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The shape and system is similar to how the Socceroos set up at the World Cup in Qatar – and Kerr even evoked Graham Arnold in her post-match press conference by describing “Australian grit” as a key part of the Matildas’ team culture.
Gustavsson explained how in November’s friendly against Sweden, playing Foord as a number 10 behind Kerr in a 4-2-3-1 proved an utter failure as they were too easily “shredded” in the middle. They switched to two strikers, even though they had never trained it before, and haven’t really looked back.
Caitlin Foord celebrates her goal against Spain.Credit:Getty
“Seeing what they did in that 4-4-2 against Sweden, you realise that as a national team coach, it’s all about getting the right place in the right spot with the right mindset,” he said.
“If I tell them too much and give them too small of a frame and overcoach to players like that, I actually don’t think we’re gonna see what we saw tonight. What we saw tonight is actually not my coaching Sam and Caitlin, it’s just me being lucky enough to put the right players in the right spot with the right mindset, and then it pays off like that.”
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The Matildas are treating the Cup of Nations as a test run for the Women’s World Cup, with their second match in Group B against Canada likely to be the one that decides which team finishes top and gets an easier path through the knockouts, avoiding a likely round-of-16 date with England.
In the second half at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, Spain turned the screws and scored twice as the Matildas retreated and defended deep, and while they ultimately did enough to secure the three points, the goals conceded took some of the gloss from the performance.
“Everything we do now is around the World Cup, every scenario is kind of what we’d maybe do in that situation,” Foord said.
“It’s annoying to concede, but at the end of the day, if you’re going to tell me we’d beat Spain 3-2, I’ll take that.”
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Attention now shifts to Wednesday’s clash against Jamaica in Newcastle, where the Matildas will clinch the Cup of Nations if they win.
“This is to top the group. Of course, at the end of this we can lift a trophy, but we see it as finishing top of the group too,” Kerr said.
“It sets us up for a nicer World Cup round rather than facing the likes of maybe England, so this is an important game.
“We’re not going to take the foot off the gas ... You want to get in that mindset of lifting trophies.”