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After next week’s clash with Germany, the Matildas have four more matches scheduled before the end of the year – and all of them are in Australia, against Brazil (Brisbane and Gold Coast) and Chinese Taipei (Melbourne and Geelong).
Until then, Sermanni’s focus is on getting the team back on track after their Olympic disaster in Paris, where they crashed out in the group stage, leading to Gustavsson’s departure after four years at the helm.
A good result against the world No.25-ranked Swiss, Sermanni said, was more important right now than a good performance – mainly for mentality-related reasons but also because of the crucial FIFA ranking points on offer, which can shape the draws for major tournaments or qualification campaigns.
“I think the team was a bit beaten up after the outcome of the Olympics. There’s no point in denying that,” Sermanni said.
“The confidence within the group, within this squad, was a bit low because obviously this team has got high expectations. But I think athletes are resilient. To play at the top level, you have to be resilient. You have to come back and bounce back after bad results or bad tournaments.
“To be honest, I think the team did come into camp feeling a little bit low. But a couple of days on the training field, everybody’s back together again, and the mood, from my perspective, has been upbeat and very positive.”
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Every member of Sermanni’s 23-player squad is fit and available for selection, he said, although caution will be taken with players such as stand-in captain Steph Catley, who has been limited to just two appearances for Arsenal in the FA Women’s Super League this season due to injury, and 18-year-old young gun Daniela Galic, who is poised to make her international debut this window – probably off the bench.
Sermanni tried to sign Galic at Western Sydney Wanderers, in his previous guise as the club’s head of women’s football. She has since moved to Dutch outfit FC Twente.
“She’s a rising talent. She ticks all the football boxes, she’s got the qualities that’s going to make a high-level professional player,” he said.
“I had a meeting with her yesterday and she settled in really well in the Netherlands. It’s been really good for her … getting her into a full-time professional environment has certainly helped her confidence and helped her development.
“If you look at my history, I’m not afraid to bring young players into teams … my intent is to do that, but it needs to be at the right time in the right environment to give them the best chance to succeed, as well as making sure the team succeeds.”
