Australian football legend Mark Bosnich pinpoints key problem for the Matildas after horrific Olympic defeat

Australian football great Mark Bosnich believes the Matildas need to sort out a big problem after their bid for Olympic gold was all but torpedoed with a 3-0 defeat to Germany on Friday morning.

The Australians were completely outclassed by the footballing powerhouse on a stifling and daunting night in the south of France.

The World Cup semi-finalists, seeking their first Olympic medal, simply could not find their rhythm against the reigning former champions in Marseille on Thursday, on the eve of the opening ceremony in Paris, 750 kilometres away.

Bosnich says the Matildas stars appeared to be out of position in the build-up play.

“Well, this was a huge problem for me,” she told Stan Sport’s Olympics Daily show.

‘Ideally, people should be in positions where they know they don’t even have to lift their head if they don’t want to, but they know someone will be there.

“And this happened again and again.”

Bosnich explained that there were too many players around the ball.

Bosnich believes that Mary Fowler is the best player on the team and should have more quality in the game.

“When people are running towards the ball, you want to stay away, maybe give an option and that’s it,” he said.

“But that is something they need to resolve and that is why they are acting very, very quickly and I am not talking about a total change; it is too late to make a total change.

The Matildas next play Zambia, a must-win match, and Bosnich says the team should build the squad around Mary Fowler.

“The idea is for the team to realize who their best player is now,” Bosnich said.

‘In my opinion, it’s Mary Fowler, and (they have to) find a way to get the ball to her as quickly as possible and in the best possible position so she has time and space to do her job… that’s the problem.

“If they can solve that problem, not only can they beat Zambia, but they can advance to the knockout stages and go far.”