Questions Surround Australia’s World Cup Performance After Narrow Win Against Ireland

Australia only beat Ireland thanks to a penalty. Now it is even more puzzling as to whether the team can live up to the high expectations.

Relief: Goalscorer Steph Catley (7) and teammates celebrate the only goal Foto: Carl Recine/reuters

Sometimes it takes a penalty to breathe life into a tough game. For 50 minutes there wasn’t too much sporting activity at Australia’s opening of the World Cup against newcomers Ireland. Until Steph Catley confidently flicked the ball into the net from the penalty spot and started a wild second half. A certain relief could be read in the jubilation of Catley’s colleagues after the goal. The highly regarded Australians, whom England’s coach Sarina Wiegman publicly credited with the title, have the significantly higher fall height than the outsider New Zealand – and felt it briefly.

The performance of the popular Matildas is not only considered extremely important for the public success of the overall World Championship. In the country where football as a league sport leads a shadowy existence, it is also about the big picture across genders. “A lot of people have said Australia isn’t a footballing nation and I think we’re going to show them that’s not true,” said Sam Kerr ahead of the tournament.

That’s the pressure on the team and the arc to be drawn. Ironically, the Australians started with a shock because of the exceptional player Kerr: Due to a calf injury, she missed both this and the second game. A big burden for the team, which is difficult to assess in terms of quality and still focuses strongly on its figurehead.

But it wasn’t just the Chelsea striker’s absence that made the Matildas struggling against a biting Irish team. Although Australia recorded the higher game shares and technical advantages, there was hardly any real flow of play and danger in the penalty area.

Few ideas in interaction

Initially good approaches with many vertical passes via the strong Gorry and Catley quickly gave way to rather simple attempts via strong individual players such as Arsenal legionnaire Caitlin Foord and the very busy Cortnee Vine. Where the team couldn’t think of much as a team, they resorted to acting individually against the courageously straddling and countering Irish block. Often with mixed success. For 50 minutes on a chilly Sydney winter evening, the fun came mostly from the impressive stands.

Officially 75,000 fans, slightly fewer than expected, ensured a new audience record for the Matildas. Incessantly drumming Australians duel with numerous Irish, who blared out “Fields of Athenry” at the top of their lungs – across genders one has truly seen less atmospheric opening games. Even in front of the stadium there was a folk festival atmosphere at the numerous illuminated booths.

In any case, it was an opening where you tried to do everything right politically: At the start there was a dance and smoking ceremony by indigenous people, two indigenous flags hung next to the Australian flag, and then there was a minute’s silence for the shooting in New Zealand shortly before the start of the World Cup.

It wasn’t until the penalty kick that the evening became more sporting: Ireland were forced to open, spaces on both sides led to a wild back and forth. The Irish were less frills and more effective, however, and suddenly put Australia under tremendous pressure over the wings. And Megan Connolly almost equalized after a dangerous free-kick in the 90th minute. Katie McCabe again posed the greatest threat in added time.

Australia’s defense certainly didn’t make the best impression. The Australians, who recently defeated France 1-0 and England 2-0 in the test, remain a black box. “We always know that we may not have the best team, but we can beat the best teams,” coach Tony Gustavsson said before the tournament. However, that it should be enough for a world title, the Matildas have to provide better arguments in the following two group games.