In-form Matildas set sights on Asian Cup glory

HOW do you motivate a team to keep going in a tournament when the main prize is already won?

It’s a dilemma facing Alen Stajcic and the Matildas after the national women’s soccer team booked its ticket to next year’s World Cup on the weekend. The Matildas earned their place at France 2019 by progressing to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup, jumping off the canvas with a late goal against Japan to seal a 1-1 draw and top spot in their group.

They now look forward to a semi-final against Thailand tonight. That will be the rarest of occasions — a match deep in a tournament that should be much easier than their previous hit-out.

Japan is Australia’s great Asian rival, ranked 11th in the world and a former world champion. Japan is also the side that eliminated the Matildas in the last World Cup and defeated them in the last Asian Cup final.

Thailand, on the other hand, is a continental easybeat. The Matildas put five past Thailand in a lead-up match for the Asian Cup last month in Perth, and it could have been 10.

The Thais haven’t been this deep in a tournament for 30 years, progressing courtesy of a much easier group.

For coach Stajcic, the trick is to not focus on the opponent.

“There’s no complacency on our part,” he said.

“I’ve been around football long enough to know you can win 5-0 one day and lose 2-0 the next to the same team.

“We treat everyone the same, whether they’re America or Thailand or Vietnam or Japan.”

The Matildas found themselves in a precarious position against Japan. When Mizuho Sakaguchi scored the opener, the Matildas had less than half an hour to score — or be knocked out of the Asian Cup.

Sam Kerr’s equaliser ensured Australia’s progression and showed the squad’s character.

The result ensured a fourthstraight group stage success for Australia, a sign of maturity and consistency.

The Matildas also finished up top of their group at the last two Algarve Cups and last year’s breakthrough Tournament of Nations success.

Now it’s about finding knockout format success, which begins with Thailand and could end up against China or Japan in Saturday morning’s final.

Beyond “a few niggles”, Stajcic said Australia had just one injury concern, Hayley Raso, who has a knee injury and faces a month on the sidelines.