He may have only formally been appointed Matildas head coach in September last year, but Alen Stajcic’s association with the women’s game in Australia goes back a lot longer.
As interim coach, following the abrupt sacking of predecessor Hesterine de Reus, Stajcic guided the Matildas to the 2014 Asian Cup final, falling narrowly 1-0 to reigning World Champions Japan.
This campaign taught us much about the tactical proclivities of Stajcic, but to really understand how the Matildas will line up in Canada, you need to examine the Sydney FC team he fashioned in his own image over seven-and-a-half seasons in the W-League, as well as the footballing philosophy that’s underpinned a dozen years of coaching women, from stints with the national U17s, U20s to now senior team level.
Rarely straying from a 4-3-3, Stajcic prefers a high-energy, proactive, possession-based style of football. It’s a point he reiterated firmly, after the emphatic 11-0 win over Vietnam in the Matildas’ last game on home soil.
“We’ll play the same way all the time”, said Stajcic, “we’ve got a positive mindset and we’re going to take it to teams, and for them to beat us they’re going to have to play good football. They’re going to have to break us down, we’ve got a high work-rate in defence, there’s a lot of pressure on the ball, and you would have seen that all night [against Vietnam], they were chasing and pressing.”
For those that have played under Stajcic both for club and national side such as young Sydney FC winger, Amy Harrison, the continuity is striking.
“Staj is very fond of his philosophy”, states Harrison, “he’s very strong on getting that across to everyone, so he didn’t change any of that [from Sydney FC]. I mean, different players in different roles might have varied, some tactical tweaks, but his philosophy has stayed the same and he’s carried that across.”
Reminiscent of Ange Postecoglou, facing the overwhelming odds of a group of death draw containing previous World Cup finalists Spain and the Netherlands, plus powerhouses Chile, there is little chance this Matildas side will adopt a reactive, or cautious approach, even against Team USA.
“We’re not going to sit back and die wondering – if America, Nigeria or Sweden want to beat us, they’re going to have to beat us with good football.”
It’s a ‘crash or crash through’ approach, but if the seeds of the Socceroos’ Asian Cup success lay in the confidence gained at the World Cup, then it bodes well for the future of this young Matildas squad.
While many were shocked by the omission of Matildas all-time leading goalscorer Kate Gill, the reality is that Stajcic has shown tremendous loyalty to his players. Of the starting XI for the Asian Cup final, only Teigen Allen, victim to a combination of a form slump and the re-emergence of Servet Uzunlar, will fail to be a likely starter in Winnipeg.
Those that made the final 23 have been selected on form, demonstrated throughout a grueling six-month preparation, with the final squad spots given to trusted players from his Sydney FC days such as Teresa Polias and Nicola Bolger, who know intimately the tactical system he prefers.
Who will ultimately start awaits to be seen, especially up front where the Matildas boast five potential match winners - Lisa De Vanna, Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Michelle Heyman and Kyah Simon – in seeming competition for just three spots. Foord and Simon may have to settle for impact roles off the bench, or come in for the match against Nigeria should fresh legs be required. With Foord especially versatile it’s not impossible she’ll play deeper and more centrally, but presumably not at the expense of the excellent Emily van Egmond or current Asian Player of the Year Katrina Gorry.
Of especial interest for the World Cup though are three key areas, or roles Stajcic has assigned players.
Technically proficient, with an almost unrivalled engine and an eye for goal, look for Melbourne Victory captain Steph Catley to get forward from left back with abandon. With the other three backs more defensively minded, Catley’s absence can be covered either by shuffling across or the No6 (presumably Elise Kellond Knight) dropping to cover Catley’s absence, with the left back operating on occasion almost as a second winger.
Whilst the farewell match against Vietnam was in no way instructive of the quality of opposition the Matildas will face at the World Cup, it did offer fans a chance to see in person the fruits of six months of camps and training at work; and one standout here was the emphasis on getting crosses and whipped balls into the box.
While Michelle Heyman is not necessarily a target striker in the Abby Wambach or Kate Gill mode, she does still offer a reasonable headed threat. Rather than going directly for goal though, look for Heyman to attempt to head down, or cushion balls for late arriving runs from midfield.
In friendlies and behind-closed-doors matches over the past five months the midfield duo of van Egmond and Gorry have found the net on no less than seven occasions. With van Egmond’s profiency from dead ball situations, and Gorry’s ability to fashion the spectacular, it’s a massive threat to oppositions already with their hands full with a world class front three on display.
Less noted, but no less important than the well-documented firepower the Matildas have at their disposal, is the work the front three do defensively; a critical function in retaining the ball in dangerous areas and punishing oppositional errors. And this is where Heyman remains key.
As Stajcic has told Canberra Times’ Lee Gaskin, Australia’s bustling No9 and W-League all-time top scorer is pivotal. “(Heyman) has the whole package - she’s mobile, she’s aggressive and follows team instructions to a tee.” More Besart Berisha than Josh Kennedy, it’s Heyman’s ability to harry and to press as a first line of defence that will trouble opponents, and it’s this greater mobility that has given her the edge over Kate Gill, and presumably Kyah Simon as well.
Boasting one the world’s most fearsome attacks, it remains to be seen if Stajcic’s attacking philosophy offers his side enough defensive protection. With three teams potentially getting through the group and goal difference a possible factor, here’s hoping a goal-laden attacking front five is enough to get the Matildas deep into the tournament. Either way though, these guns will take some quietening.
