Matildas lose Paris Olympics opening group game 3-0 to Germany
The Matildas' quest for their first ever Olympic medal is off to the worst possible start, going down 3-0 to former gold medallists Germany in their opening group game.
On a stifling hot evening in Marseille, Tony Gustavsson's side was back to full strength with the return of captain Steph Catley and forward Caitlin Foord to the starting line-up after missing their recent warm-up game against Canada, but their influence was muted against the relentless Germans.
Winger Jule Brand was particularly electric down the right, and almost opened the scoring for Germany in the first ten minutes, pouncing on a counter-attacking long-ball from her own goalkeeper, but her shot sailed over the crossbar.
Australia were rarely given glimpses of goal in the opening half, with the front three of Foord, Hayley Raso, and Cortnee Vine well-marshalled by Germany's solid defensive line.
Poor touches, misplaced passes, and slow decisions made the Matildas' job increasingly difficult against a fiercely quick and fired-up German outfit, whose counter-attacking tactics and set-plays posed regular dangers.
Indeed, Germany opened their account off one of their 7 corners, with towering centre-back Marina Hegering rising unchallenged at the back post to head the ball home in the 24th minute.
Mary Fowler, who floated in and out of the game, almost equalised off the restart, but her shot near the top of Germany's box was blocked at the last moment by a desperate lunge.
Foord and Raso tried their best to stretch Germany's defence on either wing, trying to create space for Fowler and Vine to exploit through the middle, but both attackers were neutralised by Germany's equally talented full-backs, particularly young Giulia Gwinn, Germany's corner-taker who notched two assists in this game.
It was Gwinn who teed up Germany's second goal, which came once again from a corner in the 64th minute, with winger Lea Schueller leaping highest to bury it in the bottom corner without a single yellow shirt in sight.
Lea Schueller scored Germany's second with another header from a corner, while Jule Brand finished off a sizzling move to score the third.(Getty Images: Alex Livesey)
Brand was then rewarded for her Player of the Match performance four minutes later, tapping home a slicing low cross that rifled in behind the Matildas' scrambling back-line.
The Germans could have had a fourth goal not long afterwards, bundling the ball over the line in a scramble in the box, but the linesperson correctly flagged the play as being offside.
Given the importance of goal difference in such a tight tournament, the Matildas continued pushing to try and claw a goal back, with substitutes Sharn Frier and Michelle Heyman both taking it upon themselves to slalom through a couple German defenders, but their final chances were cleared away.
The result means Australia must defeat Zambia on Monday morning if they are to have any chance of automatically progressing to the quarter-final, with their third group game against former world champions USA shaping up to be just as tough as today.
Check out how the match unfolded in our liveblog below.
Key Event
Full-time: Germany 3 - 0 AustraliaKey Event
Final thoughtsWell, that was a disappointing start to the Matildas' Olympic campaign.
They started the game okay, though struggled to create any serious chances when they had that early-game energy.
Germany definitely should've taken the lead sooner than what they did, but they were absolutely ruthless from start to finish, and probably would have finished this game 5 or 6 goals ahead were it not for some heroic, scrambling defending from Australia.
Once again, the Matildas were troubled trying to break down a very good defence, and weren't as lethal or coordinated in their counter-attacks as we know they can be. Germany, on the other hand, were terrifying going forward, whether in transition or in their build-up. They'll be legit medal contenders if they continue playing this way.
I'll have a match report up shortly, followed by some analysis about what went wrong and why later today or tomorrow.
In the meantime, thanks for following along with the liveblog. I'll be back on the main Olympics blog tomorrow night and for the next few nights, until the Matildas' next group match against Zambia on Monday morning.
See you then!
Ouch. Defence shredded. Group goal diff looking nasty.
- Big Ben
One of those games to just put aside and move on from? Certainly there don't seem to be many positives from this performance :(
- Vancouver Shaun
Someone please tell Gusto he needs a new plan for the next game fast!
- Tony
Totally outclassed by Germany.
- Andrew
Matilda’s have been poor they seem devoid of ideas and lack the skill Germany have. Pedestrian in defence
- Andy
Ouch! This was a painful watch. Germany could so easily have finished up 6-0 winners or more. The Matildas sadly looked slow, sloppy and very out of sorts. Bad day at the office. Here's hoping for a much better performance in their next match.
- Ingrid
We're all feeling a bit deflated after that, aren't we?
They're relentless.
Another gorgeous cross from the right side this time finds the head of the leaping Lea Schueller, who's jumped beyond Kennedy and Hunt and headed the ball down low towards the back post, but it just bounces wide for a goal kick.
This time it's Mary Fowler who's over it, and while her corner is flatter than the last one and is met by Alanna Kennedy at the back post, her header has no power and falls gently into Berger's arms.
A rare attacking corner for the Matildas is sent in by Kyra Cooney-Cross, but it loops up and over the whole field in a pretty tired way, with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger making a fairly comfortable catch amongst a forest of yellow and white shirts.
And that's Klara Buehl's last act of the game. She's replaced by Vivien Endemann.
The game is winding down now, but the Matildas know how important goal difference is in the Olympics, so they continue pushing to try and snatch one back.
They've kept their energy up, but Germany are just so much slicker and more confident in every phase of play. They've still managed to crack a couple half-shots off around Australia's penalty area, even though they don't really need any more at this point.
Jule Brand has just sent another delicious low cross into the box, which was just missed by a team-mate, before the left-over was clipped back in by Klara Buehl, a stunning curling ball towards the back post, but neither German player can get on the end of it.
The veteran striker makes her first move of the game, getting on the end of a Cooney-Cross through-ball that she slightly miscontrols in the box.
But she doesn't give up: she presses her German defender and manages to nip the ball back from underneath her legs before striding towards the German by-line and clipping the ball back towards the six-yard line.
Ellie Carpenter is charging towards the back post and looks destined to tap the ball into the back post, but a very cheeky feint by a German defender sees the ball neatly roll across her body and back up the field. Carpenter turns her face to the sky in frustration; she knows she should've just thrown her whole body at that.
A set piece taken by Kyra Cooney-Cross doesn't quite come off, but as the Matildas recycle the ball back around, Mary Fowler takes a delightful controlling touch before piercing a pass right towards the top of the box, where Clare Hunt is still lurking following the earlier free kick.
The centre-back turns beautifully and swings her foot through the ball, but it's just too tame and flies into Ann-Katrin Berger's chest.
Michelle Heyman replaces Caitlin Foord, while Emily Van Egmond is on for Hayley Raso.
Kaitlyn Torpey has also come on for Steph Catley.
It was almost 4-0 there for a moment after a scramble in the box sees the ball tumbled into the net, but thankfully the linesperson raises their flag for offside.
Meanwhile, Germany make two substitutions: Bibiane Schulze Solano and Elisa Senss are on, goal-scorer Marina Hegering and Janina Minge are off.
Noooooooooooooo!!!!!! Just when the Aussies seemed to be getting more into the game and making more shots on goal. Damn!!!!!
- Ingrid
First touch by Matildas have been poor, killing off attacks in the final third.. Fowler looks very out of place.. oh poo Germany just scored.. This game is over.
- Tony
Mountain to climb now!!!
- stumcin
Two goals conceded from set pieces? “Do youse not work on that?”
- Yamu
Too easy. A bit keystone cops in AUS defence. Gotta mark up ladies and be situationally aware, that's twice.
- Big Ben
I think we all knew what the Tillies were up against but this is really stressful. We know the Tillies have it in them.
- M
Key Event
69' GOAL GERMANYAnd you'd have to say that's the game, folks.
Jule Brand gets her chocolates after a sensational performance this morning.
A terrific counter from Germany sees the ball slide out to the left for Sarai Linder just outside the box, with the Matildas' back-line scrambling backwards.
She sends a pin-point low cross right across the face of goal, in behind all the yellow shirts, right into the feet of Brand, who taps neatly home at the back post.
3-0.
A counter-attack by Australia from the kick-off sees the substitute Sharn Frier sprint past her defender and onto a lovely through-ball by Caitlin Foord.
The winger charges into the top of the German box and looks up, only to see the mountainous Marina Hegering in her path.
She puts her head down and tries to trick her way past the centre-back, but Hegering stands firm and the two clatter together, with the German coming away with the ball at her feet.
Bummer.
Key Event
63' GOAL GERMANYIt's another goal from a corner and the Germans are 2-0 ahead.
Giulia Gwinn once again sends a lovely looping ball into the crowded box, with Lea Schueller leaping highest, totally unmarked, on the six-yard line to head the ball into the far bottom corner of the net.
2-0.
Lea Schueller makes it two for Germany.(Getty Images)Australia have looked a little livelier these past few minutes. A delicious ball from Steph Catley slices through three German defenders and finds Mary Fowler, who's floated into a neat pocket of space just in front of Germany's back-line.
But the youngster isn't able to curl her left foot around the ball properly as she shapes to shoot, and it spins out for a goal kick.
Yes stinking hot here in the stadium!
- Sonia
Clearly struggling in the heat. Questions need to be asked about SSSM department?
- Yamu
As Sonia (who's currently in the stadium) has just written in: it's hella hot in Marseille right now.
You can see the players' faces are ruby-red in the heat. You have to wonder how much the temperature is affecting things right now, particularly the team's energy levels.
They can't keep up their high-energy press in temps like this, so how they adapt and manage (especially with two more games to go in the next week!) will be really interesting.
Sharn Frier makes her full Australia debut, replacing Cortnee Vine!
Clare Wheeler also comes on, replacing the brilliant Katrina Gorry in midfield.
