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Key events
Following a 4-0 defeat to Japan, Australia then lost 2-1 to an experimental USA, a result that was damned with the faint praise of an interim coach crediting his side for not caving in.
Colombia XI
Here’s how Colombia go in to today’s fixture. Always a pleasure to see the attacking quality of Linda Caicedo and Mayra Ramirez.
Australia XI
Tom Sermanni has shuffled his pack again, but there are no wildcards in the starting XI. Of note, Teagan Micah continues her push to become the first choice goalkeeper, and Michelle Heyman returns up front. A lot will rely again on veterans Tameka Yallop and Emily van Egmond for creativity and tempo.
“Over the last seven years we haven’t really expanded the capacity of the squad,” laments Andy Harper on the TV, doing his best to remain diplomatic.
Because it’s 2025 and we’re no longer allowed to have nice things, the loudest headlines about women’s sport in recent days have been about a bloke being a dickhead.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everyone and welcome to live coverage of Australia v Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup. Kick-off at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego is 4:30pm local time (11:30am AEDT).
Unfortunately for both teams this is a crushing non-event of a fixture. The competitive jeopardy extends to the avoidance of last place in the four-team tournament, with the superior pair of Japan and the USA battling it out for silverware later on.
Nonetheless, there is still much for the Matildas to gain from 90 minutes against one of the most instinctive sides in international football.
At a basic level Australia just need a result to restore some of the feel-good factor that normally accompanies the squad. Seven defeats in 12 from the recent World Cup semi-finalists indicates a team enduring a prolonged spell of poor form, or worse, it may be signalling a more significant decline requiring revised expectations; downwards.
If it is the latter, tournaments like this, and especially fixtures like this, must be seized upon to figure out what the next iteration of this team looks like. The starting XI against Japan in the opening match was a Sam Kerr away from the preferred XI for most of the last four years – and it was hammered 4-0.
Clearly this is not helped by the extended presence of an interim coach (nor a predecessor with a short-term focus). Whoever is appointed full-time will be forced to grasp the nettle, and somehow balance squad rejuvenation against the hype that will come with Australia hosting the next major tournament: the 2026 Asian Cup. And while that competition sounds futuristic, the opening ceremony is just a year and two days away.
I’ll be back with team news and more talking points shortly. If you want to get in touch feel free to drop me an email.
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