Like the Matilda could benefit from a loss of Arsenal

It could be a broken record territory, but in reality there is no impact on the coaching situation. It was very irregular to see an important nation like Australia go so long without any kind of direction on the field, and especially with an Asian cup around the corner.

So congratulations to Sermanni, who in difficult circumstances have assured that the Matilda took as much as possible from these two games against South Korea. In these days stay still in women’s football is going back; At least in this window, they took a small step forward.

Although their cohesion in the third final and the conservation of possession could have been better, it is difficult to sneeze for two victories for the strengthening of trust and two clean sheets against the team that threw them out of the last Asian Cup in a heartbreaking way.

In Newcastle, Sermanni may have found the answer to the apparently eternal question about how Australia can get the best from Mary Fowler and its majestic talents.

It was quite obvious, however: playing it in the same position and role of Manchester City, outside the left wing, allowing her to cut inside and use her vision and technique to create goals or score them alone, as she did on Monday evening.

“At Club Land, I play on the wing often and I really like playing there,” Fowler said.

“I see a lot of field from there and only many different corners, so I liked being there … On a personal level, I want to try to be a little more consistent with my performance as a national team. I think being out in that position has made a little easier for me in a role that I played a little this season.”

Playing Fowler on the left means that Foord will have to play elsewhere. The good news is that it can play practically everywhere. Foord arrived halfway for Holly McNamara, who recovered from his third ACL injury to demonstrate that he has a role to play for the Matilda and was lined up as a central striker. It can also play right, since occasionally with Arsenal and to better host Foord and Sam Kerr, it could be its best position to go on.

Launch to Sharn Freier, Hayley Raso, Michelle Heyman, Kaitlyn Torpey and, at some point, Cortnee Vine, and there are a lot of pieces of puzzles waiting to be put together.

Speaking of Kerr, there is another check mark for this window: Kerr was successfully reinstated in the Matilda configuration e Circus surrounding his behavior and his captain It has now passed. The exciting welcome shown by the crowd of Sydney and Newcastle every time the 31 -year -old was shown on the big screen was the proof of what Sermanni said last week: most Matilda fans still love her.

Loading

“Even playing, when he arrives on the big screen, joy … is it a bit of a shock because you are like” I lost something? What is happening “?” Catley said.

“It only shows how much the country you love it and so many people support it. We support it … has crossed a really difficult moment the last year or down from there, and the main thing for us is only to make sure he was doing well as a person and that he did it on the pitch and his leadership and his simply around it is always incredible for us. It is nice to get it again.”

Obviously, there are problems in other parts of the field, but the imminent return of the midfield of Linchpin Katrina Gorry and the re -emergence of Charli Grant as an authentic starting option in defense will help. But none of this can be resolved until there is someone in charge of repairing it.

Until then, at least, the vibrations are better.

Fowler summarized everything quite well. “I think we are all fairly honest that there is still a little to do,” he said. “But it’s nice that we see a little bit of ourselves again.”

Sports news, results and comments from experts. Sign up for our sports newsletter.