Gustavsson: 'Til It's Done Farewell Series is a "massive step" for Paris 2024 preparation

CommBank Matildas Head Coach Tony Gustavsson and forward Caitlin Foord spoke to the media in the Matchday -1 Press Conference before the first game in the ‘Til It’s Done Farewell Series against China PR on Friday.

Gustavsson began by thanking the people of Adelaide for the warm welcome that the team had received. He also praised the facilities at Coopers Stadium, where his squad has been preparing.

The Head Coach admitted it had been a “stressful week” in terms of narrowing down selection for the 18-player Paris 2024™ squad.

“The worst part of being a head coach is that you have to tell someone at the end of this week that you’re not going to the Olympics,” he reflected.

“So it’s a lot of evaluation of training, looking at players, meeting with tech staff. Preparation is not just about the game tomorrow, it’s about the Olympics. The game tomorrow is a massive step in the preparation to the Olympics – not just from an individual selection standpoint, but also for the team.”

“It’s a very, very important game and then a little bit of a special game as well, the former Matildas coach [Ante Milicic] on the other side that knows the ins and outs of this team and every single detail of the players, so they’re going to be very, very well prepared. So we’re really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”

He suggested that “14 or 15” players out of the squad were locked in, with several potential candidates for the final few positions. The four alternates who will travel with the squad will also be important selections – they will have to be players who can fill any gap left by potential unavailability during the tournament.

The difficulty of the process is compounded by players who are unavailable for this camp but may be available for the Olympics, such as Katrina Gorry and Aivi Luik. Gustavsson explained that they would have to make a decision based on where the Sports Science and Medicine team believe they will be come Paris 2024™, and not where they are now.

“It’s a tough camp in the sense of, the team’s going to be selected and there’s a few more nerves, and this is the last opportunity to prove yourself,” Foord answered when asked about the mood in the camp. “I would say a lot of the girls are nervous for the game tomorrow.”

“But yeah, we go out there to win and these are important games for us to do that, especially here on home soil.”

The match on Friday night is particularly special for one squad member, Charli Grant, who was born and raised in Adelaide. Gustavsson said she had spent the week telling the squad about all that the “City of Churches” had to offer – and he had good news for those fans wanting to give some of the love back.

“Charli represents a lot of what this team represents,” he expressed. “She has gone through a lot of adversity in tough situations. She sat in the stands in Rosengård and the Swedish league, not even selected in the game roster at times. Looking at where she is today is because her mindset is just unbelievable. I think that represents this team as well.”

“She deserves playing time and I never want to reveal a lineup before I talk to the players and we have a meeting tonight, but what I can say is that you will see Charli on the field tomorrow!”

The conditions in Adelaide are forecast to be rainy on Friday. Gustavsson is confident that they will be able to play the passing style of football that he and the team have been building towards since the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, irrespective of conditions, and that a hallmark of his group is getting on with the job no matter what.

In terms of how fans can expect the team to line up, Gustavsson said that flexibility was key.

“This team have shown that we have a lot of flexibility and variation in what we do now,” he explained. “Our defensive structure has been solid and consistent for a while and mostly in a 4-4-2 shape. Our attacking shape has had a lot of variation, where we play with the so-called false nine or forward that normally plays up top can come down in the midfield can create more numbers.”

“We have said that we want to be flexible in the way we play and to be a little bit more difficult to scout, but also to use the skill set on each player in the best way possible.”

COMMBANK MATILDAS | MATCH SCHEDULE

Match One

CommBank Matildas v China PR
Date: Friday, 31 May 2024
Kick-off: 7.40pm ACST / 8.10pm AEST
Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, South Australia
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold (PER), 10 Play and Paramount+ 

Match Two

CommBank Matildas v China PR
Date: Monday, 3 June 2024
Kick-off: 7:40pm AEST
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold (PER), 10 Play and Paramount+