It came as a shock on the 27th of July when the Matildas were easily dismantled by Nigeria in a 3-2 defeat, which led to many calling for Matildas head coach Tony Gustavvson’s head. Now that the Matildas have qualified for the round of 16, Gustavvson’s tenure in the hot seat will last just a bit longer.
But that is what happens in professional sport, you are only ever as good as your last result. Now with the Matildas looking at a round of 16 clash, Gustavsson needs to cement his legacy as Matildas coach by going on a deep run for the rest of the tournament.
Gustavsson in the group stage has had the valid excuse of being without talismanic forward Sam Kerr which he could point to as one of the reasons for their slow start in the tournament. But now with it looking like Kerr is getting back to full fitness, Gustavvson has no excuses to shield himself behind. These are the moments he was hired for. The moments that Football Australia put their faith in him for.
Matildas faithful will have noted much improvement since the Nigeria loss, Australia’s ability to play through Canada’s defensive lines is one of the many vital reasons why Hayley Raso was able to take the lead for Australia in only the 9th minute. Also, the ability to close out and win games without Sam Kerr is something that the Matildas have struggled with in recent years and if Gustavsson’s squad aim to win the World Cup they cannot solely rely on Kerr’s technical brilliance.
The Swedish head coach must also be able to better and more quickly identify when momentum starts going against his side and make changes accordingly, something that he struggled with in the Nigeria defeat.
After the victory, Gustavsson spoke humbly about the pressure that he was under following the loss to Nigeria.
“Well first of all, I really want to be honest here, it’s not about coming in here and trying to prove someone wrong,” said Gustavsson.
“Not at all you’re part of this legacy, everyone in here is part of this legacy. It’s much more than football and it’s definitely not about me proving anyone wrong. This is about the Matildas.
“This is about the team and about the fans out there tonight and I think it was more than just the 90 minutes of football. I think it represents what the Matildas stand for and what they want to do in terms of inspiring and uniting people.”
Gustavsson often talks about the Matildas’ DNA and their legacy which is definitely part of his plan to keep the media and fans alike on his side, but now facing the knockout stage of a world cup on home soil, platitudes will only get him so far. Now is the time for Gustavsson to put up or shut up.
The Matildas will face Denmark on the 7th of August in Sydney to try and book their spot in the quarter finals.
Featured Image Credit: Football Australia
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