CommBank Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro said that the four-game window against Slovenia and Panama was an opportunity to “make a statement” about the kind of football that the Matildas want to play going forward.
He was speaking in Perth on Friday after the 33-player squad was announced for the four games in Western Australia.
“It's a special camp,” he began.
“We’ve got the time to sort of integrate staff, but more importantly, to have a look at a number of players in situations. When you have this amount of time, you can start to integrate some good ideas also, and make a statement in terms of the way we want to play.
“So, it’s an important camp to launch the next phase in the lead up into the Asian Cup.”
He reflected on the ways in which he would unite the squad under his leadership.
“A belief in a way that we want to play, and always bringing it back to the game itself,” he said.
“That’s really, really important. The biggest part of my job at the start is to get that level of buy-in for the way we want to play, on the way we want to approach the style of football that we want to play.
“I have my ways - and stubborn is probably a good word to use. But the reality is that once we can find a football direction where everyone has the ability to believe in the way we want to play, but also give them the freedom to be the best that they can be, I think we'll get everyone on board.”
He was able to elaborate more specifically on the style of play that he wants to impart.
“I’ve done a bit of research into what's been happening on the pitch, and what some of the best teams in the world do on the pitch,” he explained.
“One of the messages is going to be able to control the ball. It's part of who I am. So that's where the stubbornness comes from. We will look at a team that will put the ball a little bit more, but also understand when it does have to defend in certain areas and certain scenarios, whether it's defending a little bit deeper or defending a little bit higher, it can understand the moment.
“It’s not so much about possession for possession's sake, for just keeping the ball. It's identifying when the possession needs to be effective and when the possession needs to be prepared. I think we've got the players to do that. I think we've got the mentality to do that.
“I'll create a training culture that when players do come into camp, they know that those messages are very, very important and need to be instilled.”
The squad is a large one, with some players available for only part of the international window. Montemurro explained the thought process around that, and how players would juggle their commitments while adapting to the new national team environment.
“The amount of players we're bringing in is for two things: trying to balance the loads and trying to balance where they are physically, because some are coming out of season and need a bit of a break or need to be integrated in different ways,” he said.
“Some of them are still in season. Some of them are going to be new. So it's really balancing out where each player is at, but more importantly, just finding a balance of the right messages from a football perspective, and making sure that we touch all those little particulars that we need to.”
He agreed that the games would be a “dress rehearsal” for the home Asian Cup next year.
“Coming to Perth, it's a great city, and obviously a city that loves their football too,” he said.
“We’re really happy to be here. I'm really excited to be here personally, just to see the new facilities and the new stadium and so on. It’s going to be a real exciting few weeks.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | JUNE/JULY 2025 | MATCH SCHEDULE
Series One
CommBank Matildas v Slovenia
Date: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Kick-off: 7.00pm WST / 9.00pm AEST
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
TV Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: Buy Tickets
CommBank Matildas v Slovenia
Date: Sunday, 29 June 2025
Kick-off: 6.00pm WST / 8.00pm AEST
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: Buy Tickets
Series Two
CommBank Matildas v Panama
Date: Saturday, 5 July 2025
Kick-off: 2.30pm WST / 4.30pm AEST
Venue: Hands Oval, Bunbury
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: Buy Tickets
CommBank Matildas v Panama
Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025
Kick-off: 6.00pm WST / 8.00pm AEST
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: Buy Tickets