The Network Ten panel are now discussing Torpey’s candidacy for Paris. The utility absolutely settled in and had a very strong performance at left back today – Catley’s shoes big ones to fill – and did a fine job. In an Olympic squad in which you can only bring 18 players, versatility is a huge bonus to have in your squad and the former Preston Lion has that in droves. Grant, who came on for her in the 80th minute, will have to have a big window against China if she wants to retain her place. One thing we definitely learned? Foord and Carpenter are very good at football. The former’s moments of clash shone through even when the side was struggling to get the ball to her – assisting Raso’s opener and scoring the second – while the latter was buzzing here, there, and everywhere as she gave the Matildas a consistent avenue through the Mexican press in the opening half. Andy Harper on the Network Ten coverage concurs, declaring Foord as the Matildas’ most important player. Great minds. Even if I have much more hair on top of mine. An entertaining game and a worthwhile one, even if it’s ultimately going to be one of those contests that’s impact can’t be properly gauged in its immediate aftermath. The Matildas came into this contest clearly seeking to work on playing out from the back against a high-press and while it wasn’t perfect – only two shots in the first half -- you can see some of the building blocks being there. This is especially positive given that Gorry, who generally gives this side purpose in possession, wasn’t on the park and Catley was forced central to cover for Hunt’s absence. With games against China to come in the next international window, you’d expect to see more experimentation and training sessions-cum-games in Adelaide and Sydney, with the goal preparing the side for Germany, the USWNT and Zambia. And it’s in those games where the value of these types of evenings will be tested, where the rubber meets the road and the Matildas are tasked with beating the world’s best. Full Time: Mexico 0-2 Australia Job done in Texas. Hayley Raso’s ninth minute goal and Caitlin Foord’s supreme 52nd minute effort lift the Matildas to a third-straight win. 92 Mins: Wheeler tries to find Freier with a ball down the left but there’s too much on it. Goal kick. 91 Mins: Two minutes of extra time in San Antonio. 90 Mins: A lot of cramping happening under the Texan stars as we move towards the end of the full 90 minutes. 89 Mins: Barreras holds the ball for six seconds. Then another six seconds. But despite Foord’s protests, the Mexican keeper isn’t pinged for holding it too long. 88 Mins: Australia still have one more substitution in their back pocket. Can the Australian coach 100% complete the Tony Gustavsson make a substitute challenge? 👀 87 Mins: A great moment for Sharn Freier, becoming Matilda 228 as she comes on for Cooney-Cross. 86 Mins: Bernal is down needing treatment for cramp. She can’t come off as Mexico have made all six of their subs. 85 Mins: Wheeler goes into the book for a challenge on Sánchez. Shows how hard Gorry is to replace; she’d have got away with about six of those before going into the book. 84 Mins: Mexico now have a penalty shout but it’s waved away by the referee. Arnold then almost spills her reception of a Polkinghorne ball and has to scramble to stop it rolling over her own line. Ahh geeez. 83 Mins: The Matildas are caught in possession and almost made to pay! Mexico swarm Cooney-Cross at the top of the box and the ball comes out for an open shot for Casarez, only for it to be sent right at Casarez. If that’s an Alexandra Popp or Lindsey Horan, that’s a goal. 82 Mins: Mexico engineer a short corner routine to open up something of an angle for Perez but her resulting shot is wide and into the side netting. 80 Mins: Substitution Australia, Grant coming on for Torpey. Australia have a friendly against China in Adelaide during the next international window (Sydney too). The South Australians might riot if Grant only gets ten minutes in that one. 79 Mins: The stats telling the tale of a fatiguing Mexico right now, they’re now down to 37% possession but have surrendered the lead in shots to Australia. It’s always the danger when you’re going to come out with an intense, high-pressure game; you can’t keep it up forever so you need to make it count while you’re sill fresh. 78 Mins: Over the bar! Some really nice build-up play by the Matildas ends up with Carpenter – of course it does – and she wafts in a cross that Fowler, just, can’t head in from close range. 77 Mins: A bit of a purple patch for Mexico without a clear chance to show for it. 76 Mins: Palacios has brought some energy since she’s come on, looking to press the Matildas backline. 75 Mins: Sánchez swings a free kick into the Matildas’ penalty area for… nobody in particular. It bounces through to Arnold. 73 Mins: Long ball forward for Casarez falls between Kennedy and Carpenter and while they look to clear Arnold decides to do away with the formalities, coming out and hoofing it away. 72 Mins: Wheeler! Nearly. The dimunitive midfielder skips away from Perez but can’t direct her free header on target, it sailing over the bar. 71 Mins: A really good ball is played through the lines by Torpey for Fowler but before she can get a shot off Ferral slides across to prevent the shot. Corner. 70 Mins: Mexico knock the ball around the Matildas area but can’t find a way in. After pressing for much of the opening half in hot conditions they’ve clearly dropped off a level in the second-stanza. 69 Mins: Mexico deny van Egmond a shooting opportunity at the top of the box and attempt to transition quickly but Polkinghorne snuffs out the danger. 68 Mins: Mexico grab the ball off Australia just into their own half but retreat backwards in the aftermath, leading to a long ball forward that spills to the Matildas. 67 Mins: Matildas seek to build-up against a Mexican midblock. Nothing on, so they’ll re-set from the back. 66 Mins: Now it’s the turn of Mexico to try but fail to play out from the back, the Matildas winning the ball before they can progress past the halfway line – their move ending when Fowler plays a ball to an offside Foord. At the risk of repeating myself. Foord is so damn good. 64 Mins: Polkinghorne has gone into a centreback position as expected. Wheeler has taken on a screening position in front of the back four, allowing Cooney-Cross to push up higher up the pitch, while Vine has gone out to the wing. Van Egmond, after previously serving as a second-striker, is now leading the line in the absence of Heyman. 63 Mins: An almost instant opportunity for Vine, who receives a pass from Fowler inside the penalty area but her effort is too close to Barreras and kept out. 62 Mins: The Tony Gustavsson make a substitution challenge is a success! Polkinghorne, Vine, and Wheeler come onto the park, replacing Heyman, Catley, and Raso. 60 Mins: Raso gets down the right before sending a ball in to Van Egmond in a threatening position in the middle but she just can’t get to the ball. 59 Mins: Australia swing a dangerous looking corner in from the left but Mexico scramble it clear after Raso heads it back central into the mixer. 58 Mins: Triple change for Mexico. Luna, Palacios, and Perez on for Torres, Ordonez, and Delgado None yet for the Matildas. Tony Gustavsson make a substitution challenge. 57 Mins: The ball is nodded over the top of Australia’s lines by Ordóñez and into the path of Casarez, she has the scope to have a shot, albeit on an angle, but finds the side netting. Needs to be making Arnold work in that situation. 55 Mins: Raso (who else) is the first player into the book, yellow carded for a shirt pull. Goal! Mexico 0-2 Australia (Foord 52") That’s why you want to get Foord on the ball. So. Damn. Good. The attacker gets the ball on the left and turns towards goal before dropping her shoulder and cutting inside. She shimmys back left once to throw off Torres before shifting her weight again and continuing inside and letting loose with an effort that curls beyond Barreras and inside the far post. Warra goal. 50 Mins: A coming together between Heyman and Martínez leaves the latter on the turf. Reflective of the Matildas struggles to get the ball into Mexico’s penalty area, Heyman, a pure striker, hasn’t featured much tonight. 49 Mins: Two chances in two minutes for the Matildas, as Carpenter pounces on an attempted clearance and feeds Van Egmond at the top of her box. Her shot is over the bar. 48 Mins: Fowler has a long-range shot that’s headed towards the bottom corner of the net but Barreras keeps it out. Heyman can’t pounce on the rebound. 47 Mins: Fowler, Maricarmen Reyes, and Ovalle get into a bit of a tussel and the two Mexicans get a little sore. In Ohio, Canada and the USWNT are going to penalties after a 2-2 draw. Second Half Kickoff We are back playing in Texas. Yeehaw. What changed could we see in the second stanza? The most obvious one is bringing Wheeler into the midfield, possibly as a replacement for Van Egmond and shifting Cooney-Cross up the field in response. With Gorry in doubt for Paris and Mexico being used as a test-case for playing out from the back, it feels almost negligent on Gustavsson’s part not to at least examine this. Fullback Charlie Grant is another one that has been in and around these squads for such a long time so it would be useful to see her in this environment. Vine for Raso, speed for speed may be another change. Regardless, given that a lot of these players have games on the weekend with their clubs and it’s been a hot one (even if temperatures are rapidly falling) we should be seeing some changes. A first half of experimentation and trying new things in possession throughout the first half; a somewhat different looking Australia (really, only down two recognised starters, albeit critical ones) committing to trying to play through the Mexican press but not having much joy in seeing this turn into attacking opportunities. Australia had 60% of the ball in the opening stanza but only two shots – Raso’s goal the only one on target – and only three touches in the Mexican penalty area, with Carpenter’s moves down the flank or inversions into the middle often the only reliable avenue through the Mexican press. If this was an actual competitive fixture, it wouldn’t be good enough. But it’s not, so that has to colour our analysis. This is a learning experience, with an approach so experimental that it could easily be wacked on top of a Bunsen Burner. And we are seeing signs of what Gustavsson is trying to do. Rotations that see Foord move central and Fowler move out to the left. Fowler dropping deeper and Van Egmond moving into a second striker role. And while Mexico have had more shots, one hasn’t feel like Arnold’s goal is in mortal peril. Foord has been a lot quieter than one would normally hope for in these types of games, she’s the type of player that can break open any defence, but we’re perhaps seeing the snowball effect of Catley being forced to shift inside to cover for the absence of Hunt, there. After settling, Torpey has been steady defensively but doesn’t possess (and it would be unfair to expect her to) the same kind of connection with Foord that the attacker does with her Arsenal teammate Catley. Elsewhere, the Matildas final opponents in their Olympics group has been confirmed: the Copper Queens of Zambia. Two goals from Barbra Banda – an absolute superstar – has lifted them to a 3-2 aggregate win over Morocco in their African Olympic qualifier. Half-time: Mexico 0-1 Australia Raso’s ninth minute strike is the difference between the two sides heading into the main break. 45 Mins: Australia has a corner sent in by Cooney-Cross, Kennedy can’t head in on goal and Mexico transition quickly, only for the attack to come to nothing after Ovalle blazes over with a long-range, nothing shot. 45 Mins: Fowler drops deep into the midfield to receive the ball but Mexico are able to erect a wall of minty-shirts and repulse her attempt to instigate an attack. 42 Mins: Foord tries to create something out of nothing, dropping her should and cutting the ball inside past Torres before blazing an effort over the bar. 42 Mins: Carpenter sends the ball to Fowler in the middle of the park but her attempt to carry the ball forward and feed Van Egmond is snuffed out. The 21-year-old has had a very quiet opening half. 41 Mins: Mexico moving the ball down the left in spits and spurts via throw in. Matildas eventually get the ball back and attempt to transition quickly but their opponents scramble back and are able to re-set. 39 Mins: Australia still struggling to play out through the Mexican press and now we’re seeing a few signs that they’re inclined to, as Max Rushden would say, GET IT LAUNCHED. 38 Mins: Ovalle sends an in-swinging left-footed effort to the top of the six-yard-box but Kennedy rises with a towering header. Mexico keep it going in the second phase, Ovalle sends it in but Arnold claims it. 37 Mins: Mexico gets the ball down the right and win a corner. Ovalle to swing it in. 35 Mins: Carpenter gets the Matildas forward, Raso moves centrally to receive a pass, and keeps play moving to Fowler on the left. She whips a ball in but Barreras is able to clear the ball away before Foord can latch on to it. 34 Mins: A long ball over the top for Ovalle but she began her run from an offside position. Given she needed to outrun Carpenter to get to the ball, one can perhaps forgive her for trying to get a head start. 31 Mins: Half an hour gone in this one and it’s clear that the Matildas are under strict instructions to invite the press and then look to play out from the box at every opportunity. It’s important practice ahead of the likes of Germany and the USWNT in the Olympics as to this point, outside of Carpenter inverting or going zoom down the flank, there doesn’t appear to be many reliable ways through Mexico. Australia needs to find a way to get Foord and Fowler into the game more. Jasmine Casarez has come onto the park in place of Camberos. 29 Mins: Camberos goes down and needs a bit of treatment, she’s walking off under her own power, though, and looks like she will be fine to continue. A drinks break is taken. 29 Mins: Carpenter goes on another adventure down the flank but her attempted delivery into the box slices off her boot and out for a goal kick, 28 Mins: Reyna Reyes skips past Raso on the halfway line and wins a free kick as the winger tries to recover. No booking and the resulting play ends with a Mexican offside. 25 Mins: Some really nice build-up play through the midfield by Mexico but Ovalle’s attempt to play the ball in behind is cleared away. 24 Mins: A switch of play from left to right but Van Egmond’s attempted ball for Raso goes long. A bit of classic Raso in the afters as she drags down the defender shepherding the ball out for a goal kick. 23 Mins: Australia aren’t pressing with the same numbers as Mexico when the opportunity arises but Foord nonetheless wins the ball back high up the pitch. She’s such a good footballer. 22 Mins: Foord gets into a very central position – she’s not seeing enough of the ball on the left – and sends it to Raso, who wins a high throw in for the Matildas. Heyman gives away a free kick after play re-starts. 21 Mins: Another free kick is swung into the Australian penalty area but it sails over the head of Martínez at the back post. 19 Mins: Another warning sign for the Matildas as Delgado finds space atop the box to shoot but drags her effort across the face. 17 Mins: Mexico sends a free kick into the Australian penalty area, Catley heads it clear and the Matildas win a free kick in the aftermath. 15 Mins: Mexico wins the ball straight back from the throw in and Delgado blasts an effort from a long way out but it’s a simple save for Arnold. 14 Mins: An attempted move down the left by the Matildas but they can’t work the ball to Foord. Mexico bring the ball up the other end but the attempted switch by Delgado sails out for a throw in. 10 Mins: Ordóñez tries to answer straight back for Mexico – the old cliché about being at your most vulnerable just after you score – but can’t put an effort on target. GOAL! Mexico 0-1 Australia (Raso, 9) Carpenter inverts into the midfield and helps the Matildas break the press and shift play into their opponents half. After resetting in possession, Foord gets the ball on the left, drives forward and cuts it back to the top of the box, where Raso collects, gathers herself, shakes off the attention of Reyna Reyes and fires it into the bottom corner! Barreras got a hand to it but not enough to keep it out. 7 Mins: Bit of a nervy moment as Catley’s light touch to send the ball back to Arnold sees Reyes pin her ears back and press the Aussie keeper. She gets a boot the ball but it ricochets over the bar for a goal kick. 6 Mins: Another attempt to play out from the back sees Kennedy play the ball to Raso on the right, only for two defenders to swarm her and take the ball back before she can turn. Mexico subsequently win a free kick. 4 Mins: Australia are able to get the ball down the Mexican end and while it doesn’t result in a shot before Fowler turns it over they demonstrate their willingness to quickly counter press when the ball is in their opponent’s half. 2 Mins: The second attempt to play out from the back doesn’t get past the halfway line before fierce Mexican pressure takes the ball back. Australia are setting up in a 4-4-2 midblock out of possession and the Mexican attack peters out. 1 Mins: As advertised early on as the Matildas try to play out from the back under Mexican pressure… unfortunately for Gustavsson they’ve coughed it up and now Mexico are trying to reset and build. Kickoff! We are underway in San Antonio! Oh hello, Canada leads the United States 1-0 at halftime of their SheBelieves Cup fixture in Ohio thanks to a 40th minute goal from Adriana Leon 👀 The national anthems are complete, kickoff is imminent in San Antonio! Gustavsson speaking on the Network Ten coverage is asked about tonight’s game. He emphasises that tonight will be about the Matildas continuing their efforts to improve their play as the active side in possession, moving the play through Mexico while possessing more of the ball. “Both German in the US in the group stage [of the Olympics] are probably going to press with a lot of intensity. And so do Mexico. So it’s about us learning to deal with that press and be brave enough and good enough on the ball to break that press. “We’re gonna go all in and try the things we’re prepared for. We might take some hits and learn from that but we’re gonna get some good pictures as well. So we’re going to be extremely brave on the ball tonight. And aggressive in pressing when the period is there to do that. So you’re gonna see a very, very, very brave Matildas on the ball tonight.” Discussion on the coverage about Raso, who is back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the thumping 10-0 win over Uzbekistan in February. The winger will be looking for a new club after the Olympics as a rather unfruitful season at Real Madrid comes to a close – she’s only started one game for Los Blancos in 2024 – so these coming Matildas game, especially the Olympics, shape as huge not just when it comes to her establishing herself in Gustavsson’s plans but also in increasing her chances of finding a new home that presents the best situation for her. It’s 31 degrees in San Antonio at the moment – 88 degrees in local freedom units – which should be a test for both sides that like to play at high speeds. Clare Wheeler remains on the substitutes bench for Australia, despite the absence of Gorry ostensibly shaping as a prime opportunity to get her some minutes next to Cooney-Cross to see what she can do. On the books of Everton, the former Newcastle Jet has logged more minutes than any other Australian in the WSL this season but didn’t log any minutes against Uzbekistan. Mexico will be wearing their new, minty kits for tonight’s match. If this is anyone other than Steve Allen, you’re stealing the Matildas’ bit. One of the biggest questions heading into this window was just how the Gustavsson would seek to replace Paris Saint-Germain defender Hunt, who has become an integral part of the spine of this Matildas outfit despite only becoming a regular at the start of 2023. This was made all the more complicated when Luik, who at this point in her career is a defensive option for the Matildas but has been playing some of the best football in her career with Swedish side BK Häcken, was forced to withdraw from the squad with a hamstring ailment. Catley looks like she’ll shift over from left back to play next to Kennedy today – Kennedy’s return to regular football something of a blessing for Gustavsson – with specialist centreback Polkinghorne and Heatley, one like Catley can play across the backline, on the bench. Given everything Catley brings you on the flank, it’s not ideal but it’s also not the worst thing in the world either – albeit Hunt’s return for Paris shapes as crucial for Australia’s hopes at the Olympics. Heatley shapes as one potentially for the future and it will be interesting to see how much, if any, action she receives tonight. Torpey, meanwhile, continues to shape as something of a swiss army knife for the side, as the former Melbourne City and Preston Lions representative replaces Catley on the left. She hasn’t come through the traditional junior pathway, but given she’s arguably been the best defender in the A-League Women this season it would have been nice to see American-born defender Kayla Morrison get a look in amid this injury crisis – her club Melbourne Victory insist that after getting her citizenship she’s eligible for a call-up – but at this stage it appears we’ll have to wait until after the Olympics for ‘that. Mexico XI Mexico XI: Barreras (GK), Bernal, Reyes R, Delgado, Ordoñez, Ovalle, Torres, Martínez, Ferral, Camberos, Reyes M Mexico Subs: Espino (GK), Orejel, Rodríguex, Hernández, Sánchez, Palacios, Velasco (GK), Nieto, Pelayo, Casarez, Pérez, Luna Before we look a bit further at the Matildas, a few words on Mexico. Though they’ve missed the past two Women’s World Cups – going winless at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, which doubled as World Cup qualifying – and not been able to secure a place in Paris, La Tri are still considered one of North America’s better sides, with the Liga MX Femenil competition providing the bulk of their squad. Coached by Pedro López and making strong use of their diaspora to bring in players such as María Sánchez and Diana Ordóñez of the Houston Dash and Scarlett Camberos of Bay FC, Mexico didn’t lose a single game in 2023, albeit without playing local heavyweights Canada and the United States. They did, however, down the USWNT earlier this year during a run to the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, taking out a thoroughly deserved 2-0 thanks to goals from Lizbeth Ovalle and Mayra Pelayo-Bernal. They outshot the USWNT 13 to nine, with four shots on target to two, in that game despite only having 38% of the ball. And given the Matildas’ historic travails as a ball-dominant, active side in possession -- something Gustavsson identified as an area he was seeking to improve coming out of the World Cup -- today shapes as an important litmus test for the Matildas. Matildas XI Gustavsson’s lineup is in and with Clare Polkinghorne named on the bench, it looks like we’re going to be seeing Catley, who wears the armband in the absence of Kerr, as a centreback. Emily van Egmond comes into the midfield in place of Gorry but hopefully it’s Cooney-Cross that will be playing as the six -- given that most Matildas fans probably have a special wall in their houses that they bang their head against when van Egmond is played as a pivot rather than up the pitch, where her skills are of much more utility. Australia XI: Arnold, Catley, Torpey, Foord, van Egmond, Fowler, Kennedy, Raso, Carpenter, Cooney-Cross, and Heyman Australia Subs: Heatley, Polkinghorne, Vine, Wheeler, Micah, Yallop, Sayer, Grant, Whyman, Freier Preamble Howdy all, I’m Joey Lynch and welcome to live coverage of Mexico facing off with Australia, kicking off at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas. Kickoff is at 7pm local, that’s 10am AEST, and very early 7am AWST. The Matildas have opted to emphasise time on the training track this international window, just playing one game rather than the usual two. Still, tonight we’ll finally see them in action when they take on a Mexican side that lost 1-0 to Colombia on Saturday. With their place in Paris now secure, this international window was supposed to be all about helping the team find its groove and cohesion heading into the Games, hence the extra time spent in camp, but a raft of injuries have somewhat thrown those best-laid plans out the window. Instead, we’re likely to see a vastly different-looking Matildas side rolled out by coach Tony Gustavsson against La Tri. Nailed on starters and Paris certainties Clare Hunt and Katrina Gorry are the two most notable absences, with the former racing against time to be ready after suffering a stress fracture in her foot and the latter battling the clock to recover from an ankle ailment that has already forced to her to get surgery that has ended her season with WSL side West Ham. Lydia Williams (ankle), Chloe Logarzo (hip), Charlie Rule (hip), Courtney Nevin (hip), Aivi Luik (hamstring) are all unavailable with injury, while injury-replacement call-up Emily Gielnik herself went down with an injury when she suffered a calf strain – something that also casts her in doubt for Melbourne Victory’s crunch elimination final against the Central Coast Mariners on Sunday. Oh, and Holly McNamara and Sam Kerr remain unavailable after experiencing ACL injuries, even if Football Australia remain unwilling to officially rule the latter out of Paris at this point. It’s still good, it’s still good! This means that bolters such as Brisbane Roar’s Sharn Freier and former Roar player Winonah Heatley have the chance to get a look in and there remain familiar names such as Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Mary Folwer, and Ellie Carpenter that, just maybe, will be used in unfamiliar positions. “I don’t like the word experiments, but it will be a day when we’re going to try a lot of things and see where we’re at in that process,” Gustavsson said in his official pre-match press conference yesterday. Will it work? Will it not work? Will this go better than the last time Gustavsson trotted out an experimental XI, when a second-string side was somewhat hung out to dry against Canada? We’re about to find out.