No Sam Kerr. No Mary Fowler.
The Matildas’ depth shall be examined as they give the impression of being to e book a spot within the World Cup’s knockout levels once they tackle Nigeria in Brisbane.
Victory tonight will push Australia to the highest of Group B with six factors and guarantee a spot within the spherical of 16.
It will additionally go away the Matildas needing solely a draw in opposition to Canada, which defeated Eire in Perth on Wednesday night time, to seal high spot and keep away from a possible date with England.
Tony Gustavsson has been coping with extra damage issues this week after the Kerr bombshell which rocked the event earlier than Australia’s 1-0 win over Eire.
If his revamped facet can get a consequence, Matildas fever will attain fever pitch as Kerr and Fowler bid to return for the third group sport in opposition to Canada.
Comply with all the important thing moments beneath.
6.30PM: WHAT WOULD A WIN MEAN FOR MATILDAS?
Whether or not you purchase into the “group of dying” dubbing or not, there’s no manner of denying the Group B nations have one of the vital difficult roads via to the World Cup knockout levels.
Regardless of their valiant defensive work in opposition to Australia and Katie McCabe’s Olimpico in opposition to Canada yesterday, Eire’s first World Cup outing received’t go any additional than the group stage, with the debutants knocked out after successive losses.
Canada, as the very best ranked nation within the group (No.9) nonetheless faces an uphill battle, regardless of their 2-1 victory over the Women in Inexperienced.
Les Rouges shall be crossing fingers that Niger will give Australia as a lot strife as they brought about the Canadians of their bout tonight.
The draw with Nigeria has Canada on 4 factors. If Nigeria can pressure the upset and beat the Matildas, each groups will leapfrog Australia to go high of the group.
If Nigeria lose, or draw, they received’t rely themselves out simply but – however might want to comfortably beat Eire and hope Australia can do the identical to Canada within the last group matches.
It’s a gaggle that can come all the way down to the ultimate minutes subsequent Monday, however the Matildas will hope to regular themselves with a win and make Canada do all of the arduous work subsequent week.
6.18PM: HALFTIME UPDATE
There’s one other sport happening in the mean time between Portugal and Vietnam, which the Portugeuse lead 2-0 at halftime.
The curiosity right here is that if Portugal wins, it should put strain on two sides thought of contenders to remain within the event.
USA and Netherlands drew earlier right this moment are on on 4 factors, with Portgual more likely to transfer to a few.
Portugal’s final match is in opposition to the USA and in the event that they in some way knocked out the ladies’s soccer powerhouse, it might open the event proper up.
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5.52PM: LATE TICKETS RUSH FOR BRIZZY BLOCKBUSTER
For those who wished tickets to tonight’s sport however missed out, there’s nonetheless hope.
There aee a restricted variety of Class 3 tickets out there for simply $20 through the FIFA resale platform.
Now that’s worth in the event you’re in Brisbane tonight and chasing a ticket!
5.40PM: HOW WILL MATILDAS REPLACE FOWLER?
Tilly Werner
The Matildas have the chance to safe a spherical of 16 berth with a win over Nigeria tonight.
Nigeria wants a win to remain within the hunt. And hunt they’ll.
The highest-ranked African nation within the event proved their would possibly of their 0-0 opening conflict with Canada and could have each intent of taking it up a notch once they meet the Matildas on the pitch in Brisbane.
The Matildas know their backline could have their work lower out in making an attempt to reign within the pace-laden menace of Asisat Oshoala however the true problem for the Australians this night is who will play the help position to Caitlin Forod at No.9.
Will Tony Gustavsson go for expertise or explosiveness?
Emily van Egmond shapes because the seemingly substitute for Mary Fowler, given Tony Gustavsson’s historic desire for selecting the extra defensive-minded midfielder, however Alex Chidiac is able to rip.
Chidiac’s inventive distributions, fast ft and bodywork on the ball may play an important position within the Matildas’ midfield, serving to them to manage the tempo of the sport and restrict Nigeria’s alternative for counter-attacks.
Van Egmond has performed restricted soccer in 2023, with an damage preserving her on San Diego’s bench for a lot of the NWSL season up to now. Chidiac, held the playmaker position for Melbourne Victory and has had loads of minutes off the bench with Racing Louisville.
Van Egmond is a robust anchor, who can rating, however spent a lot of Katrina Gorry’s maternity go away taking part in the defensive midfield position and infrequently seems to be backwards to go ahead.
It’s an vital mindset to have within the squad, however in opposition to Nigeria, the Matildas want targets.
Whereas we all know Van Egmond can rating them, Chidiac has regarded the extra seemingly throughout the Matildas latest matches.
She’s hungry, she has some extent to show and he or she’ll give the whole lot if supplied the chance.
It’s time to let the sport changer free.
5PM: DON’T ABANDON US: MATILDAS’ PLEA AMID WORLD CUP WHISPERS
Robert Craddock
The boss of Australian soccer has pleaded with governments to not abandon the game when the cheering stops after a record-breakingWorld Cup.
Australian soccer is on a excessive as a result of surge of ticket gross sales at Girls’s World Cup which have already exceeded finances, however Soccer Australia CEO James Johnson mentioned the sport was in a fierce battle to maintain tempo with cashed up world rivals whereas doing justice to progress at grassroots degree in Australia.
“I need the game to look otherwise after these video games,’’ Johnson instructed this masthead earlier than Thursday’s sold-out Suncorp Stadium conflict in opposition to Nigeria.
“We have to use this event to drive change in sport. Stadium upgrades, extra folks taking part in it. When that occurs I shall be proud of its legacy. We’re going to want extra Federal and State help.
“We’re not simply competing with Manly or the Roosters and Collingwood and Carlton. It’s not simply the largest European and South American nations however the Japanese, the Qataris, the Saudis. They’re pumping billions of {dollars} into soccer.”
There have been whispers extra authorities is on the way in which and Johnson is especially hoping Queensland authorities will open its coffers.
Whereas there was greater than $357 million spent on the game’s legacy initiatives by state and Federal Authorities the Queensland Authorities has dedicated simply $13 million.
“There have been massive investments from Victoria within the legacy program however we would like to see Queensland come to the desk not for another cause that Queensland is a significant state of ours now,” Johnson mentioned.
“On numbers alone it’s now the second largest state within the nation in participation numbers.
We’ve got introduced a variety of massive content material to Brisbane. The Matildas performed Canada in Brisbane. Final yr we went to Townsville and performed New Zealand there with the Matildas.
“We wish to see Queensland come to the desk for our legacy funding.
“I wish to see the Australian public stick with the game and I believe they’ll. I need folks to look again at these video games like they do on the Sydney Olympics and say I used to be at Suncorp Stadium once they performed Nigeria.
“From the second we introduced host cities we knew the demand for tickets could be very excessive. We’re per week into the event and we’ve already hit 1.5 million ticket gross sales which is what the event KPI was. And that quantity is barely going to develop.Over 1.1 of that quantity is definitely Australian tickets. The pickup of tickets on this county is phenomenal.’’
3:00PM: AUSTRALIA’S HORROR LUCK MUST END
Australia coach Tony Gustavsson insisted it was merely dangerous luck that two gamers have been concussed in separate “high-intensity” coaching incidents on the eve of their Girls’s World Cup conflict with Nigeria, and praised his workforce for the way they responded.
The Matildas have been already with out the injured Sam Kerr for the match in Brisbane on Thursday and now fellow ahead Mary Fowler – who changed the Chelsea star of their opening sport – can also be unavailable.
With Kyah Simon nonetheless recovering from a knee damage sustained in October, Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord is their solely recognised striker.
Together with Fowler, defender Aivi Luik, who was a substitute of their 1-0 win in opposition to Eire final week, additionally suffered a head knock in coaching and has been dominated out.
“It was a totally regular coaching, two days out you at all times have high-intensity,” mentioned Gustavsson, who refused to say how the incidents unfolded.
“Every little thing was good, we have been simply unfortunate sadly, two head knocks. We didn’t do something totally different than regular.
“The gamers stored going … they’re on a mission, and simply centered on what they’ll management so credit score to them in yesterday’s coaching on how they responded to it.”
Gustavsson had no replace on Kerr’s calf damage, saying solely that she could be reassessed after the Nigeria sport.
“We need to wait till the final minute to see the place’s she’s at when it comes to availability,” he added, referring to their last Group B match, in opposition to Canada on July 31 in Melbourne.
His choices in opposition to Nigeria seem to now be beginning Foord upfront with Emily van Egmond or Tameka Yallop, who each often play in midfield.
Australia have three factors and victory would guarantee they progress to the final 16 from Group B. Nigeria and Canada have one level every, with Eire but to get off the mark.
2.00PM: NIGERIA STILL FEAR AUSTRALIAN ‘WEAPONS’
Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum warned a depleted Australia nonetheless have loads of “weapons” and it might not change how they approached the sport or give them a bonus.
“I don’t assume it actually adjustments our techniques and what we are attempting to do. They clearly nonetheless have a variety of weapons that may damage you,” mentioned the American.
“We all know the power of their workforce, I do know a variety of their gamers nicely from after I was teaching within the (American) NWSL, I do know their high quality.
“So we can not go into the match considering we’re at some benefit for that cause. We’ve got to stay to the sport plan and the way we’ve been making ready for them since after the Canada match.” Nigeria opened their marketing campaign by incomes a helpful level in a battling 0-0 draw in opposition to Olympic champions Canada, with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie the African facet’s hero after saving a penalty.
The Nigerian defence was stable and gave little away in opposition to a workforce ranked seventh on the planet.
Waldrum mentioned his facet had taken be aware of how the Irish obtained gamers behind the ball to frustrate the co-hosts, however burdened they have to additionally put away any possibilities that come their manner.
“We’ve got high quality within the workforce, gamers that may rating targets. We simply must guarantee that when these alternatives come that we’re medical with them,” he mentioned.
They head into the match with out midfielder Deborah Abiodun, who picked up a pink card in opposition to Canada, however are in any other case at full power.
Initially revealed as Matildas v Nigeria, FIFA Girls’s World Cup 2023: Can Australia attain the knockout stage?
