3 minute read

The Matildas' 2-1 loss to Italy has disappointed observers but Ante Milicic and Caitlin Foord insist a turnaround is coming at the Women's World Cup.

The Matildas won't be hurried into rethinking their World Cup plans despite a "disastrous" opening loss to Italy.

Ante Milicic's side were humbled 2-1 in Valenciennes on Sunday by a team making their World Cup return after a 20-year break.

Much of the outing wasn't pretty.

The high defensive line employed by Milicic nearly cost Australia dearly, with two Italy goals on the counter ruled out by marginal offside calls.

Emily van Egmond was again error-strewn in possession, while the much-vaunted Matildas front line is yet to gel.

Within minutes of the final whistle, brickbats flew at the team, and particularly Milicic.

Matildas legend Heather Garriock, who played at three World Cups and is now Canberra United coach, labelled the match "disastrous".

"I'm so upset. More for the style in which we played the second half ... this high line is absolutely ridiculous," she said on Optus Sport.

"If you think as a coach you can come in and change your philosophy, and change the style within five matches. We have just been crucified, not once but twice.

"If we had a better side playing against us tonight it would have been more than five. I'm so disappointed."

Milicic wore a heavy face as he came to grips with the result, conceding his side played within themselves.

"When we played our football we looked decent, but it was only in patches," he said.

"We need to be a little bit more brave and composed on the ball."

"We need to have a better understanding when to drop and when to stay high, and the position of the goalkeeper."

Forward Caitlin Foord suggested the Matildas, who have enjoyed Milicic's tactical tweaks since he took over in February, weren't for turning.

"No World Cup is won on the first game," she said.

"There's a lot of positives to take.

"We're here to play our style of football ... we believe that win will us the World Cup so we'll keep doing that."

The former Socceroos assistant coach defended Clare Polkinghorne's calamitous error of turning over the ball without any pressure to allow Italy to equalise.

"Clare is brave to do that. We are not going to change our style because we have conceded a goal," Milicic said.

"I will always believe in that style, that's the style we want to progress up the field, we just need to get better at it and better at it quickly."

Australia now head south to Montpellier, where they face Brazil, who thrashed Jamaica 3-0 on Sunday.