“I’m going to be trustworthy,” supplied coach Tony Gustavsson on Monday night time, after the Matildas’ last-16 victory over Denmark was capped off with the return of captain Sam Kerr. “I may sit right here and say it was simple, however it wasn’t. These choices are massive.”
The return of Kerr within the last levels of the second half in Sydney was a symbolic second – the return of their “religious chief”following her calf harm on the eve of the match. Kerr started to heat up along with her staff holding a slender one-goal benefit; she was introduced on after Hayley Raso had put the sport past doubt. With the match successfully received, her introduction was in some methods a raffle by Gustavsson.
However generally, with a wider context in thoughts, groups must roll the cube. “When will we use her, if we use her, possibly she wants some minutes to mentally and bodily prepare for the subsequent recreation,” the coach stated afterwards. “However meaning a threat as nicely. How a lot are we keen to threat?”
With the Matildas now into the final eight, the selections don’t get any simpler. The fundamental dilemma is that this: with Kerr returning to health, and the Matildas having dispatched Canada and Denmark in consecutive video games with out her (bar these last minutes on Monday), how does Gustavsson return his captain to the beginning line-up with disrupting the cohesion that has emerged?
Within the wake of Kerr’s harm, the Matildas had been pressured to cut and alter within the opening encounters with Eire and Nigeria. However since Mary Fowler returned from her transient concussion-induced absence, Gustavsson has caught with the identical beginning XI for the final two wins. Caitlin Foord has performed on the left wing, combining dangerously with Steph Catley. Hayley Raso has began on the suitable. Emily van Egmond and Mary Fowler have performed collectively up entrance, each floating round and making the perfect use of area. The attacking quartet has been fluid and dynamic, bolstered by the polished midfield pairing of Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Why repair what isn’t damaged? That would be the query for Gustavsson and his teaching staff as they put together for the quarter-final towards France on Saturday afternoon. However with the stakes even increased, can the Matildas afford to depart their finest participant, among the many finest strikers on the planet, on the bench within the staff’s second ever World Cup quarter-final. At this rarefied stage, video games may be decided by moments, seconds even. Does Gustavsson need Kerr lacking if and when the second comes?
There is no such thing as a simple reply. Given Kerr’s gradual restoration from the calf harm, and the composed performances from this settled beginning line-up, the safer choice could be to maintain the striker in ready. Kerr is the final word by means of tremendous substitute – a devastating psychological blow if the opposition is chasing the sport, and the spark of life if Australia want to search out an equaliser or a winner.
Leaving Kerr on the bench could be the secure selection, the smart strategy. However the Matildas could nicely by no means once more play in a quarter-final on residence soil. In one of many largest moments within the staff’s historical past, is it higher to roll the cube once more? With the stakes even increased, is it time for Gustavsson to double-down?
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After the match on Monday, the coach described Kerr’s return because the “cream on the cake” however admitted it additionally left him with a decision-making problem. “Who ought to play?” he requested, not completely rhetorically. “I’ve greater than 11 gamers that deserve to begin.”
A nation that has fixated on Kerr’s calf for nearly three weeks should now wait three extra days to search out out whether or not the captain will lead the road or wait in anticipation on the sidelines. Does Gustavsson stick or twist? The Matildas devoted will learn about 90 minutes earlier than kick-off on Saturday afternoon, when the teamsheets are launched. Till then, there’s a lot for the coach to ponder.
Gustavsson is an affable fellow, stuffed with allure whether or not his staff have received, misplaced or drawn. At press conferences he has a propensity to reply to tough queries with a parry: “That’s a very good query.” Whether or not true gratitude for the inquisition or shopping for time to assemble his ideas, the coach has an air of sincerity that makes him laborious to dislike.
Begin Kerr or convey her off the bench? On Saturday, that’s the actually good query going through Gustavsson.
