HOW SAM SLAMMED JAMAICA
THEY have not even arrived in Nice and it’s already advantage Norway, which gets 24 hours more rest than the battle-weary Matildas after their big win yesterday.
And coach Ante Milicic knows a full 90minute performance is yet to come, warning defensive culpabilities must be dealt with if they are to make a fourth straight quarter-final World Cup run.
The knockout stages await after Sam Kerr’s four-star showing against Jamaica ensured a second-place finish in Group C.
But while an arduous passage past Italy, Brazil and the Reggae Girlz has hardened Australia, it has also left them fatigued.
And Norway, which finished second to France in Group A, enters Sunday morning’s sudden-death encounter with an extra day’s recovery in their legs, having overcome South Korea the night before Australia’s final group game. “It’s going to mean a lot,” Milicic said. “And to be honest I looked at our players tonight and a few of them I thought looked a little bit fatigued at times. It was obviously a lot hotter than what we’re used to and I noticed a lot of girls mentioned before the game the field was quite hard.
“So an extra day means a lot, but this team won’t look at that as a negative or make excuses. We’ll recover well physically and mentally, and one thing you know about this team is they’ll be well prepared and ready to go at Norway.”
That might mean more rotation as Milicic manages the loads of key players in preparation for the second of up to three games in 10 days.
Against Jamaica he made three changes to the starting XI, deploying Katrina Gorry, Lisa De Vanna and starting debutant Karly Roestbakken in place of rested Elise Kellond-Knight, Tameka Yallop (cork) and Caitlin Foord. The trio are expected to return for the crunch clash, with Clare Polkinghorne (hamstring) also on the way back.
But anyone short of 100 per cent will not be risked and Milicic felt Jamaica “took quite a lot out of a couple of them”. “It’s definitely a concern,” he said. “Trying to pick the squad, that was my criteria with fitness and form, as much as possible people who could play, train but also back up. This is the one now with a three-day turnaround, and I know the opposition having one extra day means a lot – and you could be preparing for 120 minutes and penalties.
“We’ve had an opportunity to freshen up a couple tonight, but we really have to have a look at it in the next couple of days and see where the girls are at. But you know even though the girls might be fatigued, the spirit in this squad is very strong.”