Key events
Argentina XI
Kieran Pender is braving the elements in an outdoor press box at GIO Stadium and all set to report on the historic game between the Matildas and Argentina. Thanks for taking one for the team, Kieran!
The crowd is building at Canberra Stadium for what will be a record-breaking encounter between the Matildas and Argentina – the best-attended women’s sporting event in Canberra history, after tickets were sold out. The crowd will have to battle frigid Canberra conditions; Canberra Stadium is a notoriously cold venue, and the temperature is already in the single digits – dropping fast.
Joe Montemurro comes with the strongest of pedigrees in women’s football and might have been in charge of the Matildas much sooner if not for mis-steps and hesitation by Football Australia. Joey Lynch looks at why it took FA so long to turn to a decorated Australian candidate who “had a big come and get me banner effectively floating over the top of his head”.
FA seems to have hit on the right outcome by appointing Montemurro. But unfortunately, the process that landed them here was anything but well executed – with potential flow-on effects for his tenure.
By the time their new coach takes up his position, the Matildas will have logged five camps under Sermanni and played 13 games – crucial contact hours Montemurro won’t get. The interim coach has done his best to blood new talent and prepare for the Asian Cup during this time, but the nature of his stop-gap role placed limitations on what he could do.
Ten months of uncertainty ended when the worst kept secret was finally revealed and Football Australia unveiled Joe Montemurro as the next Matildas coach.
The former Lyon boss will have only 10 months to prepare the Matildas for a Women’s Asian Cup on home soil but the short runway is something he isn’t going to shy away from.
“You’re not going to see it straight away, you’ll see little dribs and drabs coming through, but the most important thing is to have it ready and understanding for the big tournaments,” the new Matildas coach said during the announcement in Sydney today.
Matildas XI
Australia: Teagan Micah (gk); Charlotte Grant, Courtney Nevin, Natasha Prior, Steph Catley (capt); Clare Wheeler, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Emily Van Egmond; Caitlin Foord, Amy Sayer, Kahli Johnson
The Matildas call on their Champions League winners with Steph Catley back to lead the side while Kyra Cooney-Cross takes charge in the midfield and Caitlin Foord returns to the frontline.
Kahli Johnson holds her spot after scoring on debut against Argentina last Friday, but perhaps the most stirring story is saved for Amy Sayer who makes her first start for the Matildas for 549 days after overcoming a serious knee injury.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the women’s international friendly between Australia and Argentina at GIO Stadium in Canberra. The match has become almost a sideshow following the confirmation today that Joe Montemurro will guide the Matildas into a new era and toward next year’s Women’s Asian Cup on home soil.
The 10 months of uncertainty around the Matildas coming to a close also allows interim coach Tom Sermanni to finally sign off from his third tenure in charge. The 70-year-old will coach Australia for the 151st and surely final time in tonight’s match against La Albiceleste as his side set out to ensure Argentina don’t spoil the party. Sermanni has led the side through a period of transition after Tony Gustavsson’s reign ended with an early exit from the Paris Olympics, with some of the emerging talents and fringe players to be given more opportunities under Sermanni to feature again this evening.
The Matildas might be content with a repeat of their promising performance in the 2-0 win over Argentina last Friday, though with several newly-decorated stars well rested after watching that game in Melbourne from the sidelines, the scene is set for the side to instead celebrate Sermanni’s farewell game in style.
Kick-off is at 7.30pm 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 can shoot me an email, or find me on X @martinpegan and Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
