Category Matildas

Caitlin Foord proves versatility as Matildas belatedly click in Olympic qualifiers | Matildas

When the Matildas thrashed Canada to safe their spot within the final 16 of the Girls’s World Cup, it was off the again of a Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord masterclass. Their on-field chemistry stemmed from a decade of enjoying collectively for membership and nation, however on Sunday, as Australia dismantled the Philippines in entrance of a file Perth crowd, it was clear there are different, simply as potent, dynamics. Since returning to Manchester Metropolis after the World Cup, Mary Fowler has been used as a large ahead, as an alternative of within the central position she had carried out for Australia. The Matildas coach, Tony Gustavsson, determined to check that in opposition to Iran on Thursday and it paid off – Catley and Fowler arrange Sam Kerr for his or her second aim. However with Fowler out large once more in opposition to the Philippines, the check was of Foord within the centre with Kerr. Gustavsson mentioned Fowler and Catley have comparable chemistry to Foord and Catley. That actually appears to be like to be true, however the overarching message from the Matildas’ second match in Perth was of Foord’s potential to play wherever,…

Read MoreCaitlin Foord proves versatility as Matildas belatedly click in Olympic qualifiers | Matildas

Matildas break down stubborn Iran to kickstart Olympic qualification | Matildas

With a heat post-World Cup glow emanating from the 1000’s of inexperienced and gold-clad supporters filling the stadium, a considerably unfamiliar beginning 11 Matildas – at the very least in contrast with their final eight video games – lined up for his or her first step on the trail to Olympic qualification. Clare Wheeler and Teagan Micah have been within the World Cup squad however didn’t see any sport time, in addition to a complete new face in midfielder Amy Sayer, who narrowly missed out on the house event, making her seventh look for the senior nationwide workforce. In the long run it was a well-known face, wingback Ellie Carpenter, who opened the scoring after 18 minutes of scrambling attacking. Adopted, ultimately, by substitute Sam Kerr late within the second half. Tony Gustavsson had warned with a wry smile the day earlier than that there might be “rusty performances” from the Matildas on this opening Olympic qualifier as a result of quick lead-in time of only a few days and with gamers travelling from their northern hemisphere golf equipment. “I do suppose we have been rusty tonight,” the coach stated after the win. “For those…

Read MoreMatildas break down stubborn Iran to kickstart Olympic qualification | Matildas

Matildas make keenly anticipated return with Paris Olympics on their minds | Matildas

With recollections of the record-breaking Ladies’s World Cup fading, the Matildas are again on residence soil this week for an important Olympic qualifying match in Perth, the place they’ve already given a reminder of their pulling energy. The three matches over the course of the subsequent week – towards Iran, the Philippines and Taiwan – rapidly bought out the 20,000-capacity HBF Park, prompting a shift of one of many fixtures to the far bigger Optus Stadium. Matildas fever is being felt in Western Australia lower than three months after the Matildas’ stellar match resulted in defeat to Sweden within the third-place playoff, with gamers having travelled from their golf equipment – principally within the northern hemisphere – for the second spherical of Asian qualifying for the 2024 Paris Video games. Coach Tony Gustavsson has made it clear that enhancing on their fourth-place end on the Tokyo Olympics is the workforce’s subsequent aim. Ellie Carpenter, a type of who has travelled again to Australia from Europe the place she plies her commerce for Division 1 Féminine membership Lyon, stated it has been a whirlwind because the World Cup and he or she and her teammates have…

Read MoreMatildas make keenly anticipated return with Paris Olympics on their minds | Matildas

Sweden v Australia: Women’s World Cup 2023 third-place playoff – live updates | Women’s World Cup 2023

Key occasions Present key occasions solely Please activate JavaScript to make use of this characteristic 90 minutes: Six minutes of added time to play. 89 minutes: Sembrant will get a cap for Sweden with Kaneryd jogging off after a really first rate night time’s work. She will be able to watch from the bench as Catley slings a protracted free-kick straight into Musovic’s ready arms. 88 minutes: Proper on cue, Rubensson is booked for leaving a foot in on Chidiac. 87 minutes: A stat pops up on TV telling me Rubensson has pressured 15 turnovers tonight. That’s the place the match has been gained, with Sweden dominating midfield and denying Australia the time to play the ball ahead. In comparison with different matches, Fowler, Foord, and Raso have been passengers. 86 minutes: Some uncommon neat talent in midfield by Fowler permits her to drill a ball by the traces to Foord, however she’s quickly muscled off the ball by Sweden, who at the moment are demonstrably hungrier and stronger than Australia. Mary Fowler controls the ball. {Photograph}: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters Up to date at 10.53 BST 85 minutes: Taking part in out from the again once more,…

Read MoreSweden v Australia: Women’s World Cup 2023 third-place playoff – live updates | Women’s World Cup 2023

Sam Kerr will start if fit in Matildas’ World Cup quarter-final against France | Women’s World Cup 2023

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson stated he could have no hesitation beginning striker Sam Kerr if she is match, because the Matildas put together for his or her World Cup quarter-final encounter with France on Saturday. The workforce’s captain, Kerr, suffered a calf damage on the eve of the match and solely returned within the remaining minutes of the Matildas’ spherical of 16 victory over Denmark. Given the success of Australia’s attacking quartet on the World Cup up to now, there had been hypothesis over whether or not Kerr would begin within the quarter-final. However on Friday Gustavsson made it clear that Kerr would begin if match. The Matildas coach is because of make a remaining choice on his beginning XI after receiving a medical briefing on Friday night. “If Sam is match to play 90 minutes, she’s beginning,” Gustavsson stated. “There’s not even a query, and the workforce is aware of it. We’re speaking about Sam Kerr right here. Whether or not she is able to play 90 minutes plus further time, that’s to be determined tonight. However there is no such thing as a query in anyway that if she is, she’s beginning.” The…

Read MoreSam Kerr will start if fit in Matildas’ World Cup quarter-final against France | Women’s World Cup 2023

Matildas face Sam Kerr-nundrum before Women’s World Cup quarter-final | Matildas

“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…

Read MoreMatildas face Sam Kerr-nundrum before Women’s World Cup quarter-final | Matildas

Lionesses find a way to win after James red card – Women’s Football Weekly | Football

On immediately’s pod: this World Cup simply retains getting higher and has been blown extensive open but once more. There was drama in Brisbane because the Lionesses scraped via to the quarter-finals, knocking out a formidable Nigeria on penalties. However what subsequent for Lauren James? After dazzling within the group, England’s starlet faces a spell on the sidelines following her sending off. Sam Kerr is again – however the Matildas didn’t even want her because the co-hosts cruised via the final eight by defeating Denmark. They joined, Japan, Spain and the Netherlands – however the defending champions USA are out. Actually by a millimetre as Sweden progressed on penalties. There’s a lot to unpack after a mad few days – plus information of a managerial casualty. We’ll be again on Tuesday to spherical off the ultimate two spherical of 16 video games earlier than turning our consideration to the quarterfinals. {Photograph}: Jose Breton/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Assist The Guardian The Guardian is editorially impartial. And we need to preserve our journalism open and accessible to all. However we more and more want our readers to fund our work. Support The Guardian Source link

Read MoreLionesses find a way to win after James red card – Women’s Football Weekly | Football

Denmark embrace underdogs tag in bid to ruin Matildas’ World Cup party | Women’s World Cup 2023

On Monday night time, Stadium Australia will host a celebration – with a capability crowd of just about 80,000 invited. The stage is about for the Matildas to proceed their exceptional World Cup turnaround within the spherical of 16, in what can be solely their second ever victory within the match’s knockout section. It could possibly be fairly the celebration. However Danish coach Lars Søndergaard has different concepts. He needs to crash the occasion and make it his personal. Requested on Sunday at a pre-match press convention if it was his job to spoil the enjoyable, Søndergaard was unapologetic. ‘It’s, sure,” he stated. “We’re going to have our personal occasion, if we reach ruining the occasion – and that occasion is ok for me.” The European facet are taking part in of their first Girls’s World Cup since 2007. By progressing from Group D, due to victories over China and Haiti and regardless of a loss to England, the European nation has reached the knockout spherical for the primary time since 1995. “It’s in fact an enormous match,” stated Søndergaard. “We’re trying ahead to it. I feel we’re dwelling in a dream in the intervening…

Read MoreDenmark embrace underdogs tag in bid to ruin Matildas’ World Cup party | Women’s World Cup 2023

Women’s World Cup: this time the world really is watching | Women’s World Cup 2023

Step off the aircraft at Auckland airport and also you step on to the pitch. Properly, a pitch, a mini synthetic pitch, with a bit of stand wherein these ready in arrivals can sit whereas their buddy or member of the family struts on to the turf to satisfy them, pulling a suitcase that disagrees with the floor. In New Zealand and Australia Ladies’s World Cup fever has properly and actually taken maintain, with promoting, flags, welcome indicators and merchandise on present. There’s a buzz, in New Zealand as a result of it’s so uncommon that these gamers get to play in entrance of house crowds, being such an extended approach to go for friendlies, and in Australia as a result of there’s a actual undercurrent of pleasure at their prospects within the event. The vibe could be very totally different from that which welcomed followers arriving for the 2019 Ladies’s World Cup in France, the place if it was potential for a rustic to shrug its shoulders, that’s exactly what would have occurred in the event you had requested it whether or not the event was even going down. France felt out of step…

Read MoreWomen’s World Cup: this time the world really is watching | Women’s World Cup 2023

Matildas v France: 2023 Women’s World Cup warm-up – live updates | Matildas

Key occasions Present key occasions solely Please activate JavaScript to make use of this characteristic By the identical token, I’d prefer to see France play a composed, sluggish tempo, low block, to ask precisely the sort of questions the Matildas don’t wish to reply. Spain handed them to distraction in February with a B staff and Australia want to determine how to reply to these challenges. They are going to face opponents within the World Cup whose focus is on retaining possession and grinding by means of a recreation with a number of stoppages, doing their finest to disclaim that top octane momentum that makes the Matildas look so threatening at their finest. There’s going to be loads of vitality from the stands tonight, and plenty of expectations round how the Matildas ought to play. I want to see them channel that and go full throttle. Take full benefit of the tempo of Carpenter, Vine and Raso, and make an announcement to France and the remainder of the World Cup they’re right here to play a sure method, and that method is 1,000,000 miles per hour. Gentle the blue contact paper and watch the fireworks.…

Read MoreMatildas v France: 2023 Women’s World Cup warm-up – live updates | Matildas