The Matildas may look very different when they line up against Mexico on Tuesday in Texas (Wednesday morning in Australia), as Tony Gustavsson’s side use the longer one-game international window to try out new formations and tactics.
Injuries to key players have forced multiple changes to what seemed a fairly settled squad post-World Cup, leaving the coach with just three matches to nail down his plan before the Paris Olympics begin in July.
“It was a massive opportunity for us to try different things, different players, different tactics, different game management stuff in a closed-door environment,” Gustavsson said of the training camp in Florida.
“The preparation this camp has been almost only about us and trying things we’ve been meaning to improve come the Olympics. Tomorrow will be a time to, I don’t like the word experiment, but it’ll be a day where we’re going to try a lot of things and see where we are at in that process.
“We’re not just preparing to go out and win the game in Mexico, we’re going in there to use the game as learning.”
Olympic football squads comprise just 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers – compared to 20 and three for last year’s World Cup – meaning Gustavsson has his work cut out in figuring out who to take to France.
The Swede said with so many players unavailable for this camp, he had no choice but to look at it as an opportunity to “look at some other players and test our depth in the roster, and also look at some players in different positions”.
Sam Kerr will miss the Olympic tournament as she recovers from tearing her ACL, while midfielder Katrina Gorry and centre-back Clare Hunt no certainty to to recover from their respective injuries in time for selection.
Emily Gielnik, who was called up as a late replacement, sustained a calf injury during training and returned home, while Aivi Luik had to withdraw with a hamstring issue and Courtney Nevin and Chloe Logarzo were unavailable as they manage hip injuries.
The centre partnerships of Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross in midfield and Hunt and Alanna Kennedy in defence were crucial to the Matildas’ fourth-place finish at the 2023 home World Cup.
Gustavsson said the team had tried multiple options in the backline during this most recent seven-day training camp.
Gustavsson said he was considering whether they would change shape and play with three at the back like they did in the Tokyo Olympics, or whether to replace Hunt and keep four in the backline.
“Tomorrow is not just going out to try the play the best team available to beat Mexico, it’s also to get answers. We have to be brave enough to do that.”
Relative newcomers Clare Wheeler, Amy Sayer, Kaitlyn Torpey and Cortnee Vine, along with veteran Michelle Heyman, will all be vying for a spot on the Olympic roster.
Mexico, ranked 31st in the world (Australia are 12th), missed out on last year’s World Cup and have failed to qualify for the Olympics, but promising recent results suggest they are capable of challenging higher-ranked teams.
“I think it’s going to be an extremely good test in terms of Mexico’s pressing style,” Gustavsson said. “What’s our attacking game going to look like against a pressing team like that? How can we break the team down or use the spaces that they give us, because they are going to be a very organised and aggressive team.
“They beat the US there recently so they show that they can compete against very good opposition and that will be a massive test for us.”
Follow the game against Mexico with Guardian Australia’s live blog. Kick-off is at 10am AEST on Wednesday.
