The Matildas have been thumped 4-0 by Japan in the United States, a sobering result that came despite the Aussies fielding many of their top stars.
It was the worst-ever defeat to Japan, and is clear cause for concern a year out from the Asian Cup on home soil.
Japan were on a different level in cohesion and technical ability. They had 18 shots to a solitary attempt from the Matildas – and eight on target to none.
It took 87 minutes before Charlotte Grant’s attempt – and Opta said it was the first time on record the Matildas have made one shot or fewer in a game.
It’s not as if the Matildas were below strength. Sam Kerr aside, they had a team packed with star talent including Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley from the start.
Caitlin Foord. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
The result also exposed Australia’s dithering over a new head coach, with Tom Sermanni in the caretaker role.
“Japan were really good, they gave us a football lesson today,” Sermanni said.
“Sometimes you have to sit back and say, ‘you know what, we were just played off the field today’, and that’s what we were.
“They were quicker to every ball, they kept possession fantastically, when we tried to press, they broke out the press, when we sat back, they managed to play through us.
“Sometimes you have one of those games, and I’d like to be able to sit here and give you X, Y and Zs why it happened, but in reality they were just very, very good today and we were a bit off.
“Probably the most disappointing thing was, even despite that, I just felt some of the goals that we gave up were very poor, and that’s kind of un-Australian.
“We want to be a team that’s hard to beat, and to be honest today we really gave up some soft goals.
“The result was well deserved and a very accurate description of how the game went.
“The positive of this is it gives a lesson for the next time we play Japan.”
Matilda watchers will argue they have had plenty of chances to learn before this result – and clearly haven’t.
Andy Harper, speaking on Paramount’s coverage, said Japan’s dominance over both the Matildas and Socceroos needed to be addressed.
“The broader point, which needs to be reinforced here, we’re having the same discussion after a Matildas game against Japan as we have against the men against Japan,” Harper said.
“What does that tell us? This is not a team versus another team. This is a system versus another system and whilst Japan, over 5, 10, 15 years, have just made such vast progress on a technical level with their players, we sit here sending our national teams out, still wondering whilst the political system in Australia goes in ever diminishing circles about confronting this thing. The fans tune in to watch and the chasm between Japan and Australia, technically, seems to be getting wider, not narrower.
“And I don’t think that’s a problem of the players necessarily.
“Individually, they can work harder. Some of the players today not being able to make a five-yard pass, distressing. Not being able to control the ball, it is distressing. But it’s bigger than that. This is system versus system and our system’s got to get ready or this ain’t going to change.”
Carpenter acknowledged the team’s disappointment.
“Japan are a great team, clinical, technical. They finished their chances. Yeah, it was a bad performance from us and we need to regroup, refocus for the next game against the US,” said Carpenter.
She said the Matildas struggled with their press.
“We weren’t gelling,” she said. “Japan are a great team. They rotate so much. Their movement is incredible. Technically, they’re amazing. So they find those pockets between the lines very easily. For us, we just need to be more compact and we needed to all get on the same page quicker, which we didn’t do.”
Defensive mix-ups allowed Mina Tanaka to score in the fifth and 32nd minutes and leave Australia shellshocked.
Tanaka turned provider for Maika Hamano in the 52nd minute, before Moeka Minami headed home in the 75th to seal a dominant victory.
Poor organisation allowed the Nadeshiko to draw first blood.
Under little pressure, Aoba Fujino whipped in a cross and a poor clearing header from Catley failed to avert the danger.
Fuka Nagano trickled a weak shot towards Tanaka, who jostled with Kennedy and backheeled the ball between the defender’s legs.
Tanaka smacked a free header off the crossbar in the 26th minute.
In the 32nd minute, chasing a long ball, Hunt cut across Kennedy, leaving Tanaka open to slide in and score.
Some sublime passing seven minutes after the break pulled Australia’s defence apart, before Tanaka’s low cross teed up Hamano for a simple tap-in.
Arnold made a big save to deny Riko Ueki in the 62nd minute and Sermanni turned to his bench two minutes later.
Holly McNamara, earning her first cap since the 2022 Asian Cup, Daniela Galic, Winonah Heatley and Charli Grant replaced Caitlin Foord, Fowler, Kennedy and Catley.
Japan completed the rout from a short-corner routine.
Yui Hasegawa nudged the ball to Kitagawa, whose wonderful cross was beautifully flicked home by Minami.
Charli Grant smacked the crossbar with Australia’s first shot in the 87th minute.
Australia play the United States in Glendale on Monday (AEDT) before meeting Colombia in San Diego on Thursday.
(With AAP)
Tony Harperhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2025/02/21/thats-a-disaster-matildas-suffer-worst-ever-loss-to-japan-the-chasm-is-getting-wider/‘That’s a disaster’: Coach slams ‘Un-Australian’ Matildas after worst-ever loss – ‘the chasm is getting wider’
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