Matildas Head Coach Tony Gustavsson spoke at the Pre-Match Press Conference alongside captain Steph Catley as the team prepares to take on Germany in the opening game of Paris 2024™.
They began by highlighting the positive vibes in camp around the group.
“The energy is really, really good,” Catley expressed, agreeing with Gustavsson’s assessment.
“The girls have been working hard for a long time now, training really, really hard, in plenty of meetings, listening to lots of information.
“Now we get to the fun part, to go out and play. Everyone is really looking forward to it.”
The left-back had been struggling with a lower leg injury that kept her out of the ‘B’ International fixture against Canada eleven days ago. Thankfully, she delivered the news that fans were waiting to hear.
“I’m good to go,” Catley said.
“I had a little bit of a setback, which was frustrating after I’d been working hard, training hard, had a nice break and was ready to get back into it. But it was just a minor setback, so I’m definitely ready to be out there.”
She went on to explain that the injury was a “calf niggle,” and the caution around the injury was due to the recurring issues she has faced. She thanked the medical staff for helping her be ready for game one.
“It’s a no-brainer, if she’s available, our captain [will start],” Gustavsson added.
In more positive news, every player in the squad was involved in training on matchday minus one.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge to get everyone up to speed, but to then see 100% of players available for training today was amazing,” the Head Coach continued.
“But I also want to be clear, to say available for training could be different than available for a game. So like in the World Cup, we will sit down the night before the tournament and see who is available for the game, and tonight we’ll make a decision on the 18-player roster.”
He conceded that for some players – specifically Katrina Gorry, given her recent recovery from an ankle injury – minutes may need to be managed throughout the tournament.
The Women’s Football Tournament at an Olympic Games is a unique experience, with the players being connected with athletes from across the sporting sphere as part of Team Australia.
“When it comes to the Olympic spirit, and this team being connected to that, you don’t need to remind them what they’re a part of,” Gustavsson explained.
“They’re a part of something so much bigger than just football and the Matildas. You can sense that there’s something special.”
Catley conceded that playing in different parts of the country makes it a little bit different to being in the village with other athletes, but that participating at an Olympic Games means a lot to the team.
“We take a lot of pride in the stories we share from meeting Cathy Freeman and the connections we have with her, and how many of us grew up watching the Olympics and being so proud to be Australian in those massive moments,” she expressed.
“We want to recreate those kinds of moments for fans watching the TV, up in the middle of the night, watching us. We want to make them proud and we want to give them that sort of Olympic memory that we had growing up.”
Germany, the team ranked fourth in the world, will be a challenging opponent for game one. Catley said that the overwhelming feeling heading into the match was one of excitement.
“They are a great team,” she emphasised. “They’ve got world-class players and I think as a collective, they’re very, very strong at what they do, and it’ll be a tough game. But we’re definitely up for it, and we’re just excited to get started.”
“The Olympics is really, really tough and not to be cliché, but it really is one game at a time for us. We dream big always, every tournament we go into we go into to win and achieve the absolute most we can, but it’s risky to start to think like that right now.
“We just need to focus on Germany and how we’re going to beat them.”
Gustavsson was in a reflective mood, given his first tournament with this team was an Olympic Games three years ago in Tokyo. He said that taking on Germany – the first nation that he came up against as Matildas coach – felt in some ways like a full circle moment.
“What I make sure I do is every time I step on the field or when I sit in a meeting, is to embrace every single moment of it, because there might not be too many left of those,” he stated.
“I’m so privileged to be a part of it. I actually have reflected on it and I’m very, very much thankful and grateful every night I go to bed and just reflect on one more day with this amazing team.”
AUSTRALIA | MATCH SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024™ OLYMPIC GAMES
Germany v Australia
Date: Thursday 25 July 2024 (local) / Friday 26 July 2024 (AEST)
Kick-off: 7.00pm (local) / 3.00am AEST
Venue: Stade de Marseille, Marseille, France
Broadcast: Channel 9, 9Now & Stan Sport (Australia)
Australia v Zambia
Date: Sunday 28 July 2024 (local) / Monday 29 July 2024 (AEST)
Kick-off: 7.00pm (local) / 3.00am AEST
Venue: Stade de Nice, Nice, France
Broadcast: Channel 9, 9Now & Stan Sport (Australia)
Australia v United States
Date: Wednesday 31 July 2024 (local) / Thursday 1 August 2024 (AEST)
Kick-off: 7.00pm (local) / 3.00am AEST
Venue: Stade de Marseille, Marseille, France
Broadcast: Channel 9, 9Now & Stan Sport (Australia)