‘Til It’s Done’ in Paris - An Olympic Preview
Australia’s favourite sporting team are back in Paris as the Matildas look to shoot for gold. The team’s yet to win a medal from its four (2000, 2004, 2016 and 2020) qualifications to the finals.
The Matildas’ best attempt at Olympic glory came at the last Games in Tokyo. After scraping through in third place of Group G, Australia would beat Great Britain in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final birth against Sweden.
However the hunt for gold would end there, when Fridolina Rolfö scored in the 46th minute. The bronze medal would also go elsewhere as the US held off Australia. Despite almost throwing away a 4-1 lead, the US held on to win 4-3 after 90 minutes in the third place medal match.
In 2024, Australia face Germany on the 26th of July at 2:30am ACST. The Stade de Marseille will play host as France’s third largest city transforms into a sporting metropolis, along with its capital.
Zambia, on the 29th of July at 2:30am ACST, is Australia’s second game, to be played at the Stade de Nice in France’s southern region.
Most notably, Australia’s third game is against United States of America on the 1st of August at 2:30am ACST. A return to Marseille ends the group stage for the Matildas. The newly-led Emma Hayes US outfit will be looking to add a fifth gold medal to its collection after success in Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012).
“It’s hard to know [what the US will be like at the Olympics]. She [Hayes] sets up teams well, we’ve seen that with Chelsea over however many years,” Steph Catley said prior to Arsenal’s defeat of the A-League All Stars in May.
“It’s a special tournament because its such a short tournament,” Catley continued.
“I’m sure she will be very successful. The US run a great program, she’s a great coach. She’ll be very successful,” Arsenal Women’s coach, Jonas Eidevall, added.
“Emma has definitely shown the true value of a top coach,” newly-appointed coach of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Joe Montemurro, said.
“She’s great at managing players. The US national team being the brand that it is, it’s the management of players that is going to be important,” Montemurro concluded.
Overall, the Olympics are one of the toughest competitions that a team can play in. Matildas’ ace Tameka Yallop added her thoughts;
“I think it’s exciting,” Yallop began.
“The Olympics is hard enough just to qualify for. Every single game is competitive. It’s pretty much knockout football, you need to win at the Olympics. Every team you play is competitive, I think it’s a big stage.”
Australia achieved its best ever finish in a World Cup in 2023, when the Matildas finished fourth. After advancing past Denmark and France, Australia would finish behind Spain, England and Sweden. Yallop opened up on the team’s recent good form;
“That’s the trick with tournament football, it’s being able to replicate amazing performances game in, game out.
“I think that is the focus, to be consistent with a really tough competition and keep displaying the football that we did in the World Cup and just make sure it’s there deeper into the tournament.”
Australia’s warm up game in Marbella against Canada ended in defeat, a 2-1 scoreline.
However, talented players are found in every third for the Matildas. Defenders Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley, who is also the stand-in captain, will look to support talented goalkeeper MacKenzie Arnold.
In the final two thirds, young gun Kyra Cooney-Cross and the experienced Katrina Gorry will control the midfield, while attackers Mary Fowler and Hayley Raso will worry opposition defences.
Injuries have been a massive problem for Australia leading into the games with Kaitlyn Torpey, Teagan Micah, Steph Catley and Tameka Yallop all missing the Canada game. All are expected to be fit for selection against Germany.
An injury cloud remains on Caitlin Foord, with the Arsenal star withdrawing from the starting line up last Sunday due to quad tightness. Chelsea star and Matildas captain Sam Kerr will miss the entire tournament due to an ACL injury sustained in March.