Ahead of SheBelieves conclusion, Sermanni admits plenty to be done before Asian Cup
As the Matildas prepare to end their SheBelieves campaign against Colombia, Tom Sermmani admits that plenty of work still needs to be done ahead of next year's Asian Cup, on- and off-field.
With further rotations on tap for Australia’s final SheBelieves Cup game against Colombia, interim coach Tom Sermanni admits that plenty of work still needs to be done before the Matildas host the Asian Cup early next year. In his view, however, this work needn't take that long, provided a few coaching caveats are met.
Defeated 4-0 by Japan and 2-1 by the United States in their opening two matches, Sermanni’s side will end their SheBelieves campaign against Colombia on Thursday morning AEDT, both sides looking to take some sort of consolation from the tournament after the South Americans also lost to Nadeshiko Japan and the USWNT.
Scoring eight goals against just one conceded in the first two games of newly appointed coach Nils Nielsen’s tenure, the ruthless manner in which Japan dispatched Australia and Colombia provided a stark reminder of the challenge facing down the former if they are to supplant them as Asia’s best side next year – Sermanni frank in admitting after his side’s thrashing that “We just didn't get close to Japan,” and that might have even been understating it.
Of course, while Nielsen can now go about building upon what is an obviously high foundation with Japan, the Matildas remain in something of a holding pattern a year out from the Asian Cup – Sermanni set to coach his ninth game as interim against Colombia and likely to still be in place come April’s games against South Korea.
Assuming a caretaker role without being given indication of how long he would be required, Sermanni has previously spoken of how, in light of this, he’s going about his work as if he is to be the one taking the Matildas to the Asian Cup, hopeful that this will ensure the cupboard is not bare when a new, full-time boss is eventually named. And with this hate on, the veteran mentor acknowledged there’s plenty to be done.
“A year away at this stage and with a lot more work to be done,” he said. “What would be important for me, in the sense of, at this particular moment in the cycle, is looking at and assessing players and trying to make judgments on players that you think are going to be around in a year's time.
“In essence, you have your staple, standard players that you think, 'well, they're definitely going to be there.' You have a group of players that you think they're actually going to be under a little bit of a threat. And then you've got the up and coming players that you're looking at and to say 'are you going to be good enough to force your way into that squad?' If I'm the person that's planning that, that's kind of where I'm at in the planning process.”
Beyond matters of personnel, one area that Sermanni has also flagged in needing improvement is the on-field application of the side – the actual football bit. Battling back from their shellacking at the hands of Japan to earn a more respectable 2-1 defeat to the USWNT, the side’s improved effort and attitude drew praise from the coach on Monday, but this was paired with a desire to see an improvement in his side’s work in possession, particularly their off-ball movement and ability to play between the lines.
Raising the level in this regard, of course, is easier said than done. International football, in both the women’s and men’s games, is littered with sides that function less than the sum of their parts due to a variety of factors, both imposed by the logistical realities of the game at this level and decision-making by coaches and federations.
For Sermanni, though, the process of improving the Matildas doesn’t have to take any incoming coach too long if they arrive with a certain level of understanding for the players at their disposal and are afforded enough time to implement their ideas with the group – the latter something that, again, shines a spotlight on Football Australia’s turgid search for a permanent boss.
“It depends who comes in,” said Sermanni. “If someone comes in that's got some familiarity with the team, it doesn't actually have to take that long at all.
“But the key thing in all of that is the amount of time you get with the team -- that's the most important thing, the actual time you get out on the field, physically working with the team.
“Because that's when you can work on those things, all your combinations and players start to get used to playing with each other, etc.
“It's more about, firstly, the familiarity of the person coming in. And secondly, as I say, having time on the training field to work on these things.”
But before any of this happens, Australia must first face a Colombian outfit fielding the likes of Mayra Ramírez and Linda Caicedo. Sermanni will once again rotate his starting XI for the game, wary of sending any players back to their clubs in a state that may affect their playing time, and is expecting a similar level of physicality to the games the Matildas played against Brazil last November.
Holly McNamara, who started her first game for the national team in three years against the USWNT, won’t be risked as she continues to build back up after her third ACL injury.
“They've got a couple of outstanding players in the lineup, we need to look after them,” said the interim boss. “Being South American, they've got a certain rhythm, a certain way of playing that's a little bit different to the Japanese and a little bit different to the Americans. So, there's that, all those factors to take into account in this game tomorrow.
“The straightforward answer to Holly is no. We've got to be careful with her. You know, she's come back, and she's done extraordinarily well to come in at this level and handle it the way that she's done. But it's someone that we need to be very careful with at this stage. At this moment in time, my idea would be for her not to play tomorrow, because we need to make sure that she goes away from this tournament healthy.”
Header Image: Rachel Bach / Football Australia