The first time Tom Sermanni coached the Matildas in Canberra, three decades ago, the match took place not at GIO Stadium but at an unassuming training field next door. A warm-up encounter ahead of the 1995 Women’s World Cup, the Matildas put four unanswered goals past New Zealand in front of a handful of spectators. It warranted three paragraphs deep in the sports section of the local newspaper; the report described the win as a “great result” for Sermanni.
Thirty years later, in his 151st and final game as Matildas boss, at the end of his third stint at the helm of the national team, it was another great result: a 4-1 friendly victory over Argentina on a chilly Monday night. A brace by Amy Sayer and second-half strikes from Emily Van Egmond and local hero Michelle Heyman were enough to see off a valiant Argentine effort.
