Australia have certainly made life difficult for themselves if they are to progress to the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup, but it’s not a hopeless situation for the co-hosts.
The Matildas suffered a 3-2 defeat to Nigeria on Thursday and must now beat Canada in their final group game or risk relying on the Super Falcons dropping points against the Republic of Ireland.
A defeat against the Olympic champions on Monday would see Australia’s home World Cup end prematurely.
Some had tipped Australia to go very far in this tournament, which they might still do – but I’m not sure I’ve seen enough from them to think they could be trophy contenders.
Compared to other nations, they have the added pressure of co-hosting, but I think this tournament has highlighted that Australia lack the depth in their squad to replace missing key players.
Tony Gustavsson was dealt a blow before the games kicked off with captain – and the focal point of their attack – Sam Kerr ruled out the opening two games due to injury.
Mary Fowler, who is also a forward, and defender Aivi Luik were also ruled out of the Nigeria game because of concussion protocols.
What has stood out to me so far is that the Matildas have struggled to create meaningful opportunities without Sam. They have really missed her and her absence certainly seems to give the opposition a boost – teams don’t fear playing Australia the same as they would if Sam Kerr was leading the line.
If there is any way she can be on the pitch against Canada, I would be playing her.
The Matildas have to embrace must-win pressure
Having to approach their final group game as a must-win is not where Australia would’ve wanted to be – but it could be the match that kickstarts their tournament.
When Scotland played at the 2019 World Cup in France, we had to beat Argentina in our final group match if we were to progress to the next stage, and it felt like the heightened tension of the knockout round had come early, because we knew we had to win.
You can’t be worrying about other results. You have to take it into your own hands and go out and win, which unfortunately we didn’t manage to do.
There will be pressure for Australia, but, the flip-side of their situation is, if they can beat Canada and progress then it could give them a huge amount of confidence.
And if they are to progress, that confidence will be vital because they’re going to come up against some big-hitters and could potentially face England, who currently sit top of Group D, in the round of 16.
Republic of Ireland should be proud of debut World Cup campaign
Despite the Republic of Ireland’s early exit following defeat to Canada, it’s been an incredible journey for them to get to the World Cup and it might take some time for the players to appreciate that fully.
I can only speak from my own experiences, but the night we qualified for the World Cup after beating Albania is one of the best memories of my football career.
No matter what happened at the tournament, that night and that achievement will always remain and will always be an historic night for all of the players, coaches and staff who were involved.
I still remember those emotions vividly.
The Republic of Ireland will of course be disappointed, even more so because they went so close in both defeats to Australia and Canada.
But those fine margins are the harshest lessons of tournament football – you need to get points and to do that with a good performance is even more valuable.
I have been in Dublin this week due to working with broadcaster RTE, and it’s quite clear the impact the World Cup squad has already had back home.
A lot of the places I’ve visited and the people I have spoke to have said how proud they are of the team.
Their tournament isn’t over yet and they should look to get some points on the board against Nigeria on Monday.
The Republic of Ireland will have a taste for major tournaments now, with this being their first-ever Women’s World Cup, so there is now a platform for them to build and improve on.
For some of their senior players it could be their last chance to be involved in a World Cup match, though, so they should go out and cherish the experience.
