- Australia is in a period of regeneration
- A host of new players have joined the Matildas
- Fowler’s move left many fans baffled
The Matildas ended their match against Switzerland in Zurich with a 1-1 draw in their first game under interim coach Tom Sermanni, but a baffling change involving Mary Fowler has left fans scratching their heads.
It was the first match since Swedish coach Tony Gustavsson was fired after the Paris Olympics after leading the Matildas to the semi-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
The team has struggled since then, without captain Sam Kerr (ACL injury) and being eliminated in the group stage of the Paris Olympics.
Scottish coach Sermanni has already been handed the keys to the castle for the time being, but Matildas fans will have to be patient.
Despite the new leadership, Sermanni struggled to activate the potential of star forward Mary Fowler, who was largely absent from the game.
Sermanni unleashed a new formation, with Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy and Courtney Nevin forming a back three, while Ellie Carpenter and Kaitlyn Torpey joined them when the Matildas were out of possession.
The midfield trio remained unchanged with Mary Fowler, Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross.
However, Fowler was moved to the right side, rather than her preferred central role, which limited her impact on the game.
Fowler was taken out of her central position and placed on the wing in a move that left Matildas fans baffled.
Interim coach Tom Sermanni has a lot of work to do to reverse the Matildas’ poor run of form dating back to before the Paris Olympics.
‘Mary Fowler continues to touch deeper. She was trained as a number 9 in her youth, plays as a winger/forward for Man City, but the Matildas are fascinated by playing her deeper and wonder why they can’t get the best out of her. asked a fan.
‘Can we play Mary Fowler in her position next game?’ asked another.
Sermanni acknowledged the challenge of finding Fowler’s best position, saying: “She is a very talented footballer and she is still a young footballer, so I don’t want to expose her too much.”
Fowler’s time on the field was marked by limited touches and several instances of him dropping back to find the ball.
Caitlin Foord led the Matildas attack and was instrumental in creating their scoring opportunity.
His entry into the area led to a penalty after a controversial dive by the Swiss goalkeeper, which Foord safely converted.
This put the Matildas ahead, but they failed to show their best form.
Daniela Galic was one of the new faces called up by the Matildas as new coach Tom Sermanni looks to regenerate the team.
Australia’s Caitlin Foord celebrating her goal with her teammates in the draw with Switzerland
Switzerland equalized in the second half, taking advantage of a mistake in the Matildas’ defense. Geraldine Reuteler took advantage of the opportunity and scored just 18 minutes after the break.
This goal reflected the Matildas’ defensive struggle, which Sermanni described as “very complicated defensively on our part.”
Despite an uneven performance, Sermanni remains hopeful, but has only a few days to perfect his setup before facing Germany.
“I thought we were a little off the pace… but overall, we looked pretty solid and pretty confident,” Sermanni said.