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Defender Clare Hunt has called on Football Australia to provide clarity regarding the future of the Matildas’ coaching position after the team suffered another defeat in the She Believes Cup on Thursday in San Diego.
The Matildas lost 2-1 to Colombia, finishing last in the four-nation tournament with no points from three matches. They had earlier been defeated by Japan (4-0) and the USA (2-1).
With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup just a year away, Hunt said the team’s three losses served as a “massive wake-up call.” She stressed the importance of naming a permanent successor to Tony Gustavsson, who left after a disappointing Olympic campaign last year.
Tom Sermanni, who has been serving as interim coach, has overseen the team’s last nine matches. Football Australia CEO James Johnson confirmed that Sermanni will remain in charge at least for the upcoming two-game series against South Korea in April.
“We’re looking for confirmation from Football Australia about the new coach, and once we have that, we’re ready to move forward,” Hunt said on Paramount Plus.
Hunt acknowledged that Sermanni has been effective in his interim role, offering players valuable game time and preparing the team for the Women’s Asian Cup.
However, despite these efforts, Sermanni expressed frustration with both his own performance and the team’s results.
“There are things we can take away from the She Believes Cup, but there are also important questions that need to be asked of me as coach and the players,” Sermanni said. “As a country, we need to do better at this level.”
Similar to their previous matches, the Matildas conceded an early goal to Colombia. A poor pass from midfielder Katrina Gorry led to Wendy Bonilla scoring in the 15th minute.
The Matildas came close to equalizing when veteran Michelle Heyman missed a prime opportunity just six minutes later. They managed to level the score in the 69th minute, with Hayley Raso’s shot deflecting off Colombian defender Daniela Caracas and past goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo.
However, the Matildas’ defensive lapses allowed Colombia to regain the lead just four minutes later. A long-range strike by captain Catalina Usme deflected off substitute Natasha Prior, looping over goalkeeper Teagan Micah into the net.
Sermanni was visibly frustrated, saying, “We get back into the game, but then immediately let up and conceded another goal. At this level, we can’t afford to be that fragile. We need to do much better.”
“I’ll still be here in April, doing the job,” Sermanni added. “We need to focus on the next camp.”
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