‘No-brainer’ that Catley starts in Matildas’ Olympics opener against Germany
By Emma Kemp
Tony Gustavsson has declared his captain Steph Catley ready to start the Matildas’ Olympics opener against Germany, adding Caitlin Foord is “available as of now” but still needs medical sign-off over the coming hours.
Catley revealed on Wednesday night France time that the mystery “lower leg injury” that sidelined her for the warm-up loss to Canada 12 days ago was a calf niggle – a throwback to the calf strain sustained by Sam Kerr on the eve of last year’s Women’s World Cup.
“I’m good to go,” Catley said after Australia’s final training session in Marseille before their first group game against Germany on Thursday night (Friday morning 3am AEST).
“It was just a little calf niggle. Nothing bad at all, but I’ve had a little history with my calves so it was just being careful and taking my time, making sure I got it right. Because any hiccups this close to a major tournament and you could miss the whole thing.”
In a reassuring sign after what Gustavsson described as “a challenging preparation period” punctuated by injuries and tightly managed rehab plans, all 18 squad members plus the four alternates took to the field for and participated in warm-up drills throughout the first 15 minutes that were open to media.
“If Steph is available or captain, that’s a no-brainer,” he said when asked if Catley would start. “Obviously we always need to plan. The players just focus on one game at a time, and that game [is] against Germany.
Steph Catley says she has recovered from a calf niggle and is ready to start against Germany.Credit: Getty Images
“As a coach and SSSM [sports science and sports medicine], we always look down the road in tournaments, and when it comes to minutes and what the game looks like and game management, that’s another thing. But that she starts is a no-brainer.”
Katrina Gorry, who returned from a three-month lay-off following season-ending ankle surgery to play the first half against Canada, is another whose minutes will be managed throughout a tournament riddled with three-day turnarounds.
The other big question marks hover over the heads of Foord – a crucial figure in Australia’s attack – and versatile defender Kaitlyn Torpey, after both sat out the Canada friendly.
“As of right now, both of them trained fully,” Gustavsson said. “In terms of a medical update and status … an updated report will always be there on game day. So we have the meeting tonight and then [team doctor] Brandi [Cole] or a doctor from a medical perspective always send messages to you guys so you know exactly what the status is instead of me being a messenger on those things. But both are available as of now, yes.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge to get everyone up to speed, but to then see 100 per cent of the players available for training today was amazing. But I also want to be clear to say that available for training could be different [from] available for a game.”
How the Matildas navigate a tricky group featuring Germany, Zambia and the United States will go a long way to determining their medal credentials in France, having been disappointed to place fourth at both the Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Cup.
For the out-of-contract Gustavsson, the Germany fixture also represents a full-circle moment, three-and-a-bit years after a 5-2 loss to the same nation marked the start of a tenure that could well end after these Games.
“Going into this tournament was a time to reflect on that,” he said.
“And what I made sure I do is every time I stepped on that field or when sitting in a meeting is to embrace every single moment of it, because there might not be too many left of those and I’m so privileged to be part of it.”
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