After a disappointing Olympics campaign, one of the key goals of interim Matildas boss Tom Sermanni coming into this international window was to put in place the building blocks of a new, four-year cycle not just tactically and technically, but also emotionally. Friday evening’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland, however, showed this remains very much a work in progress.
Taking the field for the first time since they were bundled out of the Paris Games in the group stages, the side started in a 3-5-2 shape at the Stadion Letzigrund, with Courtney Nevin slotting in alongside Kennedy and Clare Hunt in a centre-back trio. Ellie Carpenter and Kaitlyn Torpey were deployed as wingbacks, a shift that also saw Mary Fowler drop into more of a playmaking role alongside Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross.
The smart deployment of Fowler on games was another of Sermanni’s key goals as interim but this was one that still carried the hallmarks of being a work in progress. Australia generally struggled to create clear-cut chances and move the ball with speed when it came time to get on the front foot. It wasn’t until Caitlin Foord’s 43rd-minute penalty that Australia achieved ascendency heading into the halftime break, threatening to spoil the host’s party.
