Ben Smith: Hunt for new Matildas coach now a race against the clock with AFC Women’s Asian Cup a year away

They say Father Time is undefeated, but it is a doomsday clock which is ticking louder for the Matildas. Six months ago, they parted ways with Tony Gustavsson after a dreadful Olympics campaign which showed the chasm between them and the top countries in the world. The only result they had to show for themselves in Paris was a lucky, tactic-less, vibes-filled 6-5 win over minnows Zambia, a scoreline more befitting of a tennis match. It has been five months since Football Australia appointed Tom Sermanni as interim coach, a caretaker to bridge the gap between the past and future, to keep the seat warm for a fresh coach. Almost half a year on, there is still no news on a new coach and the Matildas appear stuck in a perpetual state of limbo, caught between two different eras with a coach stuck in an uncomfortable position. Next week will mark one year until the AFC Women’s Asian Cup starts, a tournament which will be held in Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast. While Australia will fancy themselves for silverware, the reality is they were just thrashed 4-0 by Japan at the SheBelieves Cup, the favourites for next year’s Asian Cup, in a game the Matildas mustered just one attempt on goal (in the 87th minute). The gap between Asia’s top two women’s footballing nations is canyon-esque and despite some bleary-eyed viewers rising early on Friday morning Australian time to watch the match, it was writ clear for all to see. The longer the national team goes without a permanent coach, the longer they shall remain directionless, like a plastic bag floating aimlessly in the wind. Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said in December they wanted to make sure they had the right coach in place. While FA understand the need to nail the next coaching appointment, at what point does letting good be the enemy of perfect work against them? The longer the search goes on, the less time the Matildas will have to adequately prepare under a new coach with new ideas for their next major tournament. It is already having an adverse impact on the on-pitch product, even if they will still draw fans en masse to home games. There is a distinct lack of jeopardy for the older players, assured of their spots because of a lack of pressure from above; Sermanni’s modus operandi is the same as most caretaker coaches ie. don’t rock the boat and don’t drastically overhaul the team, because eventually, the permanent coach is going to take over the role. 12 months is a short time in the world game, particularly for international teams, who only come together six or seven times a year. Coaches need time to implement their ideas and the longer the wait, the shorter the run-in for the next major tournament. Zooming out on the Matildas’ calendar, they are also approximately two and a half years out from the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Whoever takes the role for the Asian Cup is likely going to head to Brazil with the team as well — the sooner they are on deck, the better for everyone.