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.
Gustavsson remains friends with Ellis and they could well be in contact, potentially talking tactics, before the biggest game of his career. One area which would be hard to enhance, though, is the Matildas’ evident camaraderie. Gustavsson has built an incredibly together squad and that sort of special cohesion can carry them a long way.
After some difficult defeats, one friendly Australia did win was against England and that 2-0 reverse in April remains the Lionesses’s sole defeat under Wiegman. After leading the Netherlands and England to European Championship glory – and taking the Dutch team to the 2019 World Cup final – no one can question her pedigree.
Wiegman has long been associated with stylistic pragmatism and consistency of selection but this World Cup has also shown she can be adaptable when necessary. England have responded well to adversity in Australia, reacting calmly when Keira Walsh went off injured against Denmark and Lauren James was sent off in the last-16 win over Nigeria.
Despite some indifferent attacking performances, the Lionesses have rarely looked like conceding from open play and, even when Colombia took the lead in the quarter-final, did not appear unnerved. Wiegman’s tactical duel with Gustavsson promises to be fascinating.
On the pitch, meanwhile, no one outside Australia’s camp knows if Sam Kerr is fit enough to start against England or whether she will merely be able to be used as an impact sub. I’d like to see her start on what could be her moment, on the big stage, but I’m also intrigued by the prospective subplot involving Kerr and Millie Bright.
Along with her fellow central defender Jess Carter, Bright is one of Kerr’s Chelsea teammates and is used to facing her every day in training. They know each other’s games inside out, so it will be extremely interesting to see who comes out on top. I’ve played against Sam a few times and she is so difficult to defend against. Part of the problem is her constant willingness to keep stretching opponents by running into space but, most importantly, her timing is just so good.
Kerr is so sharp that, even when you think you’re going to be first to the ball, she somehow ends up half a step ahead. Aerially, England will need to keep someone tight to her; she’s got both the power and that rare ability to hang in the air. You simply can’t afford to allow her any space and time when crosses come in. Given the slightest bit of room, Sam is deadly. As a unit, your defence must retain concentration at all times. It also needs to keep in constant communication; you don’t want to allow Kerr to run and face you, so everyone must know who is picking her up and when.
As outstanding as Kerr is, in reaching the semi-finals largely without her, Australia have thoroughly debunked the myth that they are a one-woman team. Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Mackenzie Arnold have all impressed but one of their very biggest strengths has been down the left side where Arsenal teammates Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord seem set for a battle with Lucy Bronze, Carter and Georgia Stanway. Australia are likely to allow England quite a lot of possession but they are dangerous on the counterattack, particularly when the gifted and highly influential Fowler floats into the inside-left channel.
Gustavsson should be worried about Bright and Alex Greenwood’s excellent distribution skills from the back. I’m not a fan of consistently direct football but, particularly with Walsh heavily marked and failing to exert her customary central midfield impact, England have troubled teams with accurate long balls. No defender enjoys running backwards to try to cope with such deliveries but Australia’s Alanna Kennedy is a right-footed, left-sided centre-half and she looked especially vulnerable when France went direct in the quarter-final.
As the co-hosts this is a massive, historic occasion for Australia and much hinges on how they handle the attendant expectations and enormous stress. Gustavsson’s players do not just have to cope with England, they need to manage their emotions, too. As much as the Lionesses want to reach the final they are under less pressure and could well thrive on the hostility in Sydney. They clearly enjoyed playing in front of a largely Colombia-supporting crowd in their quarter-final and I expect them to embrace the atmosphere and be fearless on Wednesday. Even so, something tells me it’s going to be an extremely tight semi-final.
