This article is a part of the Guardian’s Women’s World Cup 2023 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between among the finest media organisations from the 32 nations who certified. theguardian.com is working previews from two nations every day within the run-up to the event kicking off on 20 July.
Overview
By no means earlier than has there been extra pre-tournament pleasure surrounding an Australian nationwide soccer group. A World Cup on house soil, a squad boasting a golden technology of gamers and an encouraging run of sustained good kind have piqued curiosity and heightened anticipation in a rustic the place soccer normally struggles for relevance.
Led by their talismanic captain, Sam Kerr, the group have despatched expectations hovering, however it hasn’t at all times been so with Tony Gustavsson on the helm. Defensive frailties blighted the coach’s early tenure and, regardless of a fourth-place end on the Tokyo Olympics, a disastrous exit on the quarter-final stage of the 2022 Asian Cup raised questions in regards to the Swede’s means to mount a reputable World Cup problem.
Gustavsson has sought to maneuver past a “simply give it to Kerr” mentality and tried to keep away from an overreliance on his star striker by giving recreation time to squad gamers wherever doable – not at all times to nice success. A 7-0 defeat to Spain in June final 12 months proved one thing of a nadir after he despatched out an inexperienced group to the slaughter in Huelva. However the advantages of that coverage might lastly be coming to fruition, and the Matildas have since compiled a run of eight wins out of their final 9, together with victories over top-10 groups Sweden, Spain and England – not at all times with a full-strength facet.
“Generally you’re not as unhealthy as individuals say you’re if you lose, however you’re not so good as individuals say you’re if you win, both,” Gustavsson mentioned after fielding a facet closely weakened by harm within the 2-0 win over England in April. “We all know on any given day, we’d not have the perfect group, however we are able to beat the perfect groups.” And with blended outcomes giving solution to a strong run of kind, the suggestion is that Australia could be timing their run to perfection.
The coach
The charismatic Gustavsson arrived within the scorching seat in January 2021 with a giant grin and goofy nature that belied a fame for tactical astuteness. His work as Jill Ellis’s assistant was instrumental within the USA’s back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 2015 and 2019 and, since taking up because the Matildas’ head coach, he has not been afraid to experiment tactically. He performed three on the again on the Tokyo Olympics, with a level of success, however has since seemingly settled on a again 4 in a extra typical 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. “There’s plenty of potential right here, they’ve proven their qualities, however I additionally suppose that collectively I can take them to the subsequent stage,” he mentioned when he took the job.
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Star participant
There are few, if any, plaudits left to explain the goalscoring phenomenon that’s Kerr. The striker is within the type of her life and coming off the again of a goal-laden, double-winning season with Chelsea, throughout which she additionally claimed a bunch of particular person accolades. She holds the Australian report for worldwide objectives – her 63rd helped down England this 12 months in her a hundred and twentieth worldwide – and, such is her significance to the Matildas, there’s a sense that she holds the hopes of a nation on her shoulders heading into this event. “One factor is her particular person qualities as a footballer however much more helpful to this group is what she provides as an individual and the way she carries them,” Gustavsson has mentioned of his inspirational captain. “It’s superb.”
Rising star
In a squad of big-name gamers primarily based within the European leagues, Cortnee Vine stands out as one of many few who’ve gained their place by advantage of her performances within the home league. The Sydney FC flyer’s rise to prominence has been meteoric and, whereas she remains to be wanting being named as a starter, she has the potential to make an impression off the bench together with her direct working and skill to place opposition defenders on the again foot.
Do you know?
The Matildas may need been known as the Soccertoos. Having beforehand been often known as the Feminine Socceroos, in 1995 the broadcaster SBS determined to run a viewer competitors to determine on a brand new title for the nationwide ladies’s group. Along with the Soccertoos and Matildas, the shortlist included Blue Flyers, Waratahs and Lorikeets. Viewers plumped for Matildas although – a nod to the tune Waltzing Matilda – and the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.
Soccer is vastly common with ladies and ladies in Australia however excessive participation ranges don’t but translate to comparable ranges of eyeballs on the home league (though this 12 months’s grand closing broke attendance information). The nationwide group is a unique beast and curiosity within the Matildas is at the least on a par with their male counterparts, the Socceroos. A World Cup on house soil has additional intensified the public gaze and directors have been eager to speak up the lasting legacy they consider the event will go away on the sport amid the continued rise of ladies’s sport.
Reasonable intention on the World Cup?
“I believe there are numerous groups that would win the World Cup,” England coach Sarina Wiegman mentioned this 12 months. “Australia is one among them.” Gustavsson’s facet actually has the potential to make a deep run on house soil and, in Kerr, they’ve a participant who, if firing on all cylinders, might even take all of them the way in which. Nonetheless, there stays a level of unpredictability about this group, regardless of enhancements, and the way effectively they take care of any opening-night nerves might effectively set the tone for the remainder of their marketing campaign.
