WA news LIVE: Matildas coach not concerned by errors in 3-0 win in Perth

Sydney Morning Herald

7 days ago

Latest posts
Latest posts
9.30am
Montemurro not concerned by Matildas' errors in 3-0 win over Slovenia in Perth
It wasn't pretty, but new Matildas coach Joe Montemurro has given his first match in charge a huge tick after watching his side escape with a 3-0 win over Slovenia in Perth.
The understrength Matildas struggled to adapt to Montemurro's possession-heavy game style, with error after error allowing world No.38 Slovenia to unleash a whopping 20 shots across Thursday's match.
The Matildas also created plenty of chances, with Emily Gielnik's third-minute strike getting them off to a flyer, before Holly McNamara and Hayley Raso scored in the dying minutes to seal the win.
Montemurro only had a few days with the squad before his first match, and he is still missing the likes of Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Cortnee Vine and Clare Wheeler.
Implementing a new game plan - especially one as pressure-filled as possession-based football - is going to take time.
The former Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon coach was happy with what he saw first-up, saying the errors committed were all part of the process in teaching the players how to handle the heat when on the ball.
'It was an entertaining game. It could have been 6-5 or 7-6 or something,' Montemurro said.
'But for me, it was a very important test, because a team that will play player-on-player in that manner, we have to learn to be better under these circumstances, because a lot of teams will do this now in modern football
'When you want to play a game where you're breaking lines and preparing to break lines and you're playing under pressure, you are going to make mistakes.
'You are going to make errors, and I'm demanding this, because for us to be at the top level, we have to be comfortable doing this.
'We made three or four big errors in that. But I'm not concerned, because it's the process going forward.
'For me, it was the perfect game against a team that's obviously pressured all over the pitch. We have to be comfortable under that pressure.'
When asked whether his team went overboard in trying to maintain possession even in situations of grave danger, Montemurro replied: 'That to me says good things.
'That sends good signals, because they're trying to, at all costs, solve the problems with the ball.
'The positive thing is a lot of Slovenia's chances came from our errors trying to play.
'That's a positive for me. We just polish that stuff up and we'll be able to play against the top teams.'
The Matildas will face Slovenia again in Perth on Sunday, before taking on Panama across two games - one in Bunbury, and the other in Perth.
9.30am
Across Australia and around the world
Here's what's making headlines elsewhere today:
The three Australians accused of murdering a countryman and wounding another inside a luxury Bali villa have been paraded before the media as police say they are still investigating whether the man gunned down was the intended target or the victim of a botched hit.
Australians who join, recruit or fund a white supremacist network that has told its members how to attack politicians and minority groups, will face up to 25 years in prison after the Albanese government listed Terrorgram as a terrorist organisation.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed victory over Israel and said his country had 'delivered a hand slap to America's face' on Thursday, in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared in the war between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in the war with Iran, saying the outcome created the opportunity for a 'dramatic widening of peace agreements for peace'.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has clashed with reporters over their coverage of the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites, providing new details on the strikes but shedding little light on the damage inflicted.
Trump officials will give their first classified briefing to US Congress about the president's decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, told French radio the agency can no longer assess the degree of damage, but uranium enrichment centrifuges at Fordow are 'no longer operational' because of the power of US strikes.