The gloom created by the Matildas’ group stage exit at the Olympics might be starting to fade after two positive results, but there is still a host of fundamental issues the side needs to address before they can really move on from what happened in France.
The squad arrived in camp in Zurich desperate to step out of the shadow created by their performances at the Games. Vice captain Ellie Carpenter stressed multiple times in the lead-up to the 1-1 draw with Switzerland that this was a “clean slate” and a “new cycle” and the chance to put the Olympics behind them was “exactly what [they’ve] needed.”
Switzerland proved to be a frustrating opponent while a 2-1 win over Germany was the type of result that – while an upset and perhaps a little more than they deserved on the balance of play – can be a building block for a side that was self-admittedly low on confidence.
These are the four biggest takeaways from Australia’s performances during this international window.
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MARY FOWLER MYSTERY A SIMPLE FIX
Mary Fowler struggled to make an impact against Switzerland and the debate around where she’s best suited in this team immediately reignited.
It’s a question that was also put to former Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson during his tenure, and one he struggled with until the end of his time with the side.
Interim coach Tom Sermanni used Fowler in a more withdrawn role on the right side of a midfield trio alongside Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross and she barely touched the ball.
The problem wasn’t that Mary went missing, but more her teammates struggled to find her feet.
Fowler is a player capable and comfortable in extremely tight spaces on the field. It may look like passing into that space is risky, but the 21-year-old is able to turn on a dime and create attacking opportunities from those situations.
Watching Fowler’s movements on the field, in isolation, is an interesting exercise. She constantly drifts into threatening spaces, but often when it appears she’s having a quiet night, it can also be the case that she’s just not being given the ball.
Questioned on this prior to Australia’s win over Germany, Sermanni conceded that it was something he’d noticed.
“It’s a good point, and in essence should be an easy fixable point in a sense of players even having a chat with each other, and saying, ‘just give me the ball and I can handle it,’” Sermanni said.
“It’s a combination of perhaps players looking and thinking it’s too tight and of Mary being in a space, and regardless if that space is tight or if it’s big, to actually want to look like you want to get on the ball.”
Mystery solved then.
Fowler needed to be more vocal and display body language that told her teammates she was ready to receive the ball in those tight spaces. Her teammates needed to be more daring and trust Fowler to handle those passes.
We didn’t quite get to see the solution play out against Germany. Fowler featured as a striker, alongside Caitlin Foord, in Duisburg, and was afforded far more time and space than against Switzerland.
However, she was significantly more involved and looked a constant threat, especially in the first half.
THE CONFIDENCE BOOST THE MATILDAS NEEDED
The Matildas weren’t hiding it; they were low on confidence when they reported for camp.
The aura of invincibility, developed during their incredible run to the semi-finals at a home World Cup in 2023, had been wiped away by an Olympic campaign that had promised plenty and delivered only heartache.
Germany completely outclassed them in the first group stage game in Marseille. It finished 3-nil but could’ve easily have been more. They needed an 11-goal thriller to beat Zambia 6-5 in Nice and were knocked out after losing to the USA 2-1.
“To be honest I think the team did come into camp feeling a little bit low,” Sermanni told reporters prior to the game against Switzerland.
Back-to-back defeats during this window would hardly have raised morale.
Losing, just as much as winning, can become a habit, but walking away with a draw against Switzerland and a victory over a side, in Germany, who were significantly better than them just months ago is a huge step in the right direction.
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NEW COACH NOT LIKELY UNTIL THE NEW YEAR
Tony Gustavsson left his post the day after the Matildas exit from the Olympics was sealed.
That was in early August and now with November knocking, Football Australia still doesn’t have a full-time replacement in place.
In a way, Sermanni is the perfect man for this moment.
The players respect him immensely. For many, it’s a full-circle moment, with Sermanni having given them their debuts when they were just teenagers, during his second stint in charge of the national side between 2005 and 2012.
If Football Australia was looking for a coach with an ability to instil belief in a playing group again, then they found it with the 70-year-old Scottish born manager.
However, Sermanni has made it clear that he does not want the role fulltime, meaning the side is just circling until a successor is named.
He can implement tactics and build confidence, but both of those things are likely to be done differently when Football Australia settles on its preferred candidate.
Sermanni expects to be in charge when the Matildas return to Australia for two games against Brazil and two against Chinese Taipei in November and December.
It means whoever takes over won’t start their era until 2025.
There are six international windows next year and the big goal is the 2026 Asian Cup on home soil.
Sermanni believes any coach would need all next year to prepare the team properly for that tournament.
So, on this front, there’s still time, but the clock is ticking.
BALL USE NEEDS TO BE BETTER TO CHALLENGE THE BEST
Neither the draw with Switzerland nor the win over Germany was pretty (an incredible long-range lobbed goal from Kyra Cooney-Cross in Duisburg aside.)
In large part though, Sermanni’s brief is not so much about style, but substance. Don’t lose and rebuild confidence is the goal and on that front, its job done.
Given the chance to win ugly or lose while playing breathtaking football, Sermanni said he’d take the former over the latter. It wasn’t exactly ugly, but it did leave plenty of room for improvement next month.
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In moments of pressure, against Germany in particular, the Matildas often struggled to find a teammate. After managing to win the ball back, opportunities to transition from defence to attack also broke down quickly.
The Aussies had just 25 per cent possession and 63 per cent pass accuracy against Germany in the first half and those numbers (26 per cent possession and 62 per cent pass accuracy) didn’t change too much by full-time.
The results during this window are undeniably a positive, but those numbers aren’t sustainable for the goals they have in mind over the next four years through to the 2028 Olympics. That road takes them past the Asian Cup in Australia in 2026 and the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.