- American rockstar played on the surface on the weekend
- Matildas are playing at the same venue just days later
- Aussies need to hold off Ukbekistan to qualify for the Olympics
The recent performances by Pink at Marvel Stadium have raised concerns for Matildas coach regarding the condition of the playing surface, just one day before the team’s crucial Olympic qualifier.
The American rockstar held concerts at the Melbourne venue over the weekend, merely a week before the Matildas’ final Paris 2024 qualifier against Uzbekistan, scheduled for Wednesday night on the same field.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson expressed apprehension about the pitch, emphasising the need for additional maintenance, as he addressed the issue hours before the squad’s training session at the same venue on Tuesday.
‘It’s definitely a pitch we can play our football on, but I think it’s extremely important that we water it a lot,’ Gustavsson said.
‘Right now the ball sticks in the grass, as of right now when it’s this dry. So we definitely need to water it a lot to get a fast surface that we can play fast football on.’
Pink recently held a concert at Marvel Stadium just days before the Matildas are scheduled to play Uzbekistan
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson expressed apprehension about the pitch ahead of the clash
Desperate to salvage a tangible prize for a golden generation running out of time, the Matildas are determined to ensure they don’t let a medal slip at the Paris Olympics.
Tony Gustavsson’s charges felt the bitter aftertaste of finishing fourth in Tokyo, then again at their home Women’s World Cup.
Holding a 3-0 lead over Uzbekistan after the away leg of their qualifier, Australia are poised to seal qualification for Paris in the home leg at Melbourne‘s Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night.
One of several key players now over 30, stand-in skipper Steph Catley is determined to make this opportunity count.
‘With this group we have come very, very close to achieving something physical; at the last Olympics and the World Cup, we finished fourth – and that’s something that sits pretty heavy within this group,’ Catley said.
The Matildas won the first leg comfortably but will not be letting their guard down back on home soil
Aussie fans will be hoping Mary Fowler can light up Marvel Stadium in the absence of the injured Sam Kerr
‘We obviously, are all getting a little bit older now and the opportunities for major tournaments is getting thinner.
‘We’re definitely very motivated to get something physical, out of the last however many years that we’ve built this team up to the point that we are now.
‘The football we’ve played, especially over the last couple of years, we’re competing with the best in the world consistently. And we want to continue to do that for as long as we can.
‘But obviously you look at the core group of this team and we are definitely running out of opportunities.
‘We have to qualify for the Olympics first, but we definitely see this as a massive opportunity to get something physical out of what we’ve done over the last few years – and the passion and desire to do that is definitely there.’