Tony Gustavsson is expected to use his World Cup stars for Australia’s next Olympic qualifier in Perth as they look to replace Sunday’s rivals at the top of the group.
A full house at Optus Stadium can expect to see a full complement of Matildas World Cup stars taking on the Philippines, with coach Tony Gustavsson set to deploy close to his strongest line-up in the hunt for crucial Olympic qualifying goals.
Their struggles to break down the world’s No.63 nation, who defended defiantly in a low block, mean they sit second in Group A on goal difference heading into Sunday’s second fixture against the Philippines, who lead by virtue of their 4-1 rout of Taiwan on Thursday. It means they could sit back against Australia in a bid to hold on to their advantageous goal difference. The Matildas, the group heavyweights, need to score goals to ensure they finish top of the group and secure a favourable third-phase opponent.
“It’s a very well-organised team, and they work extremely hard and don’t hesitate to tackle either,” Gustavsson said. “There’s some physicality there that really impresses me, and you can see they have a very, very clear idea of what they wanted to do.“There’s some impressive character in that team. down 1-0 as well , and then that was a key game for them. They’re good on set plays, so we know that will be a tough challenge.
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