‘Sting’ of fourth still hurts Matildas
The “sting” of successive fourth-placed finishes on the world stage has the Matildas determined to finish on the medal dais at this year’s Olympic Games.
Preparations for the July 26-August 11 Paris Games will step up a notch for the Matildas when they meet China at a sold out Adelaide Oval on Friday night and again next Monday at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
“Any opportunity to play in front of Australian fans is something we relish and cherish,” star defender Alanna Kennedy said.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson will finalise his 18-strong Olympics squad following the matches against China, with certain selection Kennedy saying nothing less than a medal in Paris would be sufficient for a group of experienced players desperate to have something to show for their years of toil.
The Matildas were beaten in the playoff for third by Sweden at last year’s Women’s World Cup on home soil, and suffered a similar fate at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when they lost the bronze medal playoff to the United States.
“Those two fourth-placed finishes, they sting, so we really want to finish on the podium (in Paris),” Kennedy said.
“Gold is the goal, but we’re a team that can finish on the podium.
“We’re definitely motivated more now than ever, and it’s a pretty strong continuation of the same players and team, so we’ve all got that same mindset going into the Olympics that we really want to finish with a medal around our necks.”
If the Matildas are to medal in Paris, it will be without the services of their superstar striker Sam Kerr, whose expected Olympics unavailability due to a knee injury was officially confirmed last week by Football Australia.
Kennedy – whose Manchester City club team finished runners-up on goal difference to Kerr’s Chelsea outfit in the recently completed English Women’s Super League season – said the Matildas had shown at the World Cup that they could win games without their first-choice attacker, who was sidelined for a significant chunk of the tournament with a calf injury.
“We never doubt the payers that can step up in her place, but of course when you have Sam up top for you, it’s very reassuring,” she said.
“Having that experience at the World Cup and knowing that we still played well and had some successful games without her is reassuring going into such a major tournament, but of course, if I could, I’d have Sammy there.”
The groundswell of support the Matildas received at the 2023 World Cup has Kennedy excited about Australia’s selection as host of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
“After the World Cup, I’m so excited for another opportunity to play in a tournament in Australia, and to be able to just enjoy those moments because we’re not footballers forever,” she said.
“They come and go so quickly.”
