On one of the team’s grandest stages yet, with a nation watching expectantly, the Matildas fluffed their lines. After opening their Women’s World Cup campaign with a nervy win a week ago against Ireland, victory over Nigeria on Thursday would have sent the tournament co-hosts sailing into the knockout round. Instead, defensive calamities and attacking inefficiencies consigned the Matildas to an all-or-nothing group-stage finale. Australia’s World Cup hopes remain alive – but a decisive clash with Canada stands between the Matildas and the round of 16.
How did it come to this? The Matildas entered the World Cup on a high, buoyed by unprecedented home support and a run of victories over tough opposition. A pre-tournament triumph over European heavyweights France only added to the optimism felt by Australian fans, everyone from the prime minister (who was in the stands on Thursday) down.
It’s the hope that kills you. Just like against France in the warm-up and Ireland in the opening match, the Matildas squandered attacking opportunities. The goals did eventually come, from veteran midfielder Emily van Egmond in first-half stoppage time, and defender Alanna Kennedy in the dying minutes of the second half. But chance after chance went awry; the final pass misplaced, too many shots miscued.
The defensive performance was worse; a surprising turn after a run of clean sheets. Marauding full-back Ellie Carpenter was found wanting as Nigeria turned her attacking instincts to their advantage. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold could have done better on Nigeria’s second and third – the latter caused by a moment of confusion between Kennedy and the Matildas’ custodian. “It’s just what happens – it’s football,” Arnold said post-match. “Loud crowd, hard to hear – miscommunication.”
The Nigerian team were good, certainly better than the near-capacity home crowd had anticipated. Barcelona ace Asisat Oshoala changed the game when she joined in the second half, her impact rewarded with Nigeria’s third goal and an eye-catching, shirt-swinging celebration (plus a yellow card for her troubles). But this had been Australia’s match to win, a dominant first half converted into a goal on the cusp of the break, only to see the Super Falcons hit back almost immediately. A better team would have controlled the game into the break. Instead, Australia was sucker-punched and returned from the intermission still dazed.
Deep in the bowels of Brisbane Stadium just minutes after the game, Kennedy was asked for her reaction. She paused for a moment, carefully considering her words, anguish evident on her face. “Just frustrated, disappointed,” Kennedy said. “But obviously you have to move on from that now. As soon as this interview is over, that’ll be in the bin.”
As her teammates filed past, this became a mantra. Time to put the loss behind them, and focus on Canada, player after player insisted. On Monday, the Matildas have a mountain to climb. To guarantee progression to the round of 16, Australia must beat the Olympic champions, who downed the Matildas twice in friendlies last year. A draw would leave the Australians vulnerable to an early exit, reliant on winless Ireland to overcome Nigeria by enough goals that the Matildas have a superior goal difference (or, if even, Australia need to score more than Nigeria).
Australian football never seems to take the easy road. Whether it be the Socceroos’ tortuous route to qualification for last year’s men’s World Cup, or the domestic game’s consistent ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, nothing is ever simple. The Matildas have been unable to shake this bad habit.
At the last three World Cups, Australia lost in the group stage and still qualified for the round of 16. Hope remains, for now at least, but the team must walk a perilous tightrope to progress.
Cometh the hour, cometh Sam Kerr? Facing an increasingly hostile local press after the match, the Matildas coach, Tony Gustavsson, was asked “how fit is fit enough” for Kerr to play against Canada. The Swedish manager admitted that his captain would be pressing to take part in such a critical match. “That’s going to be her mindset,” he said. “She’s going to do anything she can to be out there.”
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Whether it will be enough is another question. The Matildas have been coy about the health of their star striker since a calf injury in training on the eve of the tournament. The Canada clash will come less than two weeks after the injury. A win against Nigeria would have allowed an extra week of recovery for Kerr before her services were needed for the first knockout match. Now the Chelsea star, and Australia’s medical team, face an agonising choice: risk Kerr’s health or risk the Matildas star not playing a single minute at this home World Cup.
With Manchester City’s Mary Fowler set to return, having been ruled out for six days on Wednesday due to a concussion, a Kerr comeback would give the Matildas a double-shot of attacking potency. It was sorely missed against Nigeria, and will be even more important when Australia face Canada. Is Kerr’s calf up to the task?
As the crestfallen Matildas exited the stadium on Thursday night, the players tried to put on brave faces. “I don’t think really anything went wrong,” Arnold said. “We had good possession, we created other chances. It was just small margins that cost us goals – that’s just all there is to it.”
That may be so. But tournament football is an accumulation of small margins. And right now the Matildas are in deficit. It would be truly heartbreaking for the Australian national team to exit at the group stage during their first home World Cup, having progressed to the knockout round at every edition of the tournament since 2007. Football, though, does not always care for fairytales.
In less than 96 hours the Matildas have their date with destiny. Beat Canada and this will all be forgotten. Lose and the national team will be forced to exit stage left, on home soil. That would be a disastrous denouement, an ending no one foretold. But that is the prospect the Matildas must stare down on Monday.
