Joe Montemurro wants the Matildas to be bolder and braverwith the ball after theircautious performance against Slovenia on Thursday night. The new coach has named an attacking lineup with an experienced pair up front that should be looking to create space as much as holding up play.
“It was a perfect game to learn and a perfect game to grow off,” Montemurro said on Saturday. “The key message was protecting the ball and just making sure we prepare with the ball a lot better. We can do it, we showed it. We just need to be more consistent and I suppose more brave with it.
“The more we do it, the more we understand the important pass or the important situation with breaking a line. I’m sure they’ll be more proactive. When you say you want to play possession – and it’s a word that’s bantered a lot – it’s normal they do the safe things to keep possession.
“Now we have to be smarter to say, ‘OK, we can prepare to go forward and be more proactive and break lines’.”
The Matildas claimed a 3-0 win overSloveniain coach Joe Montemurro’s first match in chargedespite missing the likes of Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler and Tameka Yallop through injury, while Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry and Cortnee Vine are all on personal leave. Emily Gielnik, Holly McNamara and Hayley Raso put their names on the scoresheet on Thursday but Matildas keeper Teagan Micah was just as critical to the win with a clean sheet despite the performance being riddled with defensive errors and Slovenia having 20 shots on goal.
Catch up on more from the see-sawing encounter between Australia and Slovenia with the match report from Thursday night.
Emily Gielnik made a scintillating startwith a goal in the third minute againstSloveniaon Thursday night. The Matildas veteran was made to bide her time before returning to the squad but is now out to make the most of her latest opportunity.
🗣️ “It's all about performing now. Every single opportunity that I get.”Emily Gielnik reflects on making her return to the squad.#Matildas#AUSvSVN#WAtheDreamStatepic.twitter.com/NAMXmSgeyY
Melania Pasar (gk); Lana Golob, Sara Agrez, Sara Gradisek, Kaja Korosec, Nina Kajzba, Mateja Zver (capt), Dominika Conc, Lara Prasnikar, Kaja Erzen, Izabela Krizaj.
Znana je prva postava za današnjo tekmo proti Avstraliji. 👏🇸🇮V živo na TV Slovenija 2.#SrceBijepic.twitter.com/Dru2h0bLA7
Australia:Mackenzie Arnold (gk); Ellie Carpenter (capt), Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Charlotte Grant; Winonah Heatley, Kaitlyn Torpey, Kyra Cooney-Cross; Amy Sayer, Michelle Heyman, Remy Siemsen.
Joe Montemurro swings six changesfrom the starting lineup on Thursday night as the auditions continue. Mackenzie Arnold takes the gloves, while Charlotte Grant Kaitlyn Torpey, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Michelle Heyman and Remy Siemsen also get their opportunity from the kick-off.
Ellie Carpenter will lead the side again in the absence of Sam Kerr and Steph Catley.
STARTING XI 🗒Here's how we line up for our game against Slovenia at HBF Park! 👊🔄 We make 6 changes from Thursday night’s squad#Matildas#AUSvSVN#WAtheDreamState@Qantaspic.twitter.com/3gWdyzXZz3
Hello andwelcome to live coverage of thesecond women’s football friendly between Australia andSloveniaat HBF Park in Perth. The Matildas will be out to build on their winning start to coach Joe Montemurro’s highly-anticipated tenure that began with a 3-0 victory over the same opponents at the same venue on Thursday night.
Striker Holly McNamara joined the celebration with her first international goal that all but sealed the win in the dying stages before Hayley Raso put the icing on the cake just a minute later. But between Emily Gielnik’s opener in the third minute and the one-two punch that landed 83 minutes later, it was a shakyMatildasperformance under their new boss.
The teething problems stood out but the long-term plan for Montemurro was also peeking through as the Matildas looked to control the game by playing out from the back and holding onto the ball in the midfield more than they have in recent times. That meant a lot of time in possession in their own half, as well as more errors than their coach would have liked, but should also lay a foundation to build on in the follow up with Slovenia tonight, before the Matildas take on Panama in Bunbury on 5 July and in Perth three days later.
Kick-off is at 6pm AWST in Perth / 8pm AEST. I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news.
In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You canshoot me an email, or find me on X@martinpeganand Bluesky@martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
Arrived. 📌🏟️🇦🇺v🇸🇮 29.06.25 - 6.00pm AWST/8.00pm AEST📺💻📱:@ParamountPlusAU📻: ABC Radio via the ABC Listen App#Matildas#AUSvSVN#WAtheDreamStatepic.twitter.com/kcAds4qEeO