Soccer World Cup 2015 / Australia

This article covers the Australia women's national soccer team at the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada . Australia took part in the World Cup finals for the sixth time and was able to win a game in the knockout round for the first time, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals against the defending champions. The Australians were only absent from the first event in 1991. The team qualified second in the 2014 Asian Cup .

qualification

Australia did not have to qualify for the Asian Cup, but was seeded like China, Japan and South Korea.

Group stage

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Japan	3	2	1	0	013: 200	+11	07th
2.	Australia	3	2	1	0	007: 300	+4	07th
3.	Vietnam	3	1	0	2	003: 700	−4	03
4th	Jordan	3	0	0	3	002:130	−11	00

May 14, 2014, Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City
Australia	-	Japan	2: 2 (1: 0)
May 16, 2014, Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City
Australia	-	Jordan	3: 1 (1: 0)
May 18, 2014, Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam	-	Australia	0: 2 (0: 1)

Australia qualified for the World Cup with second place in the group.

Semifinals

May 22, 2014

South Korea

-

Australia

1: 2 (0: 0)

final

May 25, 2014

Japan

-

Australia

1: 0 (1: 0)

Coach Alen Stajcic used a total of 23 players in the five games, starting in the second group game with a starting line-up changed to nine positions, in the third group game then starting again with the nine players from the first group game who were not in the starting line-up in the second group game stood. Only five players ( Teigen Allen , Caitlin Foord , Katrina Gorry , Samantha Kerr and Emily van Egmond ) were used in all five games, but none of them were in all starting lineups. The top scorers were Katrina Gorry (3 goals) and Kate Gill (2).

preparation

In February 2015, the Australians played two international test matches in Auckland , New Zealand : on the 10th against North Korea (2: 1), which was not allowed for the World Cup, and on the 12th against New Zealand (3: 2), which was also for the World Cup has qualified. In spring 2015, the team took part in the traditional Cyprus Cup for the second time and met the World Cup participants Netherlands (1-0 on March 4), England (0: 3 on March 6) and Finland (3: 0 on March 9th) and in the game for 5th place on March 11th against the Czech Republic (6-2). On April 7th, the Australians played against Austria for the first time in Villach and lost 2-1. On April 9, another test match in Falkirk against Scotland ended 1-1. On May 19, 2015, a penultimate test against Vietnam against the public took place in Park Lea , which was won 4-0. Both met again on the 21st in Kogarah and this time Australia won 11-0. Then the "Matildas" fly to Canada.

The team

Contingent

The squad of 23 players (including three goalkeepers), which must be communicated to the FIFA general secretariat at least ten working days before the opening match, was announced on May 12th. On May 18, Clare Polkinghorne and Lisa De Vanna were introduced as co-captains.

No.	player	Date of birth	society	Calls	Gates	World Cup games	World Cup 2015
							Sp.	Gates
goal
21st	Mackenzie Arnold	02/25/1994	Perth Glory	007th	00		0	0	0	0	0
18th	Melissa Barbieri	01/20/1980	Adelaide United	086	00	8 (2003, 2007, 2011)	1	0	0	0	0
1	Lydia Williams	05/13/1988	Canberra United FC M	046	00	1 ( 2007 , 2011)	4th	0	0	0	0
Defense
5	Laura Alleway	11/28/1989	Brisbane Roar	036	02	1 (2011)	5	0	0	0	0
7th	Stephanie Catley	01/26/1994	Melbourne Victory	039	02		5	0	0	0	0
8th	Elise Kellond-Knight	08/10/1990	Brisbane Roar	062	01	4 (2011)	5	0	0	0	0
4th	Clare Polkinghorne	02/01/1989	Brisbane Roar	079	05	5 (2007, 2011)	0	0	0	0	0
6th	Servet Uzunlar	03/08/1989	Sydney FC	048	02	4 (2011)	1	0	0	0	0
midfield
22nd	Nicola Bolger	03/03/1993	Sydney FC	006th	00		0	0	0	0	0
13	Tameka Butt	06/16/1991	Brisbane Roar	049	06th	2 (2011)	3	0	0	0	0
19th	Katrina Gorry	08/13/1992	Brisbane Roar	035	11		5	0	0	0	0
14th	Alanna Kennedy	01/21/1995	Perth Glory	034	00		5	0	0	0	0
12	Leena Khamis	06/19/1986	Sydney FC	025th	07th	1 (2011)	0	0	0	0	0
15th	Teresa Polias	May 16, 1990	Sydney FC	009	00		0	0	0	0	0
3	Ashleigh Sykes	12/15/1991	Canberra United FC M	016	04th		2	0	0	0	0
10	Emily van Egmond	07/12/1993	Newcastle Jets	045	11	3 (2011)	5	0	0	0	0
attack
2	Larissa Crummer	01/10/1996	Brisbane Roar	007th	01		2	0	0	0	0
11	Lisa De Vanna	11/14/1984	Melbourne Victory	104	36	8 (2007, 2011)	5	2	0	0	0
9	Caitlin Foord	11/11/1994	Perth Glory	035	05	3 (2011)	5	0	0	0	0
23	Michelle Heyman	07/04/1988	Canberra United FC M	040	15th		5	0	0	0	0
20th	Samantha Kerr	09/10/1993	Perth Glory	042	07th	3 (2011)	5	0	0	0	0
16	Hayley Raso	09/05/1994	Brisbane Roar	013	01		0	0	0	0	0
17th	Kyah Simon	06/25/1991	Sydney FC	056	13	3 (2011)	5	3	0	0	0
Coaching staff
Head coach	Alen Stajcic	11/02/1973	Football Federation Australia				5		0	0	0
Remarks: ↑ Status: May 12, 2015, M = champions of the 2014 season ↑ a b Status: June 21, 2015 after the round of 16 according to fifa.com: Australia - female players ↑ Before the 2015 World Cup

Games at the World Cup

Edmonton (VR / VF) Winnipeg (VR) Moncton (AF)

Venues

When the groups were drawn, Australia was not seeded and was drawn to group D with the USA, the Central and North American champions.

Furthermore, Sweden and Africa champions Nigeria were drawn. Australia had never played against Nigeria before the World Cup. The USA are the Australians' third most popular opponent after New Zealand (46 games) and China (37) with 24 games. So far it has only been enough to two draws in 22 defeats. There were nine games against Sweden before, only one of which was won. Two games ended in a draw, Australia won one on penalties and lost six. Most recently, the Australians met the Swedes in the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals and lost 3-1.

The group was considered the strongest of the World Cup; it was the only one with four teams that reached at least the semifinals in their last continental title bouts. In the FIFA world rankings before the World Cup, Australia was 10th, the US 2nd, Sweden 5th and Nigeria 33rd; Group cut = 12.5.

In the first group game against the USA, the Australians started briskly and did not let themselves be swayed by the goal after a shot that was unlucky for the Australian goalkeeper, but equalized 15 minutes later. In the second half the strength slackened, the Americans got better into the game and could then decide for themselves. Against Nigeria, who had shown a courageous performance against Sweden, Australia then dominated the game, did not allow the fast counterattacks of the tired-looking Africans and scored two beautiful goals themselves. A draw against Sweden was enough for them to reach the round of 16, but Australia initially played for victory. Team captain Lisa De Vanna picked up a long pass from her own half in the fifth minute and appeared alone in front of the Swedish goalkeeper, who gave her no chance. Out of nowhere, Sweden equalized 10 minutes later. After that, Australia increasingly managed the result and only got into danger in a few corners of the Swedes, where goalkeeper Lydia Williams could excel. In the end, Australia moved into the knockout round as second in the group, while Sweden, as third in the group, is still dependent on the other games in groups E and F.

Scene from the quarter final match against Japan

As runners-up in the group, Australia met Brazil , the group winners of Group E, on June 21, 2015 and had to fly to Moncton (6 to 7 hours flight time), while their opponents Brazil had already played their last group game in Moncton. There were previously 11 games between the two, of which Australia won four and lost seven. In World Cup tournaments, both played against each other twice, in 2007 in the quarter-finals and in 2011 in the group stage. Australia had narrowly lost both games (2: 3 and 0: 1). In a very even game with few scoring chances, Australia was able to take advantage of a mistake by the Brazilian goalkeeper, who was unable to capture a shot by Lisa De Vanna , which was then converted 1-0 by the recently substituted Kyah Simon . This was the first time the Australians won a knockout game at a World Cup, which their male colleagues had previously been able to do.

The opponent in the quarterfinals was defending champion Japan . Australia had to fly back to Edmonton for this. Both met 21 times before with five wins for Australia, eight draws and nine defeats - most recently in the final of the 2014 Asian Cup. Australia played more defensively this time and tried counterattacks, but the passes to the top were mostly too imprecise and were from intercepted by the Japanese defense. However, the Australians only allowed the Japanese to have better scoring chances in the final phase, one of whom used one of them to score the winning goal after a confusion in the Australian defense. The last efforts to achieve the balance were then too haphazard. This was the third time in a row that Australia was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	United States	3	2	1	0	004: 100	+3	07th
2.	Australia	3	1	1	1	004: 400	± 0	04th
3.	Sweden	3	0	3	0	004: 400	± 0	03
4th	Nigeria	3	0	1	2	003: 600	−3	01

Mon., June 8, 2015, in Winnipeg
United States	-	Australia	3: 1 (1: 1)
Fri June 12, 2015 in Winnipeg
Australia	-	Nigeria	2: 0 (1: 0)
Tue June 16, 2015 in Edmonton
Australia	-	Sweden	1: 1 (1: 1)

Knockout round

Round of 16 on June 21, 2015, in Moncton
Brazil	-	Australia	0: 1 (0: 0)
Quarter-finals on June 27, 2015, in Edmonton
Australia	-	Japan	0: 1 (0: 0)

Awards

Elise Kellond-Knight and Lisa De Vanna have been nominated for the All-Star Team .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ nzfootball.co: "Ferns to host top 10 sides" ( Memento of the original from January 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ footballaustralia.com: "Westfield Matildas confirmed to face European duo"
3. ↑ footballaustralia.com: "Simon celebrates 50th cap with win over Vietnam"
4. ↑ footballaustralia.com: "Westfield Matildas to host Vietnam in farewell match"
5. ↑ fifa.com: "Regulations FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 ™"
6. ↑ footballaustralia.com: "Westfield Matildas name World Cup squad"
7. ↑ footballaustralia.com: "Stajcic names co-captains for World Cup"
8. ↑ framba.de: "Women's World Cup 2015: group draw degenerates into a farce" ( Memento of the original from December 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
9. ↑ HIGHLIGHTS: Australia v. Sweden - FIFA Women's World Cup 2015

Web links

• AFC Women's Asian Cup