Matildas’ final Olympic qualifier looms as cut-throat audition for Paris | Jack Snape | OneFootball

By name, the Matildas’ match on Wednesday is the second leg of the final stage of Olympic qualification. By nature, it is – in front of more than 50,000 fans in Melbourne – a cut-throat audition.

Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the first leg has made the return clash resemble something of a dead rubber. But to the desperate players not yet entrenched in the national set up, the match’s significance now looms in even sharper focus: it represents a critical examination to make or break Olympic aspirations. To secure a place on the plane to Paris, time is running out.

Coach Tony Gustavsson revealed on Tuesday he is already thinking about having to share the bad news to those he must leave behind. And he said his role doesn’t get more difficult than having to tell a player they haven’t made the cut.

“I love this team,” Gustavsson said. “To then have to say to someone that actually deserves to be there that there’s no spot for you, that is the toughest part of this job.”

Just 18 players can be sent to Paris for the 2024 Games, a far tighter allocation than that usually taken on international trips and to World Cups due to the need to keep Olympic teams – which must cover 35 sports – a reasonable size.

Steph Catley said she wouldn’t want to be in the Gustavsson’s shoes. “I don’t envy him for that at all,” she said. But the fullback – wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Sam Kerr – believes the pressure can produce some positives, albeit alongside just as much pain.

“It’s tough when the squad gets a lot smaller, but I think it definitely creates competition for spots, which is a massive advantage as well because you get the most out of the players in every position,” Catley said.

Twenty-three players were in the squad that travelled to Tashkent for the first leg, before returning on Monday morning to Melbourne in a prolonged itinerary via Dubai.

Another, Cortnee Vine, withdrew from the window due to personal reasons, but won’t soon be forgotten after her penalty shootout heroics last year. Seventeen-year-old Daniela Galic was in the training squad assembled last week in Dubai. And there is competition building from outside.

Kyah Simon, the experienced forward who was chosen in last year’s World Cup squad, is continuing her return from injury for the A-League Women’s Central Coast. And Matildas veteran, Emily Gielnik, has started scoring for Melbourne Victory in her own return from injury, and, at 31, is still in her prime.

“It can be testing times, it’s obviously not nice from a player’s perspective to see players not get picked for squads,” Catley said. “But it’s prestigious to play at the Olympics, and I think it means that you’ve got a team full of players that are really in form.”

Although Gustavsson faced criticism for being too reliant on a core group of players during last year’s World Cup, he has introduced dozens to the international setup in his four years with the side. These players have had a taste of the Matildas, but in an 18-player squad there is not a lot of servings to go around.

“I had three major tournaments before, this is the fourth, and it’s going to be the toughest one because the competition for spots is so great right now [because] we built depth over the years,” the Swede said.

Gustavsson said a normal 18-player Olympic squad would consist of two goalkeepers, three centre-backs, three full-backs, three central midfielders, three wingers, and three central forwards, leaving the final place to a role akin to a wildcard.

“That can be a multifunctional player because you need depth, or it can be a role player coming off the bench to do a certain thing – close out the game, score a goal for example,” he said.

The biggest selection surprise for the Uzbekistan qualifiers has been the return of Canberra United striker Michelle Heyman, after five years in the international wilderness. The 35-year-old – who is top-scorer in the ALW – broke the deadlock on Saturday after coming off the bench. Her inclusion shows Gustavsson is still looking for the right mix of players.

The coach praised Heyman’s performance in the first leg, and confirmed she is in the mix to start the second leg. “One of the reasons we brought in Heyman as well is to look at, what does it look like if we play with an out-and-out [number] nine,” he said.

Before the Games start in late July, the Matildas have so far scheduled only one friendly, against Mexico in April. Gustavsson may line up other opponents, or seek a final training camp with his Matildas aspirants. Either way, players will be on the receiving end of difficult calls in the lead up to Paris.

“I’m sure we’re going to have a big debate and discussion about who is selected once we’ve come to that day as well,” Gustavsson said. “But let’s park that for right now because I feel I get stressed when I talk about it.”

Header image: [Photograph: Tolib Kosimov/Getty Images]