Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni, aged 70, expressed satisfaction with the team’s improved performance, although he acknowledged that there is still a significant amount of work ahead following Australia’s 2-1 defeat to the United States at the SheBelieves Cup held in Arizona on Sunday.
Sermanni had previously condemned the team’s showing in their opening match against Japan, which ended in a 4-0 loss, labelling it as “un-Australian.” The situation initially appeared dire for the Matildas when Lynn Biyendolo opened the scoring for a making-shift USA side just moments into the game, giving them a 1-0 advantage within the first minute.
The top-ranked Americans continued to exert their dominance at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium, with Michelle Cooper extending their lead to 2-0 with a composed strike in the 68th minute.
Nonetheless, the Australians remained focused and substitute striker Michelle Heyman managed to pull one back, connecting with a header from a Hayley Raso cross in the 80th minute.
“The effort and attitude showed in this match were noticeably improved, particularly after our shaky start,” Sermanni informed the media.
“Considering the last game’s performance and result, and then conceding a goal in less than a minute, we could have easily crumbled today.
“From the perspective of the team showing resilience and commitment, I was genuinely pleased with aspects of our performance and the effort put in.
Australia is set to take on Colombia in their concluding match of the invitational tournament on Wednesday.
“We still need to work on retaining possession more effectively, and our movement needs to improve in terms of slickness and rhythm,” Sermanni stated.
“We were somewhat overpowered by the Japanese. We need to get closer to teams when we press and reinstate that physicality in our game.
“While we want to be dynamic when in possession, we also need to inject that competitive edge into our game that Australian teams are known for across all sports.“
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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