Gustavsson sees upside in Matildas’ Kerr-free attack
George Clarke |
Australia coach Tony Gustavsson is confident the Matildas will find their attacking groove at the Women’s World Cup, even if he is shorn of Sam Kerr’s firepower.
Gustavsson lauded his side for grinding their way to a 1-0 win over Ireland in their group opener on Thursday.
A second-half penalty from stand-in skipper Steph Catley got Australia home and the Swede focused on substance over style in their first-up victory.
“We just needed to find a way to win,” said Gustavsson, whose side will be without Kerr in next week’s meeting with Nigeria in Brisbane.
“I’ve been around tournament football for long enough to know that sometimes it’s those games where you just need to grind through and find a way to win.
“That showed some maturity in this team … with five (World Cup) debutants, they could have gotten really nervous and frustrated that we didn’t play good enough but they didn’t lose their heads. I’m really happy about that.”
The concern for Gustavsson was that his side looked clunky and frantic without Kerr.
Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord led the line but neither was able to find her way past a resolute Irish defence, while wingers Cortnee Vine and Hayley Raso were frequently halted.
“The main thing was just to be patient,” said midfielder Katrina Gorry, who was one of Australia’s strongest performers.
“We knew that we were going to break them down eventually and that’s exactly what we did.
“It came from a penalty but it came from good play at the start and I think we had a couple of good opportunities at the start.”
Catley described Australia’s showing as “sloppy”, and the absence of the Chelsea forward as a leader and striker undoubtedly played a part.
But Gustavsson put the scrappy performance down to the pressure of playing in a tournament opener on home soil.
“We know we can do better in attack,” he said.
“I think we showed that in parts of the attack, when we had some good combination play down the right hand side.
“A couple of times in the beginning of the second half we played faster and had more movements off the ball and played with a little bit more confidence.
“I hope that playing the first game in the World Cup now will tick that box mentally.”
Gustavsson only made substitutions later in the game when attempting to shore up his side’s 1-0 lead.
Fowler’s shift to the starting side will mean Australia likely turn to Alex Chidiac to make an impact off the bench should they find themselves chasing victory against Nigeria.
AAP
