Rarely do the Matildas do things the easy way. The team’s motto is not “never say die” for nothing. But a heavy defeat to Germany in Marseille was hardly the ideal start to an Olympic campaign, especially after stated pre-tournament aspirations of a podium position following consecutive fourth-place finishes at major tournaments. Losses like this do not inspire hope that the team can match or even surpass those recent results.
“I don’t think we were ready for it,” coach Tony Gustavsson said. “Germany were class today – they were much better.”
Gustavsson and his coaching team knew what to expect. Indeed, one of his scouts had specifically identified the German set-piece threat from corners. The Matildas had spent weeks at a training camp in Spain preparing for this moment. But when it arrived, they were found wanting.
The first goal arrived with Marina Hegering towering above the green and gold defensive line to send a devastating header past Mackenzie Arnold. The second came after Lea Schüller was left unmarked in the centre of the Matildas’ box – another corner, another header, another goal.
“It was exactly the set-pieces we had planned for,” said Gustavsson. “Our scout had identified that they were very dangerous on that one, we trained it, we focused on it, and still they were good enough to score two on set plays.”
After the match, defender Clare Hunt cited a statistic from last year’s World Cup, that Australia were among the best teams defensively on set-pieces. These lapses were not indicative, she suggested, of the team’s ability. “We know what we need to fix,” Hunt said. “We just need to fix it.”
And so the Matildas find themselves in a familiar position. Backs against the wall. Never say die, and all that. The good news is it is early days in France, with two group stage matches remaining. Plenty of time, in other words, for Gustavsson and his players to turn things around.
Zambia’s heavy loss to the United States in the other group B encounter on Thursday means that three points on Sunday will leave them well-placed to progress. That the two best third-placed teams progress to the quarter-finals offers some wriggle room. The Matildas’ fate remains firmly in their own hands: if they beat Zambia and the United States they are guaranteed to qualify, while even one win, or a win and a draw, may be enough.
Few Matildas fans forget the last moment the Australians had their backs against the wall. Rewind 12 months and, at a home World Cup, following defeat to Nigeria, the Matildas needed a win against reigning Olympic champions Canada in the final group stage match. The four-nil rout that followed was one of the team’s best performances in years.
“Our mantra is ‘never say die’,” said Clare Wheeler, a second half substitute against the Germans. “And I think that’s what you’re going to have to see in these next two games. We’re not going to say die.”
Wheeler reached back into history and recalled that Norway, who won gold at the Sydney Olympics 24 years ago, had lost their opening match – to the United States. “By no means does it mean we’re out,” said the Everton midfielder. “We have two more games. We’re going to have to embody that never say die attitude.”
That may be so. If the Matildas can bounce back against Zambia just as they did against Canada, this dispiriting defeat will be quickly forgotten. It is certainly far too early to write an obituary for the Matildas’ Olympic campaign, or the retrospective examination of Gustavsson’s tenure (his contract concludes at the end of the Games – the prospect of renewal remains unclear).
But the problem with always doing things the hard way, always having backs to the wall, is that sometimes the luck runs out. The penalty shoot-out loss to Norway in Nice five years ago; the quarter-final exit at the hands of South Korea at the 2022 Asian Cup. The Matildas will not always come good. Sometimes the hard way becomes the too hard way.
With a golden generation in their prime, and a fit squad (barring the absent Sam Kerr), this is a rare opportunity for the Matildas. Another performance like this and it will have been squandered.
Perhaps this is all just part and parcel of membership to the Matildas’ faithful – a rollercoaster ride, not a steady journey, of highs and lows, flashes of brilliances and moments of desperation. For those rising at 3am in Australia’s eastern states, or even 1am in the west, this was not the fluid football bleary-eyed fans had anticipated. It was not football to inspire.
But late on Thursday night in Marseille, in the bowels of Stade Velodrome, Gustavsson had a message for those watching along at home. “Please set your alarms again,” he pleaded. In 72 hours, the Matildas will go once more.
