The World Cup semi-final between Australia and England has got everything you want from a big game. As far as the coaches are concerned, Australia’s Tony Gustavsson possesses an advantage over Sarina Wiegman of having been part of two World Cup triumphs. As Jill Ellis’s assistant, he helped the United States lift the trophy in 2015 and 2019 and cannot have failed to learn a lot.
With Australia he has faced considerable pressure when, initially, results disappointed – but he is a coach who stays true to his values. His insistence that the Matildas prepared for this tournament by playing a series of tough friendlies is now standing them in excellent stead.
