“But it is what it is: the schedule is tough, we have to adapt, we have to recover well and step up when we need to.”
While FIFPro's talk of strike action is largely related to the men's game, due to FIFA's unilateral move to introduce an expanded 32-team Club World Cup to be played every four years, the union fears that the women's game is going in the same direction. .
Ellie Carpenter poses for a selfie with fans at Adelaide Oval after the Matildas' 1-1 draw with China.Credit: Getty
The commercial boom in women's football is leading to increased demand for exhibition matches involving both clubs and national teams, with the two matches in China bringing Football Australia at least $4 million in sales revenue tickets, while having a dual goal of helping Gustavsson complete his Olympics. plans
Up to 80,000 more fans will be at the Accor Stadium for the Matildas' 14th consecutive sell-out home game, their first game at the venue since the World Cup semi-final against England. But if Friday night is any indication, perhaps they should moderate their expectations in terms of game intensity and aggression.
The players were visibly tired at Adelaide Oval, and Gustavsson revealed after the game that the coaching staff were concerned about the production of not only those supporting the European campaigns, but also the local players, some of whom had not had a game competitive since the end of the A-League Women's home and away season in April.
“We travel a lot during the season … it eventually catches up to you,” Carpenter said. “Our mind knows that our season is over, so our body relaxes automatically, I think subconsciously in a way. So I think it's also difficult, so coming to play these last two games at the end of the season
“Now we're professionals at this, but the schedule is tight. It's not good.
Ellie Carpenter
“When we go out, we want to play our best football, you want to give 100 percent, and I know that every one of us, we want to give 100 percent. Some days that maybe physically can't happen, mentally we can't do it, but we always do our best, it's just important that we recover well, we sleep, so many factors come into play.
“Now we are professionals in this, but the agenda is busy. It's not good.”
Carpenter insisted he was not making excuses for the Matildas' performance, which he said was not up to par.
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“We just struggled to get out of our own half, we didn't find solutions on the pitch – in the half we found those solutions, and I think the second half was better,” he said. “We had a little more intensity, we kept it up a little more before the third. But this first half, we will definitely put it behind us, we definitely don't want to repeat it. We have to be much better.”
Gustavsson fielded a weakened line-up, with Foord, Carpenter, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Steph Catley and Hayley Raso not introduced until the 62nd minute, giving the likes of Clare Wheeler, Kaitlyn Torpey, Cortnee Vine and Charlotte Grant chances to start.
Having predicted there were only three or four spots left to play in his 18-man squad for the Olympics, Gustavsson said one or two players had been locked in with their performances against China, but he did not say who
