The Australian women’s team has a lot to prove going into the Paris 2024 Olympics. They held the Women’s World Cup on home soil last year, along with New Zealand, and shocked fans and viewers worldwide with their fight and determination to win on a penalty kick shootout and progress further than anyone thought they could.
But, their opening Olympic game vs. Germany told another tale. They didn’t show the same fight, desire, and drive to earn the three points and go to the top of their group as they did last summer in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Auckland.
Will they be able to bounce back and make it out of the group stages to the knockout rounds? Only time will tell.
Australia vs. Germany
There were moments throughout the game that brought back the life and energy that we saw in the WWC last year. Steph Catley, the captain of the Matildas, and Caitlin Foord linked up well on the left-hand side to draw German defenders out of position and try to whip crosses into the box. Ford used her pace and quickness to take on players 1v1, with Catley providing support for a lay-back ball that would end up with a cross into a dangerous area.
But, that didn’t last long — and it didn’t last the entire game. The game for the Australia women’s team can be summed up by one play in the second half. Catley was taking one Hegering 1v1, beat the player, and then ran into her teammate, Hayley Raso. The miscommunication and lack of cohesion of teammates is what happened to Australia all night long.
Gustavvson, the Swedish coach who is in charge of the Australia national team, chose a star-studded starting XI that would surely put Germany on the back foot. Or so we thought. The only surprise change that occurred right before game time was Tameka Yallop, a Brisbane Roar player, replaced by a reserve player, Sharn Freier who plays for Brisbane City.
Another crucial player for the Tillies, Katrina Gorry, was still recovering from injury, so they knew her minutes could be limited going into the game.
After the game, the manager stated the game was a ‘reality check’ for the girls and the coaching staff. In the past few years, they have enjoyed relative joy for a country that was way off the mark a decade ago. They earned fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics and fourth place again last year during their home-ground showing in the WC. Now, they need to step up to try and make it out of the group stages.
Australia Looking Forward
Now, Australia is forced to try and win their next two games, and hope other results go their way, to qualify for the quarterfinals. They need to win today against Zambia, a tough team that showed promise in the World Cup and their opening match vs the USWNT, and also beat the U.S. national team, a team that has a renewed vigor after Emma Hayes’ appointment as the manager a few months ago.
With just eight of the 12 teams making it to the next round, Australia can surely do so — but only if they reduce their mistakes, score goals, and recapture the energy they had on the pitch last year.
Australia takes on Zambia today at the Allianz Arena. Similar to the Matildas, Zambia suffered a 3-0 defeat to the U.S. team. This means that neither team has scored a goal yet in the Olympics. Both teams will hope to get off the mark today and open their scoring tally. One issue with the Matildas is that Zambia held the USWNT scoreless in the second half — after getting a red card. This shows their proficiency in the back line and their desire to win 50/50 balls. The Australian team will have to show the same level of fight if they hope to win against a tough African side.
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