We have more work to do: Matildas get wake-up call
Australia were lucky to escape with an error-riddled 3-0 win over world No.38 Slovenia in Montemurro's first game at the helm, and it was followed up by a 1-1 draw against the same opponents.
Alarm bells were ringing when the Matildas slumped to a shock 1-0 loss to world No.56 Panama last week, and Australia were 1-0 down in Tuesday night's re-match before a Michelle Heyman brace and Charli Grant's 91st-minute goal rescued a 3-2 win.
In fairness, Montemurro was missing a huge chunk of the Matildas' best XI during the four-match stint in WA, with the likes of Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Cortnee Vine and Clare Wheeler among the absentees.
Other key players such as goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Alanna Kennedy and Kyra Cooney-Cross left after the Slovenia series.
The Matildas have two more international windows before the Asian Cup kicks off in Perth on March 1.
Montemurro's possession-based style comes with teething problems, but the former Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon coach is adamant his team will be ready for the Asian Cup.
"I've had less time to prepare teams for big tournaments," Montemurro said.
"The good thing about it, we're going to have a lot of players who are in season (for the next window), so they're going to be at least physically - and from a rhythm perspective - in tune.
"That was the biggest thing over the last 20 days - you saw the players, the rhythms were up, down, everywhere.
"All of them had to be managed physically.
"We won't have that problem (next time). So at least we can go forward with players that are ready to go."
Montemurro is keen to base the Matildas in Europe for the next international window (October 20-29) before having a home base for the final international window (November 24-December 2) ahead of the Asian Cup.
The 55-year-old wants his players to continue to be brave with the possession-based game plan, but he felt the team fell into some bad habits against Panama on Tuesday night.
"Today I was a little bit disappointed, because there were things I thought we got rid of over the last three games," Montemurro said.
"Obviously we've got some more work to do.
"We fell into the trap of wanting to rush the play when we needed to slow it down, and we fell into the trap of slowing it down when we needed to go quick.
"That caused a lot of technical errors, because people weren't in position at the right time.
"And every time we turned the ball over, Panama looked like they were going to hurt us."
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Sydney Morning Herald
11 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
What was learnt from Joe Montemurro's opening matches in charge of the Matildas ahead of the Women's Asian Cup 2026
We know what Montemurro is trying to do: introduce an attacking, possession-based style of play into a team that has lacked on-field direction for some time. And when they last had a tactical direction, which feels like a lifetime ago, it wasn't this one, with Tony Gustavsson's preference to play a more transitional game. There were times when we saw it come to life, times when it broke down, and times when it didn't look like there was a plan at all. That's natural, given the circumstances: players are at the end of their seasons, many have had to be managed carefully, and chemistry can't just be built overnight when you're throwing together an unfamiliar team under a new coach who says he only knows one way of working. Behind the Matildas: Leanne Hall, Emanuele Chiappero, Joe Palatsides, head coach Joe Montemurro, Tony Franken and Emily Husband. Credit: Getty Images Fortunately, it's unlikely to get worse. The players to come in are more technically adept at executing Montemurro's plan, though being able to limit turnovers and stroke the ball around for long periods has proven a challenge for many of them in the past. And the ones who had a taste of it in this window can go away and work on what they know they'll be asked to do next time they're called in. Most people thought Paris 2024 would be Gorry's last tournament. Now she's about to turn 33 but she's still kicking around. But does she come straight back into this team when she's fit again? Should she, given the progress made by Wheeler (a late withdrawal from this window) and Cooney-Cross as a tandem midfield pairing? And where does Emily van Egmond fit into the picture, if anywhere? Matildas veteran Katrina Gorry. Credit: Visionhaus via Getty Images Montemurro rifled through a bunch of different combinations in this window – including the use of Kennedy as a defensive midfielder, which is where she plays for Angel City FC – to try and figure out how many viable options he may have to work with in future. Going back to the likes of Alex Chidiac and Chloe Berryhill didn't go too well, and opinion is split as ever on van Egmond. If the Asian Cup was tomorrow, the make-up of the midfield would be anyone's guess right now. Montemurro really needs to get some flying hours into the ones he deems to be first-choice to help them build up as much synergy as they can, as quickly as they can. Sayer was 16 years old when made her international debut at the 2018 Tournament of Nations – in the same window as Fowler, who was 15. But as Fowler's career exploded in the ensuing years, Sayer chose to take the US college route, and became a bit out of sight, out of mind. An ACL injury amplified that. She came close, but Gustavsson never picked her in the squad for a major tournament. Amy Sayer and Joe Montemurro. Credit: Getty Images Now 23, Sayer has come on in leaps and bounds. She has been arguably the 'find' of the last few months, stealing the spotlight in Tom Sermanni's final games in charge and then keeping that momentum rolling under Montemurro. Best used as a No.10, she can also play out wide in attack, and her poise and vision are, if not Fowler-esque, then of the same genre. She can be a huge player for the Matildas for many years to come. For once! The emergence of Jamilla Rankin and the development of Courtney Nevin and Charli Grant mean that Montemurro will have the incredible luxury of using Catley as a centre-back. Matildas defender Jamilla Rankin (right) in action against Panama. Credit: Getty Images And with Clare Hunt kicking on and Heatley making big strikes, there's now red-hot competition for who should partner her – as well as, in the case of Kennedy, the possibility of more time anchoring the midfield rather than the back four. Factor in Carpenter on the other side, who will no doubt be rejuvenated by her move to Chelsea, and the Matildas suddenly have what they've not really had in a number of years: true depth in defence. We mentioned van Egmond and Gorry before. What about Tameka Yallop? Or Emily Gielnik? For every player like Hayley Raso or Michelle Heyman who can demonstrate their unarguable worth to the team, there's a fellow veteran who might be coasting along on reputation rather than currency. The idea of peak van Egmond, for example, is compelling. But how often do we see that idea in a match? Same goes for Chidiac. And while some of these established players are vital for dressing room morale, or in the case of Yallop and Gielnik are incredibly versatile, at what point do they risk being overtaken by emerging talents who can offer as much, if not more? Are we there yet? Possibly. Emily van Egmond. Credit: Getty Images These are the sort of questions Montemurro needs to consider carefully. If he can't see a future for a player at Matildas level, and can't be sure that someone else couldn't do their job better at the Asian Cup, then he needs to tap them on the shoulder, because every minute matters right now. She's still not back, but she's inching closer. Kerr linked up with the team again in Perth to continue her rehabilitation, and joined training drills for the first time since her ACL injury – her comeback from which has been hampered by what have been vaguely described as mere 'complications' by those in the know. The Women's Super League doesn't start until September 6, so the 31-year-old still has a bit of time to build up to that point – then we can expect to see her in green and gold during the October window. Maybe. Though Heyman showed she's still got something to offer at international level with a well-taken brace on Tuesday night (erasing the memory of that horrific point-blank miss on Saturday), and Holly McNamara is looking like the long-term heir to that striking position, there's no doubt that a fit, firing Kerr will make the Matildas a substantially better team in so many ways. News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
The Age
15 minutes ago
- The Age
What was learnt from Joe Montemurro's opening matches in charge of the Matildas ahead of the Women's Asian Cup 2026
We know what Montemurro is trying to do: introduce an attacking, possession-based style of play into a team that has lacked on-field direction for some time. And when they last had a tactical direction, which feels like a lifetime ago, it wasn't this one, with Tony Gustavsson's preference to play a more transitional game. There were times when we saw it come to life, times when it broke down, and times when it didn't look like there was a plan at all. That's natural, given the circumstances: players are at the end of their seasons, many have had to be managed carefully, and chemistry can't just be built overnight when you're throwing together an unfamiliar team under a new coach who says he only knows one way of working. Behind the Matildas: Leanne Hall, Emanuele Chiappero, Joe Palatsides, head coach Joe Montemurro, Tony Franken and Emily Husband. Credit: Getty Images Fortunately, it's unlikely to get worse. The players to come in are more technically adept at executing Montemurro's plan, though being able to limit turnovers and stroke the ball around for long periods has proven a challenge for many of them in the past. And the ones who had a taste of it in this window can go away and work on what they know they'll be asked to do next time they're called in. Most people thought Paris 2024 would be Gorry's last tournament. Now she's about to turn 33 but she's still kicking around. But does she come straight back into this team when she's fit again? Should she, given the progress made by Wheeler (a late withdrawal from this window) and Cooney-Cross as a tandem midfield pairing? And where does Emily van Egmond fit into the picture, if anywhere? Matildas veteran Katrina Gorry. Credit: Visionhaus via Getty Images Montemurro rifled through a bunch of different combinations in this window – including the use of Kennedy as a defensive midfielder, which is where she plays for Angel City FC – to try and figure out how many viable options he may have to work with in future. Going back to the likes of Alex Chidiac and Chloe Berryhill didn't go too well, and opinion is split as ever on van Egmond. If the Asian Cup was tomorrow, the make-up of the midfield would be anyone's guess right now. Montemurro really needs to get some flying hours into the ones he deems to be first-choice to help them build up as much synergy as they can, as quickly as they can. Sayer was 16 years old when made her international debut at the 2018 Tournament of Nations – in the same window as Fowler, who was 15. But as Fowler's career exploded in the ensuing years, Sayer chose to take the US college route, and became a bit out of sight, out of mind. An ACL injury amplified that. She came close, but Gustavsson never picked her in the squad for a major tournament. Amy Sayer and Joe Montemurro. Credit: Getty Images Now 23, Sayer has come on in leaps and bounds. She has been arguably the 'find' of the last few months, stealing the spotlight in Tom Sermanni's final games in charge and then keeping that momentum rolling under Montemurro. Best used as a No.10, she can also play out wide in attack, and her poise and vision are, if not Fowler-esque, then of the same genre. She can be a huge player for the Matildas for many years to come. For once! The emergence of Jamilla Rankin and the development of Courtney Nevin and Charli Grant mean that Montemurro will have the incredible luxury of using Catley as a centre-back. Matildas defender Jamilla Rankin (right) in action against Panama. Credit: Getty Images And with Clare Hunt kicking on and Heatley making big strikes, there's now red-hot competition for who should partner her – as well as, in the case of Kennedy, the possibility of more time anchoring the midfield rather than the back four. Factor in Carpenter on the other side, who will no doubt be rejuvenated by her move to Chelsea, and the Matildas suddenly have what they've not really had in a number of years: true depth in defence. We mentioned van Egmond and Gorry before. What about Tameka Yallop? Or Emily Gielnik? For every player like Hayley Raso or Michelle Heyman who can demonstrate their unarguable worth to the team, there's a fellow veteran who might be coasting along on reputation rather than currency. The idea of peak van Egmond, for example, is compelling. But how often do we see that idea in a match? Same goes for Chidiac. And while some of these established players are vital for dressing room morale, or in the case of Yallop and Gielnik are incredibly versatile, at what point do they risk being overtaken by emerging talents who can offer as much, if not more? Are we there yet? Possibly. Emily van Egmond. Credit: Getty Images These are the sort of questions Montemurro needs to consider carefully. If he can't see a future for a player at Matildas level, and can't be sure that someone else couldn't do their job better at the Asian Cup, then he needs to tap them on the shoulder, because every minute matters right now. She's still not back, but she's inching closer. Kerr linked up with the team again in Perth to continue her rehabilitation, and joined training drills for the first time since her ACL injury – her comeback from which has been hampered by what have been vaguely described as mere 'complications' by those in the know. The Women's Super League doesn't start until September 6, so the 31-year-old still has a bit of time to build up to that point – then we can expect to see her in green and gold during the October window. Maybe. Though Heyman showed she's still got something to offer at international level with a well-taken brace on Tuesday night (erasing the memory of that horrific point-blank miss on Saturday), and Holly McNamara is looking like the long-term heir to that striking position, there's no doubt that a fit, firing Kerr will make the Matildas a substantially better team in so many ways. News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
The Australian
34 minutes ago
- The Australian
Matildas finish international window with a 3-2 win over Panama
Matildas coach Joe Montemurro concedes he and his new players still have some 'work to do' in order to peak for the Asian Cup but walked away from his first four matches in charge buoyed by what he has to work with. Montemurro was particularly full of praise for the 'character' of veteran striker Michelle Heyman, who scored twice in a 3-2 win over Panama in Perth on Tuesday night to close out the international window. It took a late goal from Charli Grant to seal the win, a turnaround from an opening 1-0 loss to Panama on Saturday as Montemurro continued to experiment with the next generation of Matildas. Montemurro was missing most of his preferred line-up, with the likes of Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Cortnee Vine and Clare Wheeler among those who didn't play at all in the four games in Perth. Ellie Carpenter was among some of the stars who left the series after two matches against Slovenia. But all should be available for the next international window in October – Kerr trained with the Matildas in Perth as she steps closer to a playing return – before the final tune-ups for next year's Asian Cup, being held in Australia, begin in November. Having indoctrinated his players with a new playing style over the course of the last two weeks, Montemurro is confident he will have his side humming for the tournament. 'I've had less time to prepare teams for big tournaments,' Montemurro said. 'The good thing about it, we're going to have a lot of players who are in season (for the next window), so they're going to be at least physically – and from a rhythm perspective – in tune. The Matildas line up in Perth. Picture:'That was the biggest thing over the last 20 days – you saw the players, the rhythms were up, down, everywhere. 'All of them had to be managed physically. 'We won't have that problem (next time), so at least we can go forward with players that are ready to go.' The only disappointment for Montemurro was a return to some old habits in the final game. 'Obviously, we've got some more work to do,' he said. 'We fell into the trap of wanting to rush the play when we needed to slow it down, and we fell into the trap of slowing it down when we needed to go quick. 'That caused a lot of technical errors because people weren't in position at the right time.' Michelle Heyman scored twice. Picture: JanelleBut Heyman was in the right spot twice, capitalising on crosses from Hayley Raso to score and earning high praise form the coach 'It's an honour to work with an athlete with a character of this nature,' Montemurro said of Heyman. 'I've been honoured enough to have worked with some of the best strikers in the world — Ada Hegerberg, Vivianne Miedema — but this character that is Michelle Heyman, we should all be proud of. 'We should all be proud of who she is and what she's contributed to football and to sport in general.' Read related topics: FIFA Women's World Cup 2023
