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Catley has no concerns with pitch post Pink concert
Stand-in captain Steph Catley has no concerns about the Marvel Stadium pitch as the Matildas prepare to play at the venue just four days after a Pink concert.
After playing on a soft, snow-sodden pitch in Uzbekistan for the first leg, Australia will face a harder, speedier surface in Melbourne.
Matildas forward Mary Fowler trains on Tuesday.Credit: Getty Images
The playing surface at Marvel Stadium is well known for being hard during AFL season, due to having a carpark underneath it.
It also played host to two concerts from the pop superstar last Friday and Saturday, with the venue being quickly packed down and turned around for Wednesday’s match.
Melburnian Catley, deputising while Sam Kerr is sidelined with an ACL, had no complaints – especially after an arduous trip to get to Melbourne.
The Matildas travelled to Dubai for a training camp, then were in and out of Tashkent within 48 hours, before a long flight back from the UAE.
Catley and coach Tony Gustavsson had a look at the pitch on Tuesday morning, ahead of training there in the afternoon.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson and stand-in skipper Steph Catley address the media in Melbourne.
“To be fair, I think it looks good,” Catley said.
“If you hadn’t have told me there was a concert on it, Tony told me as well, I might not have known.
“I’m used to it being that hard, I think that’s initially the first thing I think about is what footwear and it’s pretty obvious because it is so hard.
“But yeah, it looks like it’s in good nick – it’ll probably be the opposite of what we’ve just played on (in Tashkent).
“So that might be a little bit of adjusting but I think in terms of playing good football, it’s perfect and we’ve played on it before and it’s something that we’re absolutely used to.
“In terms of everything that we’re overcoming for this trip that’s probably quite low on the list. But yeah, I think everyone’s just excited for a big crowd and it’s a flat surface, it’s a good surface, so we’re ready to go.”
AAP
Heyman, Foord to start
First leg hero Michelle Heyman will start for the Matildas as they look to lock in their spot at the Paris Olympics.
It’s makes sense she will start considering she has been playing in the Australian heat in the A-League Womens league this season.
Heyman and Caitlin Foord will start while Hayley Raso and Emily van Egmond will move to the bench.
Very hot conditions at Marvel
According to the BOM, it’s 36 degrees still in Melbourne (as of 6.20pm AEDT) and it is expected to remain in the 30s until late tonight.
There is a hot wind still blowing across the city as well, it will be about as far from the snowy conditions in Tashkent for the first leg as you could go.
A cool breeze is forecast to blow through town late in the evening but I wouldn’t expect it until well into the second half, at the earliest.
Fans have been heading towards the stadium and walking around the area since before 4pm and they are only building in numbers as people knock off work or head in from home.
The Matildas don’t need Sam Kerr to win. But they do need a striker
By Vince Rugari
Even when she’s not there, it’s impossible for the Matildas to avoid the spectre of Sam Kerr.
On Saturday night, she watched from afar as her teammates played a game that would have been perfect for her: loads of chances, lots of crosses, plenty of opportunities in which Australia’s injured skipper could have used her world-class aerial ability or innate poacher’s instinct to convert and make the first leg of their Olympic qualifier against Uzbekistan a lot less tense than it needed to be.
Kaitlyn Torpey, Michelle Heyman and Chloe Logarzo.Credit: Getty
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They got there in the end, winning 3-0 and turning Wednesday night’s second leg against Uzbekistan at a sold-out Marvel Stadium into a homecoming party. Even coach Tony Gustavsson has started imagining what the atmosphere might be like. They’ve qualified for Paris 2024; it’s just not official yet.
Good evening
G’day everyone and welcome to our live blog as the Matildas look to lock in their spot at the Paris Olympics in the second leg of their qualifier against Uzbekistan at Marvel Stadium tonight.
The Matildas start with a 3-0 lead following their win, by the same margin, in the first leg and a capacity crowd of more than 50,000 fans will be there to cheer them on despite the sweltering conditions in Melbourne today.
Kick off is set for 8pm AEDT, please enjoy the night to come.
