Following a mountain of criticism early on this Women’s World Cup, Tony Gustavsson has gained over nearly everybody.
Panned initially for his dealing with of Sam Kerr’s harm standing and his coaching methods over a collection of concussions, the Matildas coach had the final snigger with their historic trip to the semi-finals.
Contracted till the top of 2024 and subsequent yr’s Paris Olympics, Gustavsson has spoken glowingly and appreciatively of his time with the Aussie crew.
But he has been linked with the best profile job within the ladies’s sport.
“He should definitely be a strong candidate for the (US) job,” vastly profitable former US ladies’s head coach Jill Ellis advised ESPN.
Ellis ought to know higher than most.
Gustavsson was an assistant coach below Ellis for the triumphant 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
Following the reported resignation of Vlatko Andonovski after the American crew’s shock spherical of 16 defeat to Sweden – the nation’s earliest ever departure by a good distance – the position has turn into out there.
It was the efficiency of the Matildas within the warm-up victory over France that actually impressed Ellis.
“I watched them play against France in the warm-up game and I remember going ‘this is a well-oiled machine’,” she stated previous to Australia’s semi-final defeat to England.
“They’re going to make a deep run in this tournament. You could just see it, the way they stepped together and moved together.
“It just reminded me a lot of our team in 2019. We were a very well-oiled machine, prepared for any situation.”
While the Matildas misplaced 3-1 to England in a devastating end result, Gustavsson nonetheless has the chance to information the crew to a first-ever podium within the third place playoff with Sweden on Saturday.
In his pre-match press convention on Friday, Gustavsson laughed about the best way his fame has circled in a brief house of time.
“It’s funny how this game works, right?” he stated. “A couple of weeks ago, there was speculation on when I was going to get sacked from the job.
“We know the business, how it works. You’re never better than your last game; losing tomorrow and I’m probably s**t again.
“It’s just how it works. It’s one game at a time. I love working with this team.
“We’ve been on a journey together and I said it from day one.
“It’s such a privilege to be a part of this team and this journey and be a smaller part of something much bigger than the 90 minute football.
“The legacy that these players wanted to leave here and been able to do so as well and experience the game tomorrow with them is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Ellis added that the Swedish born Gustavsson had finished a outstanding job contemplating the Matildas had been lacking captain Sam Kerr all through the group stage.
“I don’t think people are giving him and his staff enough credit for having navigated most of this tournament without arguably one of the best players in the world,” she stated.
“Most of us as coaches would not have said Australia was even close to being a contender without (Sam) Kerr.
“So that’s pretty remarkable what they’ve been able to navigate as a staff.”
Source: www.news.com.au
