The Matildas will test their World Cup credentials in a four-team mini-tournament involving Spain, Czech Republic and Jamaica next month as preparations ramp up ahead of the global showpiece event on home soil later this year.
The upcoming Cup of Nations was announced on Thursday, with world No 7 Spain in particular presenting coach Tony Gustavsson an opportunity to run the rule over his side against top-class opposition ahead of the Women’s World Cup, which starts on 20 July in Australia and New Zealand.
Spain are considered serious contenders for the World Cup title and have a team packed with talent, despite missing two-times Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who is recovering from a knee injury.
The meeting will give Australia a chance to avenge a 7-0 drubbing the last time the two sides met in June, when several Matildas stars were rested and Gustavsson saw his side fall to their biggest defeat this century.
Australia, led by captain Sam Kerr, will kick off against the Czech Republic on 16 February at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford before meeting Spain three days later at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium. They round off the tournament against Jamaica at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on 22 February. All match days will be double-headers featuring all four teams.
Gustavsson, whose team are on a four-match winning streak, said his side have moved on from that heavy defeat in Huelva and is expecting a much tighter contest in Sydney this time around.
“I actually think the players have already parked that one. We’re so much further ahead in our planning and our preparation,” he said. “It will be a very different game because when we played them last time, we had more than 10 players away.
“Now we’re playing Spain on home soil with a full-strength team hopefully. What’s interesting is we’re one of the best pressing teams in the world, [and] they’re one of the best passing teams in the world. Is pressing or passing going to win that game? That’s going to be a really interesting challenge for us.”
While the Czechs, ranked 28th in the world by Fifa, have not qualified for the World Cup, FA chief executive James Johnson said he expected a high quality tournament.
“Three of the four sides will be aiming for success at the Fifa Women’s World Cup, and we expect the quality of the six matches to be world-class,” he said.
The Matildas are slated to kick off their World Cup campaign against Ireland at Sydney’s 45,000-capacity Allianz Stadium on 20 July, but given high demand for tickets there is growing support to have the game moved to the 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia at Homebush.
FA is in favour of the venue switch, but any move would need to be first given the green light by Fifa. Australia’s remaining games in a tough Group B are against Nigeria at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and Olympic champions Canada at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
