She may not have taken to the field against Canada but it was the words of Matildas captain Sam Kerr in the lead-up that helped inspire her teammates to a resounding 4-0 win against Canada in Melbourne.
Australia’s coach Tony Gustavsson said the message from his star striker was “win without me so I can get another week to train and recover”.
“And the team responded and said ‘yes we will, you sit on the bench tonight and we will win for you,’” Gustavsson said.
“You could almost see that conviction and commitment from the players. And having that belief as well as a team without, in my opinion, the best striker in the world, and to still go out and play the fluent football we did and score four goals against the Olympic champions, I think it’s very impressive.”
Gustavsson said he had known for days the team was going to bounce back from their shock 3-2 defeat to Nigeria in Brisbane on Thursday.
“I knew it three days ago, when we had those meetings and those talks,” he said. “I knew they were ready. So even if we wouldn’t have scored early I actually think we would have been looking good anyway because they were so convinced and so ready to step out tonight.
“Sometimes we just feel when things are going to go right. You just feel it’s going to be a good game; you can’t really touch it, you can’t really explain it, you just feel it. And I felt this three days ago.”
The Matildas’ composed performance against Canada was a far cry from the unconvincing and shaky football on show in their first two group games.
Gustavsson said his team’s pressing game, attacking football and set plays were what set them apart in this do-or-die game.
“But it’s also the fans,” he said. “Look at the vibe and the energy tonight, and the way everyone united and supported the team and believed in them, even though there’s been some criticism outside. The fans really connected and united with the team tonight and I think that helped them stay connected and composed all the way.”
With their spot at the top of Group B locked in, Australia will most likely play Denmark in their round of 16 game in a week’s time, and will hope to ride this momentum to kick-off.
“I think the fact that it is must-win all the way through I think helps this team because it means the pressure will be on every single game,” Gustavsson said.
“We said our playoffs started tonight, and we are going to treat this game the same way as we treat upcoming playoff games. So if we can have the same mindset moving forward it feels really good.
“We know we might not have the best team on paper, we might not have the most top players in the top clubs in the top leagues, but we have something else that no one can take away from this team, and that’s their identity and DNA and the belief.
“Which means we know we can beat anyone, on any given day, if we come up with our A-game.”
The question over whether Sam Kerr will play in this home World Cup will continue to be asked for another week, with Gustavsson again saying the decision lies with the medical team and Kerr.
“We agreed together that if we can win us a week for her to not risk her re-injuring herself, we are going to try to protect her, and try to win without her. That was always the aim.
“If we were in a situation where we needed her, she was willing to take that risk and come on. But she was also very clear: ‘let’s not get to that point’.”
Canada’s coach Bev Priestman was still somewhat numb in defeat, saying “football can be cruel sometimes”.
“We got punished … and I think the team lacked belief,” she said. “They kept pushing, we made changes but it just wasn’t our night tonight. … Australia was the better team tonight.”
“The way in which we conceded things, we didn’t look like ourselves. I think that’s a common theme from the game.”
Priestman said there was nothing stopping the Matildas now pushing deep into the tournament.
“These moments define you, I know that from Tokyo,” she said. “They’ve turned things around in one game and they were brave and they went for it. They should be probably in the top four of the World Cup.”
