The first time Tom Sermanni coached theMatildasin Canberra, three decades ago, the match took place not at GIO Stadium but at an unassuming training field next door. A warm-up encounter ahead of the 1995 Women’s World Cup, the Matildas put four unanswered goals past New Zealand in front of a handful of spectators. It warranted three paragraphs deep in the sports section of the local newspaper; the report described the win as a “great result” for Sermanni.
Thirty years later, in his 151st and final game as Matildas boss, at the end of his third stint at the helm of the national team, it was another great result: a 4-1 friendly victory over Argentina on a chilly Monday night. A brace by Amy Sayer and second-half strikes from Emily Van Egmond and local hero Michelle Heyman were enough to see off a valiant Argentine effort.
But it was also an encounter that underscored the remarkable rise of the women’s game since Sermanni first led the Matildas in the nation’s capital. A capacity crowd of 25,125 broke the record for the best attended women’s sporting event in Canberra. Local newspaper Canberra Times heralded the game on its front page: “Tillies Time!”. News of the appointment ofSermanni’s successor, Joe Montemurro, had dominated national media all day.
The 70-year-old Sermanni has been a loyal servant for the Matildas, playing an important role in the team’s progression across more than a decade in charge – including leading the Matildas to their most significant silverware yet, the 2010 Women’s Asian Cup. It was a fitting send-off as the Matildas now prepare for a critical lead-up to a home Asian Cup next year, and then a period of generational transition ahead.
After seeing off La Albiceleste withtwo unanswered goals in Melbourne on Friday, the Matildas started strongly – notching their first attempt within minutes. The one-way traffic soon proved decisive, as midfield maestro Sayer connected with a ball from Kahli Johnson to coolly open the scoring after 14 minutes. Sayer’s gloves hinted at the arctic Canberra temperatures, but her opener gave the crowd a reason to keep warm.
Sermanni’s send-off was not going to be a procession, though. Argentina hit back less than 10 minutes later; 19-year-old Kishi Núñez – a stand-out for the South Americans at last year’s U20 World Cup – making a decisive break down the left flank before blazing the ball past a diving Teagan Micah. The Argentinian goal left the Matildas unsettled; a feeling compounded when Johnson was forced off with an injury to be replaced by Melbourne City’s rising star Holly McNamara.
A more evenly-matched period of play followed, as the Matildas rallied to regain the momentum. Then, suddenly, Caitlin Foord pounced. The Arsenal star,fresh off winning the Women’s Champions League, collected the ball in the middle of the park and went on a marauding run forward. Foord sliced through the heart of the Argentina defence before offloading to Sayer, who only had to beat custodian Solana Pereyra to double her tally.
Both teams had chances early in the second half, the Matildas with the better of the opportunities but Argentina continuing to threaten. The biggest roar of the night was reserved for the addition of Canberra United great Heyman, brought on after 60 minutes for Sayer.
The veteran striker was immediately in the thick of the action, and her darting run into the Argentina box created the Matildas’ third goal – poked home by Van Egmond after Heyman and Pereyra had collided. Heyman then sealed the dominant victory with a goal in the dying minutes, attacking a loose ball before outwitting Pereyra.
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The win caps an improved run of friendlies for the Matildas – successive wins over Argentina and South Korea – after three consecutive losses at the SheBelieves Cup in February. Montemurro will begin his national team tenure with two friendlies against Slovenia at the end of June.
When Sermanni first directed the Matildas in Canberra, the team’s very name had only just begun to find widespread use, after it was chosen by a fan poll in the lead up to the 1995 Women’s World Cup. Indeed the match report from that first Canberra outing used the team’s prior name, the Female Socceroos. How times have changed.