Was impressed by Scotland's Full Pressing and Intensive Squeezing for most of the game.  I was also impressed by their body on body physicality.  They also built up through the midfield - I expected them to be more direct. They are well coached.

They constantly forced our players to lose possession.  Matildas' body positions faced towards our own goal, not  having the correct body shape to play forwards and facing the Scottish goal, and we struggled in  less time  and space.

A further issue was sometimes the centre of the pitch wasn't covered, or, we were outnumbered in midfield.

We also tend to build up too quickly - often using accelerated attacks.  It is good to change the rhythm of the game - some slow build ups interspersed with accelerated attacks. I understand we have a lot of pace on the flanks and attacking FBs, but Scotland matched us for pace in wide areas. Hence, the Gustafson game plan was negated.

Gustafson needed to change the game plan, to having two midfield screeners,  when we had the ball, to play out.  Also, the wide players, needed to tuck in  more. The axiom is to condense pace when the team has the ball, and to spread the formation when a team has it, but the Matildas were  too from each other in Ball Possession.

I've said for ages, Gustafson is the wrong coach. We need an Aussie, French, Spanish, German or Dutch coach, inculcated in the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 national system we and those countries use as a development system.  He might be an excellent player manager, who the players are happy with, but he is executing the wrong game plans against some opponents.

At the same time given Scotland have a world ranked of 23rd, and we are 10th, maybe it is a question of the epicentre of women's football changing to the European male powerhouse countries now they're taking women's football more seriously. I heard 83 000 watched the female English team a few days ago!

A further issue, is that like in men's football in the top teams of the UEFA big five , some of our top players are suffering from playing too much club football. I think the optimum is about 30 - 35 games per year. More and players are  tired for international football from playing too many club games, and playing less than 30, they don't play enough club football.

It’s quite bizarre.

It's our midfield I worry about. I thought Fowler was good otherwise we lacked a bit. Assuming we stick with a 4-3-3 who are our best midfield combination? What's our best CB pairing?

Good to see Carpenter back flying down the wing and pushing forward with intent  but geez she needs to sort out her final pass in and around the 18. So many wasted balls that were hit too hard, too soft and/or wayward.

Over of my favourite players but if she could sort this part of her game out she'd be one of the best backs in the world.

Having said that she didn't put a foot wrong defensively.

It's not Polkingorne and Luik (who didn't start last night) that's for sure.

First few paragraphs of your post were spot on

Wheeler should have started, deep lying play maker used ti the intensity of European football, alas Tony was giving time to players who spend too much time on the bench and also the home based players 

Fowler must if thought she was on the bench as she wore gloves, it was 16 degree.

I was surprised that Gorry was named Rebel player of the match.

📰 SQUAD UPDATE: Forward Remy Siemsen has been called up to the squad, following the medical withdrawal of Emily van Egmond and Holly McNamara.

I agree about Wheeler. I think a number 6 and a number 8 who can hold the ball under pressure and hit a forward pass are who we lack. We seem to have a bunch of no. 10s who want to run forward or no. 6/8s with workrate but questionable technique. 

Something like

M: Fowler/Wheeler/? 
CB: Hunt/Kennedy 

Here we go against England. 

Pretty disappointed to see a lot of seat rows empty. Maybe traffic but this game sold out so quickly. Should've played at Emirates or Olympic stadium. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/65243435

Don't know much about her but Cooney-Cross having a solid display so far.

Nice long floating ball makes the England centre back panic and weakly head and Kerr can latch on and score. 

Vine on for hurt Yallop. Doesn't look tournament ending though. Rough knock on leg. 

GK
Arnold
Micah
Williams

CB
Kennedy
Hunt
Polkinghorne

FB
Catley - Lb, can also play lcb
Grant Lb or Rb
Carpenter Rb

DM
Gorry
Wheeler
Luik - desperate cb option

CM
Cooney-Cross
Yallop - utility

AM
Chidiac - can play deeper in cm
Fowler - desperate striker option

LW
Foord - can also play up top
HMcnamara 

RW
Raso - can play both wings or rb
Vine

S
Kerr
Simon - can play wing, striker or am
Heyman


Cut
Whyman
MMcnamara
Nevin
Sayer
Gielnik
Crummer
Siemsen

Kerr just a bit casual to make it 2:0 there.

Much better. 2:0. Good build up play for a cross. A header is deflected hard and it goes in but they all count.

England incredibly sluggish while Australia very compact and switched on tonight. You could argue this current score will do Australia a lot for confidence while the deficit is probably decent timing for England to reflect pre tournament. 

Johnszasz - Thanks for your commentary. Definitely going to the Mens England friendly in October at Wembley.

Game opening up now. Wish Australia would practice holding the ball well and shutting up shop.

No worries. Yeah, 'just' a friendly but I'm anticipating quite an interest for tickets. Should be fine in the opening hours of sale.

Carpenter with a break through. Should have pinned ears back and shot. Kerr and Fowler can't work it to get a shot away.

Wow England no loss in 30 games come to an end. 

It was a good result and 2 terrific goals scored by Kerr and Grant. It was also a good defensive display by the Matildas, with a well-coached, defensive block.

Kerr also had her best game for the Matildas for some time. I've rarely see her play as well in recent times  as she did today.

However, England dominated possession having 70% of the ball. They also dominated territory.

Moreover, England had far more shots on goal.

Given how  England were, with so much ball in patient build ups, it was easy to identify the England formation of an attacking midfield triangle 4-3-3 in possession. Also, the Matildas defensive shape of a flat 4-4-2 midfield was easy to see.

Yet so many of our attacks were accelerated, it was difficult to identify our team formation in attack and  and possession.

It is very unlikely we will go far in tournaments playing that sort of football. It is also unlikely we will beat England more than 1 out of 10 times playing that sort of football.

Against the odds, Greece won the 2004 Euro Champs playing like that. Italy also has also won World Cups and Euro Champs playing like that - counter attacking football. Italy have a national system where they specialise in counter attacking football. Nobody else plays it as well as they do.  

 The majority of teams who go far in big tournaments play proactive, possession football. We capitalised on a few England  mistakes to score. 

England are a class team. To play 30 games and remain unbeaten is impressive. They also played neat possession football. I've rarely  female teams play so well in possession. They are still WC favourites for mine. 

In the quarters of the last world cup onwards all the teams that won possession (getting at least 55% or more) lost the game without exception. If posession was about 50-50 it was a draw

it seems that teams good in transition dominated

Interesting WC stat?

In the Qatar WC final, It seemed to me that Argentina dominated the game in  the first 70 plus minutes, until France surprisingly got back into the game.

At the 80 min mark of Matildas V England, the latter had about 70% possession. It seemed as though England controlled the game, but couldn't score.

Yeah so just looking at knockout wins: croatia got 61% possession and lost by 3 goals to argentina

morocco got 61 percent against france and lost

england got 57 against france and lost

portrugal got 73 percent against morocco and lost


in the r16 its a bit more ambiguous. Usa got 58 against the dutch and lost. Argentina got 61 against us and won. Brazil got 53 and won against korea. England got 61 against senegal and won. France got 55 against poland and won. Portrugal got 52 and won against switzerland

Interestingly, last years champions league also shows that possession was not correlated with results in the knockout stages

it seems that football tactics have recently changed to reward teams effective on the counter and tight in defence