes.
That first period could prove crucial – after all, fighting back from an early goal down is one hell of a mountain to climb against a world-class side like England.
If Kerr can help to settle the team and assert control from the start, that might be the crucial factor in starting her.
The plan is simple: Win inside 90 minutes – and cross your fingers Kerr’s calf can deal with extra time if it comes to that.
CAN THE TIRED MATILDAS BACK UP?
Every World Cup campaign is long, gruelling, and physically draining.
Games come thick and fast, with teams criss-crossing the country for their matches – the Matildas have played in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Brisbane so far, with just a three-day turnaround before their Sydney semi-final on Wednesday.
But there are a couple of reasons to be concerned about the Matildas’ fitness for the semi-final.
Firstly, Australia has used a conspicuously low number of substitutes this tournament, as well as very few rotations to the starting team in different matches.
Coming into the France game, Australia had used the fewest number of players out of any nation competing in the World Cup (17 of the 23 players), per Opta Stats. And the substitutes had been given an a combined average of 19 minutes per game – also the fewest of any nation.
“One thing this team have shown over the last half a year is that no matter what lineup we start with, or the lineup we finish with, they all know it takes 23 in 23,” coach Tony Gustavsson said before the World Cup.
“Meaning everyone is ready to step on and off if they need to. They have been amazing teammates supporting each other, there have been no complaints whatsoever in terms of who starts and comes off the bench. They know their role and they play their role.”
But in contrast to that sentiment, the Swedish coach has shown a heavy reliance on his core group, who have performed at an incredibly high level as a group this tournament.
But the refusal to use the substitutions at his disposal has drawn criticism, especially against Nigeria when Gustavsson made no changes until the 82nd minute despite being down 3-1.
Australia made two substitutions against Ireland and Nigeria, three against Canada and France, and four against Denmark.
The limit is five per match, and when games go to extra time an additional substitute is made available. That means Australia has made just 14 of 26 available changes.
Combine that with limited changes to the starting line-up for each game, it means that the core group have played almost every minute of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Australia’s counterattacking style is based on intense pressing on defence before rapid transitions into attack – about as physically onerous as it gets, and the stats show the Matildas have covered more ground than just about any team this Cup.
As the match wore on against France, the Aussies began to look very tired – both towards the end of regular time as well as in the half-hour of extra time.
Two of the players who have been stuck on the bench – back-up keepers Teagan Micah and Lydia Williams – might not expect to get on the field at all, given the exceptional form of Mackenzie Arnold between the sticks.
But for the likes of Kyah Simon (still returning from injury), Clare Wheeler, Courtney Nevin, and Aivi Luik, they could easily be forced to come in cold in the biggest game in Australian history, having played no minutes before the semi-final.
Charlotte Grant and Alex Chidiac have played just once each so far, both off the bench for limited minutes.
Injuries could strike a starter at any moment and force a team reshuffle – like Sam Kerr’s on the eve of the opening game.
But it’s asking a lot of the seemingly fringe players to come in without any minutes before this tournament – just as it’s asking a huge amount of the core group to run their guts out for what could easily end up being another 120-minute effort in the semi-final.
Before the France match, Tony Gustavsson said he wasn’t concerned about the lack of rotation in his team or the metres they had racked up.
“Not at all,” he said. “Reason why is we’re extremely fit. We’ve shown that. There’s no coincidence that we have that running [ability]. Total metres is one thing, but what’s really interesting is the high-speed metres and the sprints – and they are off the charts compared to some other competitors.
“We’re fit, we’re fast. We know that. If you look at the schedule that the players are playing now, it’s nothing different than what they’re doing in club-land, in terms of the games, amount of weeks.
“And the funny thing with this team is every time we have shortened time between two games, they amp up the high-speed meters the game after. The most intense game we have played so far in terms of sprint and high-speed metres was the game we had less recovery time. They bounced back extremely well.
“That’s also a mindset thing, but I also want to say one more thing: it’s also thanks to the fans. The way the fans support us during the games and how loud they are, it carries us.
“We always play a pressing game and a high-octane game with a lot of sprints, a lot of running. You need that encouragement when you start fatiguing a little bit. A player will always be tired at the end of the game, especially with extra time, no matter how fit you are. But to push through that when you feel tired, you need to fans as well, especially as much as we run.”
There’s no doubt the Matildas have enjoyed a big boost from their fans in every game. But will that be enough to make up for their tired legs and over-reliance on the core group?
Gustavsson might just have to change up his starting side against England – or else be a bit quicker on the draw when it comes to using his bench.
IT’S NOW OR NEVER FOR KYAH SIMON
When the Matildas’ 23-player squad was announced, eyebrows were raised at Kyah Simon’s inclusion given how little football she had played since suffering an ACL injury last year.
Simon was named despite still not fully fit, although Gustavsson expressed his confidence in the veteran forward and revealed she’d have a part to play in the knockout stages.
The Swede did not have to call on Simon against Denmark in their Round of 16 clash as the Matildas got the job done in normal time.
As the game against France ticked down to penalties, many might have thought it would be an opportunity for Simon to make her first appearance of the tournament.
But Gustavsson opted not to bring on the 32-year-old, with Tameka Yallop the preferred option off the bench.
Yallop did her job in the resulting penalty shootout and slotted home at a time when a miss would have sent the Matildas packing from the World Cup.
The call to bring on Yallop instead of Simon might have left some puzzled, especially since it seemed an opportune time as ever for the latter to be brought on.
Gustavsson has since revealed Simon was “ready to come on” to take a penalty if need be, but simply didn’t get the break in play towards the end he needed to throw her into the fray.
“There’s a lot of players sitting on the bench that are ready to come on,” Gustavsson said.
“What do you plan for in a moment like this? And you saw how it went, like the last three or four minutes we weren’t certain about extra time until the very last minute … it was four additional minutes.
“We then wanted to make some key decisions, if they score, what do we do to score? If we score how can I close out the game? Because it can happen in a matter of seconds.
“And because it was so tight and Kyah has limited playing minutes. I wanted to wait for the very last second if I brought her on and I didn’t find that break to bring her on was the right one.”
The victory over France means the Matildas remain alive in the tournament and also gives Simon more time out on the training park with her teammates.
She hasn’t been able to train much with the rest of the team for most of the tournament but, like Kerr, every extra day is of great benefit.
Simon won’t be starting against England and at this stage, it seems unlikely she will come on as a second-half substitute.
Her role will almost certainly be limited to taking a penalty in the shootout should the game against England reach that stage, but could come on late in extra time to make an impact.
But if the game goes to penalties and Gustavsson opts to leave Simon on the sideline again, questions will be asked as to why she was included.
FRANCE COACH ADDS VOICE TO CHORUS OF MATILDAS BELIEVERS
The Matildas are a minimum of 90 minutes away from making the World Cup final.
It is a little crazy to think that the team has got to this stage largely without superstar striker Sam Kerr, who has been limited to just over 75 minutes of action due to a calf injury.
Instead, the supporting cast of the Matildas have stepped up to have the team just two wins away from winning it all.
But it might not be the fever dream some may think it is.
Canada coach Bev Priestman was effusive in her praise for the Matildas and Gustavsson in the wake of a 4-0 loss in their final Group B fixture.
“Australia is a top, top side and I’ve said that from the start,” Priestman said at the post-match press conference.
“There’s nothing stopping them from pushing through this because they should be probably in the top four of a World Cup.”
Priestman’s thoughts were echoed by Denmark boss Lars Sondergaard, who believed Australia could “go all the way” but would need a dash of “luck” along the way having been on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline.
“With the fantastic atmosphere that are at the games here, with the support that they have — you feel it all over — it’s a fantastic support for them, and it gives them extra power, so of course they could go all the way,” Sondergaard said in his post-match press conference.
“Of course, they also need the luck in some situations. I wish Australia all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
Now France’s Herve Renard has added his voice to the chorus of beaten coaches who believe the Matildas could be the last team standing.
“I’m wishing you all the best,” Renard said in the wake of his side’s heartbreaking loss on Saturday.
“I would like to repeat one more time: This competition was fantastic for us. Beautiful cities, beautiful stadiums, the atmosphere was fantastic.
“It’s a shame for us to go home. But, all the best to you now, I’m sure you can win this World Cup.”
That’s three coaches who have had success in their respective careers that believe the Matildas can go all the way.
So, if you still had any doubts as to the Aussies’ World Cup credentials, surely Priestman, Sondergaard and Renard’s comments have won you over.
