Tony Gustavsson possesses an undeniable stage presence. Enthusiastic – almost earnest – he arrives in Matildas camp from the air via umbrella, toes out-turned, ready to dance in dreamed-up settings with a smile and some catchy quotes. Five months before a World Cup for which Australia is still not convinced his national team is adequately prepared, he is in dress-rehearsal mode. “Everything we do now is like a World Cup rehearsal,” Gustavsson said on Wednesday, the eve of the Cup of Nations tournament – effectively a series of friendlies against Czechia, Spain and Jamaica.
Whether the main act turns out to be Mary Poppins or something more like Death of a Salesman remains unknown, even at this late juncture. But the next seven days might at least offer a ‘vibe’. The evidence currently at hand is a mixed 2022: a pretty awful Asian Cup, a 7-0 friendly capitulation to Spain and back-to-back losses against Canada – a World Cup group-stage opponent – followed by a more stirring series of friendly results including a 4-0 win over world No 3 Sweden and 3-1 defeat of Denmark.
