A raft of key players will return to the Matildas in October with positive signs after another win under new coach Joe Montemurro
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.
Hayley Raso and Michelle Heyman combine once again with the latter heading her 33rd goal in green and gold 🙌
🎥: @ParamountPlusAU #Matildas #AUSvPAN #WAtheDreamState pic.twitter.com/SZJGDOyhlU
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) July 8, 2025
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 Panama.
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, begins in November 24-December.
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.
'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.'
But 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.'
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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.
ABC News
19 minutes ago
- ABC News
Carlton coach Michael Voss responds as AFL investigates threatening message left on MCG's anti-social hotline service
Carlton coach Michael Voss has delivered a powerful response to a threat aimed at him amid the club's poor form. A threatening text message directed at Voss was left on the MCG's anti-social hotline service during the team's loss to Collingwood on Friday, and is currently being investigated by the AFL's integrity unit. Voss admitted he was initially dismissive of the threat, but then delivered a take-down of frustrated fans who have responded to the club's current slump with anger. "We think by showing passion is about anger — and it's not about that at all," he said at a press conference on Wednesday morning. "There's a way we need to behave and there's a way we need to go about it — and when things are tough, you've got to show that support the right way. Not the wrong way. "Now if that's a measure for some people on what it should look like, then I'm sorry you don't belong here. "We'll move on and we'll make sure we continue to bring a supporter base that will support in the good times and it will support in the bad and we'll continue to support our people to be able to do that." Voss said while he was "dismissive at first", he quickly thought about the impact such a threat would have on his loved ones. "The first thing you always think about is the person beside you or the family member or the team. Because, as a result of what I do, you appreciate there's an element of scrutiny that comes with that," he said. "But then there's a part that's completely unacceptable — and I think we can all agree that part is unacceptable. And we don't tolerate that as an industry. "We leave that with the AFL Integrity (Unit) at the moment and I expect a pretty forthright response. But this is the current nature we need to consider within the AFL environment and we all have responsibilities … and you've got to understand that the ripple effect goes beyond what your opinion is. It reaches deeper." Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan described the threats aimed at Voss as an unfortunate constant of the AFL's coaching caper. "We've all been through that," he said. "It's tough. I see there was some death threats … that's pretty average. "I've got no doubt he'd be doing the best job that he can, but that's just the world AFL coaches live in. "Faceless people, lack of courage. As coaches, we try to brush those things off, to be honest."
