As the Australian women’s national soccer team, affectionately known as the Matildas, prepares for a pair of friendly matches against Taiwan, interim head coach Tom Sermanni is sounding the alarm about the need for a more balanced approach between pursuing immediate results and cultivating the squad’s future prospects.
Stable Squad, Stagnant Development?
Sermanni, a seasoned mentor who has stepped back into the Matildas’ coaching role on a temporary basis, believes that the team’s reliance on a largely unchanged core group of players over the past four years has come at the expense of providing sufficient opportunities for emerging talents to break into the national setup and gain valuable experience at the highest level.
“The Matildas have had a very consistent squad for four years and what’s happened with that is it hasn’t allowed opportunities for other players,” Sermanni remarked, adding, “And one of the key things as a national team coach is you’ve got to play for the present but plan for the future. And I think, in all fairness, I don’t think we’ve planned for the future well enough.”
This assessment comes on the heels of back-to-back losses to Brazil, a formidable opponent, but one against which a full-strength Matildas squad was expected to compete more effectively. The defeats have underscored the need for the team to not only maintain its competitiveness in the present but also to lay the groundwork for sustained success in the years to come.
Balancing Act: Results vs. Renewal
For Sermanni, addressing this issue will require a delicate balancing act between fielding a squad capable of achieving positive results in the near term and providing opportunities for promising young players to prove themselves and grow into roles with the senior national team.
“So part of the task for me and whoever comes in on a permanent basis, has to be that we’re doing a little bit of balance of both. That encompasses looking at other players [while] trying to balance everything else, getting results, good performances, all those type of things. But we do need to look at expanding the competition within what I would call the Matildas program,” Sermanni explained.
This renewed emphasis on player development and expanding the player pool is expected to be on full display during the upcoming friendlies against Taiwan, with numerous key players being rested and several fresh faces set to be given a chance to shine.
New Faces, New Opportunities
Among the notable absences for the Taiwan matches are captain Sam Kerr, defensive stalwart Alanna Kennedy, and midfield maestro Emily van Egmond, all of whom have been mainstays in the Matildas lineup for several years. In their place, a mix of experienced campaigners like Emily Gielnik and Chloe Logarzo will be called upon to provide leadership, while up-and-coming talents such as Bryleeh Henry and Penelope Hocking will be given the chance to stake their claim for more regular inclusion in the national team setup.
“One of my aims this week is to give opportunities to as many players that I can do,” Sermanni stated. “But I don’t want to make any guarantees about that, because a football match goes in many different ways, and you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen.”
The Road Ahead
While Sermanni’s tenure as interim coach is not expected to extend beyond these upcoming matches, he expressed hope that whoever is appointed to the role on a permanent basis will embrace a similar philosophy of balancing the pursuit of results with a long-term view towards player development.
“Hopefully there’s continuity. I think that’s important,” Sermanni said. “When I step away, the coach that comes in, he or she will hopefully rely on the staff that is here, as well as perhaps bringing in their own staff. But I think that part of the continuity is important for the program.”
As the search for a permanent head coach continues, Sermanni’s words serve as a reminder of the challenges and opportunities that await whoever takes the reins of this talented but evolving Matildas squad. With the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on home soil looming large on the horizon, striking the right balance between short-term success and long-term planning will be critical to ensuring that the Matildas are well-positioned to make a deep run in the tournament and inspire a new generation of Australian footballers.
A Matildas Makeover?
While change can be unsettling, particularly for a team that has enjoyed a significant measure of success and stability in recent years, Sermanni’s call for a more forward-thinking approach to squad management and player development may well prove to be the catalyst for a Matildas makeover that sets the stage for even greater achievements in the years to come.
As fans eagerly await the unveiling of the Matildas’ new look in the matches against Taiwan and beyond, one thing is certain: the future of Australian women’s football has never looked brighter, and the best may be yet to come.
