By Nick Mulvenney
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia coach Tony Gustavsson said taking on weaker teams in the run-up to co-hosting next year’s Women’s World Cup would only give the country a false sense of security.
The Matildas lost a second game in four days against Canada at Sydney Football Stadium on Tuesday, heaping more pressure on Gustavsson little more 10 months out from the tournament.
The losses to the seventh-ranked Canadians followed a 7-0 loss to eighth-ranked Spain in June and left the Matildas without a win in their last four matches.
Their next confirmed match in November is against Gustavsson’s native Sweden, who are ranked third in the world, and the coach stood by his decision not to stack the schedule with more winnable matches.
“I personally think that might be false confidence and I’m not wired that way,” he told reporters.
“I do think it would be good for the momentum and the (self) belief in the team, for that sake it could be good. But in terms of preparation, I’m not sure that would have been the best thing.”
Gustavsson said two other friendlies would be arranged before the Sweden match that would expose the Matildas to different styles of play they might encounter at next year’s tournament.
Once again, the Swede asked the Australian public to trust in his process.
“We all want to be winners,” he said. “If we can have that hope and faith in this team that come the World Cup we will be winners.
“What I have learned is that this team will do whatever it takes to be prepared and they are working extremely hard to reach that.”
Tuesday’s 2-1 loss was all the more disappointing as Australia dominated the first half and led at the break before what Sam Kerr described as an “unacceptable” second-half performance.
Gustavsson explained Kerr’s forlorn demeanour after the final whistle as a result of her fierce competitiveness but said it was important the striker did not carry the “burden” for the team as its best player and captain.
“Let her have that responsibility but not take the blame herself, because it’s the team that loses out there not just Sam,” he said.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
