Gustavsson’s Matildas have performed eight high 10 groups of their World Cup lead-up. Friday’s match with France makes it 9.
His final probability to check the 23-woman squad earlier than their opening World Cup conflict with Ireland subsequent week, Australia and France have confronted off seven instances – with three wins every and a draw.
But a Gustavsson-coached Matildas aspect are but to do battle with Les Bleus. Last time the 2 sides went face to face was in 2018 with France successful 2-0.
Two years later, in 2020, Carpenter joined French powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais, the place she performs alongside half the French nationwide crew.
Carpenter’s internal information of her French adversaries could give the Matildas an edge with regards to Friday’s match, however extra importantly, the defender believes the pleasant would give the crew a sign of any final minute adjustments that should be made.
“This game is really going to show where we are at and what we can bring to this tournament,” mentioned Carpenter, talking as a Rebel Sport ambassador.
“You always want to win that send off game to get off to a good start.”
The French aspect for his or her half have had a rocky yr off the sphere.
Their coach Corinne Diacre was sacked in March after captain Wendie Renard mentioned she would pull out of the World Cup if the coach wasn’t eliminated.
Herve Renard, the previous Saudi Arabia males’s coach, took over the job and hit the bottom working, celebrating a 2-1 win over Olympic champions Canada lower than a month later.
They have additionally had wins in opposition to Columbia, Uruguay, Norway and confronted Australia’s first World Cup opponent Ireland in a pleasant match on July 7, successful the sport 3-0.
France’s type have them on Carpenter’s radar as a critical menace to successful the World Cup.
“I honestly have France in my top four this World Cup,” Carpenter mentioned.
“They have world-class players in every position and they also just got a new coach and I think that really inserted a buzz into the camp.
“Everyone wants to prove themselves when a new coach comes in.
“I think they’re going to be really good. Obviously attacking wise they are world class and also defending wise too — so all over the pitch they are really solid.
“It will be the perfect test for us.”
The send-off match, like every of the Matildas’ group stage World Cup video games, is a sellout.
A reality Carpenter mentioned was mind-boggling.
“It was so hard to even find a women’s game on TV (when I was a girl),” Carpenter mentioned.
“I went to a Matildas game and there were maybe 100 people in the stands. It’s just crazy to see how much the game has changed in 10 years.
“One main thing we want to do at this World Cup is to leave a legacy and hopefully get an equal participation rate in women and men and boys and girls playing football. Our goal is 400,000 girls to play, it would be really cool if we could achieve that.”
Carpenter is working onerous off the sphere to assist deliver this mission to life by means of a program, launched by Rebel Sport and Nike, referred to as GoalGirls.
The program incorporates a vary of video tutorials, starring Carpenter, with the goal of introducing women to key expertise and provides them the arrogance to hitch an area crew.
Carpenter mentioned she has filmed a spread of movies from warms up, ball mastery expertise and even a particular tutorial on how one can defend similar to her.
“It kind of shows how I like to defend, how to best defend an attack or a winger and I also like to attack so it includes an attacking move with a goal or a pass at the end.
“I would have loved to have an idol or a Matilda showing me how to do that when I was a girl.”
Registrations launch July 13 atrebelsport.com.au
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
