CommBank Matildas midfielder Clare Wheeler said that the team's 4-2 defeat against Germany was an important learning game as the team looks to challenge themselves and continue to grow.
She said that the match - in front of a packed crowd in Karlsruhe - will only help the team ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027.
"I'm a really big believer that if you don't challenge yourself, you don't grow," she said.
"I think sometimes challenging yourself is uncomfortable, but I think it's really important for us to grow and to learn, so we're in the best shape possible for the World Cup.
"You look at their side; they're world-class. All these players are at top level, and it's a good challenge, especially for those girls coming on and getting some minutes. For us, it's being able to match that and adapt in the game when those moments happen."
She took the positives from a performance that could have gone either way.
"There were moments there, like myself hitting the post, where maybe the game could have changed," she said.
"There were some positive moments. I think the players that came on really injected into the game.
"I'm really gutted [to hit the post]. It was 2-1 at the time, and you look at those moments when I wish I could have gone better. The game really opened up in the second half, and unfortunately, we couldn't capitalise on that further."
From midfield, Wheeler was central to the action and gave her assessment of where the team needed to improve.
"We're really dangerous on the counter, but we also need to improve on keeping the ball and keeping the tempo, so we can sustain that for the full 90 minutes - and then we need to just take our chances when they come," she explained.
"We're finding the pockets in the middle really well. So it's just about closing down those spaces and getting organised together. For large parts we did that, but it's about doing it consistently.
Attention now turns to the second game of the window against Haiti on Wednesday morning (AEDT).
"Haiti have got some key players that play at the top level," Wheeler said.
"For us, it's making sure we can possess the ball, look after the ball more, but also take our chances. There were a lot of positives from today, so it's about being able to learn, bounce back and go again."
Next Game
Haiti v CommBank Matildas
Date: Tuesday, 13 October 2026 / Wednesday, 14 October 2026
Kick-off: 9.00pm CEST (Local) / 6.00am AEDT
Venue: Stade Walter-Luzi, Chambly, France
Broadcast: Paramount+
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