Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson reveals the big problem Pink has created for his team ahead of their Olympic qualifier against Uzbekistan
- The American rock star played on the surface this weekend
- Matildas plays at the same location a few days later
- Australians must fend off Ukraine to qualify for the Olympics
Pink’s recent performances at Marvel Stadium have raised concerns among the Matildas coach about the state of the playing field, just one day before the team’s crucial Olympic qualifier.
The American rock star performed concerts at the Melbourne venue this weekend, just a week before the Matildas’ final qualifying match in Paris 2024 against Uzbekistan, scheduled for Wednesday evening at the same pitch.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson expressed concern about the pitch and highlighted the need for additional maintenance as he discussed the problem ahead of the side’s training session at the same venue on Tuesday.
“It’s definitely a field we can play football on, but I think it’s extremely important that we water it a lot,” Gustavsson said.
‘Now the ball gets stuck in the grass, even now when it is so dry. So we definitely have to give it a lot of water to get a fast surface on which we can play football quickly.’
Pink recently held a concert at Marvel Stadium just days before the Matildas were to play Uzbekistan
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson expressed concerns about the pitch ahead of the match
Desperate for a tangible prize for a golden generation running out of time, the Matildas are determined to ensure they don’t miss out on a medal at the Paris Olympics.
Tony Gustavsson’s accusations left the bitter aftertaste of fourth place in Tokyo and then again at the Women’s World Cup at home.
With a 3-0 lead over Uzbekistan after the away leg of their qualifier, Australia are set to seal qualification for Paris in the home leg at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Wednesday evening.
One of the key players now over 30, stand-in skipper Steph Catley, is determined to make this opportunity count.
‘With this group we are very, very close to achieving something physical; at the last Olympics and World Cup we finished fourth, and that’s something that carries quite a lot of weight within this group,” Catley said.
The Matildas won the first leg comfortably but will not let their guard down on home soil
Australian fans will be hoping Mary Fowler can light up Marvel Stadium in the absence of the injured Sam Kerr
‘Of course we are all getting a bit older now and the opportunities for major tournaments are becoming smaller and smaller.
“We are definitely very motivated to achieve something physical, over the years that we have built this team to the point we are at now.
“With the football we have played, especially in recent years, we are consistently competing with the best in the world. And we want to continue doing that for as long as we can.
‘But if you look at the core group of this team, there are certainly no more opportunities.
‘We have to qualify for the Olympics first, but we definitely see this as a huge opportunity to get something physical out of what we’ve been doing over the last few years – and the passion and desire to do that is certainly there.’