Football commentary icon Craig Foster has made a withering assessment of the Matildas‘ ball movement following the national side’s disastrous Asian Cup exit, labelling it “total panic”.
Australia had been a hot tip to at least qualify for the final, but they were eliminated from the tournament in a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to South Korea.
It’s a grim sign just 18 months before the Matildas co-host the 2023 Women’s World Cup with New Zealand.
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Foster blasted Australia’s use of the ball in the loss to South Korea.
“With the ball, the styles of play, the principles of play on how to build through, on getting around, creating chances in the final third – they were very much about the use of long balls, either over the top or wide, a lot of crosses into the box,” Foster said on the latest edition of Stan Sport FC.
“And yes, they can create chances. Even the two Sam Kerr chances later in the game – one was a boot from, I think, Lydia Williams all the way over. It was a massive kick, it was just a boot in behind. It was horrible defending, the Korean Republic defender just completely missed the ball and all of a sudden we were behind … We could have scored.”
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But after highlighting a moment in which the Matildas created a scoring opportunity, the former Socceroos captain said it papered over a blight in Australia’s game.
“In terms of the construction of the goal, there was no construction,” Foster said.
“So, people look at the chances without seeing the actual style of game.
“In my view, after the Olympics it was very clear on how it needed to be evolved. We need to be better with the ball, we need to be able to control games better. When the team were under pressure in the second half … the highest-quality and most experienced team we’ve ever had just started hoofing the ball in the box. It was just total panic. That can’t happen.”
Foster singled out embattled coach Tony Gustavsson, who’s led the Matildas to just six wins from 20 games and is yet to establish a detectable style of play.
Gustavsson, born in Sweden, replaced Ante Milicic in September 2020.
“That has to be regulated by the coach: ‘This is the way we play, this is the way we believe that we’re going to be able to achieve these results next year’, (and) not just here,” Foster said.
“What we see at the moment is, well, ‘We’re going to get out of pressure next year in the World Cup and we’re just going to start booting the ball forward’.
“And teams are just going to say, ‘That’s fantastic. Thank you’.”
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