Summary
Thank you for joining me tonight. We’ll be back again on Tuesday for the second leg of this double header when we salute Christine Sinclair for one final time.
In the meantime, Joey Lynch’s match report is well worth a read and look out for further analysis over the coming days.
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Tonight’s match report in 14 words:
Blood your newbies by putting them WITH your experienced squad not INSTEAD of them. #CANvAUS
— Annie Papas (@anniepapas) December 2, 2023
“Without wanting to overreact to a friendly match, that performance and result don’t do much for the Commbank Matildas brand at the end of 2023. It won’t do much for the morale of the players who started, nor their relationship with the Starting XI (imagine what those players will think now).’’ Absolutely, Chris Paraskevas, it looked a poor strategy before kick-off and now looks like one with the potential to have significant consequences.
Andy Harper is seething. He called this early on, and was proven 100% correct. “I wonder what the experiment was for. I don’t understand why we needed to go down this path in this game. It is extraordinarily disappointing… it was cannon fodder.”
A cold, wet, and odd night in British Columbia ends with a thumping victory for Canada. The hosts did everything asked of them for an hour against an experimental Matildas XI that looked out of their depth and could have easily been more than five down before a raft of changes around the hour mark introduced more senior bodies and steadied the ship.
“When you make bold changes and experiments with so many young debutants, it is so difficult for them to shine,” laments former Matilda Amy Chapman on Australian TV. “If we look at the stars that have been born recently, like Kyra Cooney-Cross, she has grown alongside Gorry and those kinds of players who have allowed her to develop a game. It is really difficult to learn a lot out of the game today. I appreciate friendlies are the time to try these things, but not sure we have a huge amount to take away from the game today.”
Fulltime: Canada 5-0 Australia
Canada begin their long farewell of Christine Sinclair with a well-deserved 5-0 victory against an Australian side that coach Tony Gustavsson got badly wrong.
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89 mins: Not long to go in Langford.
87 mins: Australia are finishing the stronger of the two sides with Kennedy enjoying an eye-catching cameo at the back, not only defending, but bringing the ball out and spraying passes.
85 mins: The floated delivery is headed clear but only as far as Gorry on the edge of the box who should do better with her left-footed snapshot.
84 mins: Raso’s pace and persistence forces Australia’s first corner of the night!
83 mins: Excellent play in midfield by the veterans Schmidt and Sinclair and from the latter’s through-ball St-Georges fails to find an end product under pressure from Kennedy.
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81 mins: Lovely move from Australia. Gorry begins it with a brave pass from the base of midfield to the superb Fowler who controls and spins away from two Canadians. She exchanges passes with Sayer on the left but can’t capitalise in the box. The difference between the two versions of the Matildas is stark and I’m not sure Gustavsson has bridged the gap with his approach tonight.
78 mins: As Raso comes on for Yallop, the game is now on Australia’s terms. Gorry and Cooney-Cross have been the main difference makers in midfield with Fowler providing spark between the lines. This is now when Gustavsson can learn something useful about the fringe members of his squad with the likes of Sayer and Nevin still on the field.
76 mins: This is a different Australian team now and suddenly Gorry and Cooney-Cross and barking instructions, coaching Nevin into playing the ball out of defence and through the lines with simple one-touch passing. The move is enlivened by Fowler in the final third but comes to nothing.
74 mins: And now Fowler has Australia’s first shot on target – smashing straight at Sheridan from the edge of the box after good work in midfield by Gorry.
73 mins: The impact of Australia’s subs can be seen with Kennedy showing the confidence to ping a quality pass out of defence to break the Canada press. It’s a ball that owes a lot to the bravery and technique of Fowler, who shows, controls and spins effortlessly near the touchline to send a ball into the channel for Yallop to chase.
71 mins: The Matildas have still yet to register a shot. They now at least don’t look outclassed in general play.
69 mins: More substitutions for Canada, including the introduction of Sophie Schmidt, another long-serving Canadian about to call time on her career.
67 mins: Suddenly the action resembles a real top-level international with both sides feeling each other out at arm’s length in midfield.
65 mins: Gorry, Cooney-Cross, Fowler, and Kennedy are all on for Australia, and immediately the Matildas build something resembling an attack. Some members of that starting XI thrown to the wolves must be watching in fury.
SUBSTITUTION 🔄
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 2, 2023
The GOAT replaces Cloé Lacasse.#ThankYouSinc 🐐 pic.twitter.com/iNEAswDSV6
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63 mins: That goal prompts a flurry of substitutions, the most important of which is the entry of Christine Sinclair for the penultimate time in international football.
63' We make four changes
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) December 2, 2023
⬇ Sarah Hunter, @clarepolks89, @alexchidiac10 & Aivi Luik
⬆ @KatrinaGorry, @kyracooneyx, @AlannaKennedy & Mary Fowler
🇨🇦5-0🇦🇺 #CANvAUS#Matildas
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GOAL! Canada 5-0 Australia (Leon 62)
More awful defending from Australia and Canada have five! Huitema goes around the outside of Luik on the right and her cross-shot is palmed into the air by Micah. It’s kept alive at the far post with a neat centring header, one that invites Leon to bundle the ball over the line.
59 mins: The game remains one of Canada playing at high intensity and Australia drifting around like scattered autumn leaves.
SUBSTITUTION 🔄
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 2, 2023
Bianca St-Georges is on for Ashley Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/s7fTcjPPo8
57 mins: “The Matildas (and Tony G) have been guilty of picking the same players every year. It costs us at major tournaments for various reasons,” bemoans James Paraskevas. “I think these players are good but it needs to be a blend. Tony G thinks he’s playing PlayStation 2 or Football Manager 2007. There’s just no balance with this guy.” No Australian coach has been afforded better players or better circumstances to succeed than Gustavsson, but his decision making at times has not reflected well on his judgement.
GOAL! Canada 4-0 Australia (Awujo 55)
This is getting very very ugly indeed for the Matildas. Rose is too quick and strong down the right for Sayer, winning the contest in midfield then bursting into the open space with great pace. The square ball finds its way to Awujo who drives an unconvincing low shot that evades Micah and nestles in the bottom corner.
54 mins: This is already “one of those nights to put behind us” for Australia, showcased by Yallop twisting one way, then the other, deep in her own half, only to concede a throw-in.
52 mins: The second half is playing out exactly as the first with Canada dominating possession and Australia chasing shadows. The scoreline could be anything, but the hosts will need to make better decisions in the final third than Leon just did, hammering into the side-netting from an impossible angle.
GOAL! Canada 3-0 Australia (Lacasse, 49)
The Matildas struggle to clear their lines again – Hunter this time dwelling on the ball on the edge of her own box – and Lacasse simply bullies the Australian off the ball before stroking a calm finish out of Micah’s reach.
Bad to worse for Tony Gustavsson’s experiment.
48 mins: Canada straight back into their work and they come agonisingly close to a third! Leon curls over a beautiful free-kick from the right that Gilles meets a couple of metres out at the far post, but she heads narrowly wide. Not to worry…
46 mins: Nichelle Prince gets a breather after her first-half brace. Jordyn Huitema is a handy replacement. While for Australia Alex van Egmond offers some experience in midfield in place of the injured Remy Siemsen.
With the rain continuing to pour down in Langford, the teams are back out for the second half.
“I wasn’t expecting much from an experimental line-up, but not a single player has really pressed their case for a starting spot,” emails Chris Paraskevas. “Making wholesale changes to personnel is one thing: getting them to work cohesively is quite a different challenge. Plans need to be adjusted to ge the best out of the likes of Chidiac, otherwise, what’s the point?”
I think that question at the end will be the postscript to this match. Gustavsson has set up this XI to fail, only hampering his own plans to find squad members for tournaments further down the road.
By contrast, it was an abject half from the Matildas. Echoing Andy Harper’s comments pregame, by selecting such an unfamiliar line-up, it’s hard to identify anything useful that Tony Gustavsson will have gleaned from that performance. There were no patterns of play and Australians across every line were caught in possession.
Excellent from Canada who were faster, stronger, and more decisive all over the park. Prince stole the show but Leon and Lacasse were also dangerous, while the midfielders in red were utterly dominant.
Half-time: Canada 2-0 Australia
Canada dominated from start to finish and deservedly lead at the break. It could be a lot more than 2-0 but they will have to make do with Prince’s double against an experimental Australian line-up.
44 mins: 2-0 flatters the Matildas who have been comprehensively outplayed.
GOAL! Canada 2-0 Australia (Prince 43)
Canada go straight back down the other end, and after Lacasse has a shot blocked on the turn, Lawrence skips around the outside on the right, pulling the ball back for Prince to finish first-time at the near post. Micah will not be happy to see replays of that one, but the speed of the move undid Australia and caught the goalkeeper wrong-footed.
42 mins: Poor from Siemsen, who had space to run into with the ball at her feet, but she dawdled in possession and was easily robbed…
40 mins: Polkinghorne does well to block Prince as the through-ball to Leon threatened to set the star striker free. Australia cannot retain possession though and Canada are soon back on attack.
39 mins: Leon drags a shot on the turn past the far post after a nice build-up work from Prince.
38 mins: Canada’s urgency in midfield is too hot for Australia to handle. The press is snappy and aggressive, forcing the Matildas into precise one-touch football that they are unable to execute on this difficult surface.
36 mins: Australia have started to even things up around the pitch in the past few minutes and they earn their first attacking set-piece of the night when Wheeler is upended by Rose. Canada deal with the delivery with the minimum of fuss.
34 mins: Australia’s brief flashes of attacking football have come mostly from Chidiac driving through midfield, and she dovetails with Sayer to fashion the brightest opening of the game so far for the Matildas, but Canada do well to scramble clear on the edge of their box.
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32 mins: And it’s another set-piece that almost brings a goal. The aerial contest results in a bouncing ball that Buchanan spins and hacks towards goal but it takes a deflection and spins agonisingly wide of the post.
31 mins: A couple of phases of play later Leon rasps a drive from the right edge of the box that Micah has to parry behind for another corner.
30 mins: Australia get a rare respite, but it’s brief, with Polkinghorne and Luik again lacking options from the centre of defence. The turnover is inevitable.
28 mins: Micah is forced into another strong save, this time from a Gilles header at the far post after a well struck corner. Poor in open play, poor from set-pieces, this has been a dreadful half-hour for the Matildas who are lucky to only be one down.
27 mins: The game is being played entirely in Australia’s half with the teal jerseys desperately chasing shadows. Relief comes only in the shape of throw-ins.
25 mins: Australia can’t get a kick. Canada are pulling them from one side to the other, looking to free Lacasse down the left, who they sense has the better of Rule.
23 mins: Canada are just quicker and hungrier all over the park. Leon, Lacasse, and Prince are all looking dangerous in the final third, with Leon the latest to draw a save out of Micah at her near post, cutting in from the right. Buchanan sends a free header over the bar from the resulting corner. This is getting very ugly for Australia.
21 mins: Prince is inches away from a second! More calamitous play by Australia’s defenders and Prince is quick to smell blood, robbing Polkinghorne – who is lucky not to concede a penalty with the ball hitting her arm – and whistling a left-footed snapshot against the outside of the far post, well out of Micah’s reach.
19 mins: Siemsen is down after colliding with Gilles on the edge of Canada’s box. The Canadian defender took clean possession with the Australian slow to alter course, ending up only running straight into her opponent and suffering an injury to her knee or calf.
18 mins: Lacasse goes on another mazy run and looks for a penalty just inside the box, but the referee adjudges she was looking too hard for something that wasn’t there and play continues.
17 mins: Micah has to be alert to zip off her line and smother the ball at the feet of the onrushing Prince after a delightful through-ball unlocked the Australian defence – the second of two vertical passes that cut the Matildas open through the middle.
16 mins: Almost two for the home side after a superb spin from Lacasse on the left, leaving Rule for dead. The drive into the box was menacing but the finish took a deflection the wrong side of the near post. Australia deal with the corner, but the ball is soon back with Canada.
14 mins: Canada are pinging the ball around their defence and midfield at will. Australia can’t get on the ball beyond smuggling it out of defence in a hurry around the edge of their box.
12 mins: If you were wondering why familiarity in a line-up matters, there’s your answer. Polkinghorne did not have Cooney-Cross or Gorry showing for the short pass in front of her, nor was the long diagonal to Foord on the left or Raso on the right available. The result was a pinched pocket and a very poor turnover goal.
GOAL! Canada 1-0 Australia (Prince 10)
Awful from Australia and Canada take an early lead. Once again Australia’s back-four are given time on the ball with the space congested ahead of them. Then, when Polkinghorne exchanges passes with Rule the press is applied and Polkinghorne is horribly exposed in possession, robbed by Prince, who has the simple task of side-footing the ball beyond the flatfooted Micah from six metres out.
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8 mins: Australia haven’t offered anything in possession so far. there is no clear out-ball for either Luik or Polkinghorne, so they just pass it amongst themselves for an age before the first incursion forward is intercepted.
6 mins: Canada have seen plenty of the ball and they’ve passed it around nicely until the final third, whereupon things get a little stodgy against Australia’s stout rearguard.
4 mins: Sayer wastes a glorious attacking opportunity, failing to find Hunter on the edge of the penalty area following a poor Canada turnover.
2 mins: Canada have settled the quicker of the sides and earn a corner on the right. The set-play does not end with a dangerous delivery and Polkinghorne clears at the second attempt. The Australian veteran, alongside Luik, and behind Chidiac and Yallop, will hope to provide some assurance in the engine room of an unfamiliar line-up.
1 min: The first thing to note is the sodden artificial pitch looks treacherous. It will take the players some time to figure out their footing, and the pace of the ball on the deck.
Kick-off!
Canada, set up in a 3-4-3 formation, get us underway, against Australia, lining up in a 4-4-2.
The teams are out onto the artificial turf in the driving rain for the prematch formalities. The ceremony begins with a presentation in honour of Christine Sinclair.
9 - Today is only the ninth time @TheMatildas will play without Sam Kerr since the beginning of 2017; they have won two and drawn two of those matches (L4) and scored 1.1 goals per game across those fixtures. Even.#Matildas #CANvAUS pic.twitter.com/rOfyFsEOwZ
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) December 2, 2023
Just like when these sides met at the World Cup, Australia are wearing their excellent change strip of spearmint. The hosts will be in familiar red jerseys, black shorts and socks.
All in the details 🔎
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) December 2, 2023
🇨🇦v🇦🇺 02.12.23 - 2:30pm AEDT
📺💻📱: @10FootballAU #Matildas pic.twitter.com/M1mRpeqclf
There’s been a very late change for Canada with Kailen Sheridan now staring in goal, not Sabrina D’Angelo.
Now hear from Canada coach Bev Priestman.
Bev ahead of today's match vs. Australia🎙
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 1, 2023
"We're excited to end the year now with one last push. Set the benchmark really to head into 2024." pic.twitter.com/o2SmgxBOqp
Tony Gustavsson has had a few words to Australian TV, sporting a quite awful moustache, that I really hope is only a Movember charity effort. The main focus was the unfamiliar line-up.
“We need to take the opportunity to really give some players the chance to prove themselves for an Olympic roster moving forward,” Gustavsson said. “Obviously the individual qualities but also the characters, the commitment… to give the players to be prepared to this environment. So when they come from the U23 to the senior level, they are mentally prepared and tactically prepared, easing their way into a tough environment in terms of tempo or otherwise.”
In terms of style of play, here’s what Gustavsson is looking to accomplish. “We saw in the World Cup that we are good and are pressing game and good are getting in behind our opposition’s backline. But we need to be a bit better on the ball, that is an improvement area. We know that will be very tough against Canada, but this is where we needed testing. The buildup phase and getting more control in the first and second line is something we want to see more of tonight.”
While tonight’s action is only a friendly, there’s been plenty going on in Europe, where the battle intensified for the two continental spots on offer at the Paris Games.
Canada are already safely through after their CONCACAF play-off victory over Jamaica in September, while Australia must beat Uzbekistan in a two-legged playoff in February to join them.
Conditions are cold and sleety in Langford, but the few thousand locals at this boutique stadium will be expected to turn up the heat in honour of the departing Sinclair. Tributes will be paid pregame, and in the 12th minute there will be a minute’s applause.
The full kit and caboodle will be thrown at Sinclair in a few days time when she is formally farewelled in front of over 40,000 fans in Vancouver. when these teams meet for the second time in this international window.
A night fit for the occasion 🌙 pic.twitter.com/yrWgNAgXdk
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 2, 2023
More on the retiring Christine Sinclair, one of the most extraordinary international footballers.
There was a hint of annoyance in Andy Harper’s voice on Australian TV when discussing Australia’s line-up. He suggested, with a note of frustration, it’s all or nothing with Gustavsson’s selections, instead of allowing one or two players the opportunity to bed in alongside the leading stars.
Australia XI
Tony Gustavsson said in his prematch press conference that he needed to be brave enough to test certain players in certain positions, and he is living up to those words, selecting an unrecognisable starting line-up.
The first choice XI are all on the bench (presumably to be unleashed in Vancouver in a couple of days) so it’s a massive opportunity for the understudies. That list includes 20-year-olds Charlie Rule and Sarah Hunter, who are both set to make their international debuts.
STARTING XI 🗒
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) December 2, 2023
Here's how we line up for our game against Canada – Charlie Rule & Sarah Hunter make their debuts!
⏰: 2.30pm AEDT
📺💻📱: @10FootballAU#Matildas #CANvAUS pic.twitter.com/wakjtJaOnf
Canada XI
Plenty of quality throughout the Canadian line-up, led by the Chelsea trio of Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, and Jessie Fleming. The crowd will have to wait for Christine Sinclair to come off the bench to celebrate their retiring hero.
Your @CANWNT Starting XI vs. Australia 🇨🇦⚔️@CANWNT x @GE_Canada pic.twitter.com/wFzwaWWXHs
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 2, 2023
It’s been a busy few weeks for the Australian women’s team, even without kicking a ball in anger. There’s been a progressive new collective bargaining agreement with Football Australia, recognition of Matilda as the 2023 word of the year, and most recently the acceptance of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame’s Don Award.
Preamble
Hello everyone and welcome to live coverage of Canada v Australia from Starlight Stadium in Langford. Kick-off in this international friendly is 7.30pm local time (2.30pm AEDT).
This may only be a friendly, but there is no shortage of narrative to make for a compelling spectacle – especially on Canada’s side.
This is the first opportunity the Olympic champions have had to avenge their World Cup defeat to the Matildas earlier this year, and it comes as they begin to farewell the greatest footballer in Canadian history – Christine Sinclair. The 40-year-old is retiring from the international scene next week, with two opportunities remaining to add to her 190 goals and 327 caps.
For Australia this is another stepping stone on the path towards Paris 2024. An opportunity for Tony Gustavsson to continue the momentum of recent qualifying victories over Iran, Philippines, and Taiwan, ahead of the crucial double-header with Uzbekistan in February.
And just like in Melbourne in July, the Matildas will have to take on Canada without captain Samantha Kerr after the star striker was ruled out of international duty after picking up an injury with club side Chelsea.
I’ll leave it there for now, but if you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
Christine Sinclair's Top 10 Goals for Canada 🇨🇦⚽️
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) November 30, 2023
With 190* to choose from... We were spoiled.
What's your favourite Sinclair goal? 👇#ThankYouSinc 🐐 pic.twitter.com/eQjAgBQcBk
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