‘All is on course’ for Matildas’ 2027 World Cup campaign despite FA’s financial woes

Football Australia’s severe financial loss and mass redundancies will not affect the Matildas’ preparations for the 2027 World Cup, according to coach Joe Montemurro.

But the coach is conscious that there is limited time left between now and next June’s showpiece in Brazil to experiment with and fine-tune his team and style of play.

While the international focus sits solidly on the men’s World Cup kicking off in less than a month, Australia’s women are full steam ahead with their own on the horizon.

After March’s run to the Asian Cup final, followed by 5-0 and 2-0 wins in the inaugural Women’s FIFA Series over Malawi and Kenya respectively, Mary Fowler and Ellie Carpenter return to the squad for June’s two home friendlies against Mexico.

Sam Kerr will also travel for the games on June 6 at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium and June 9 at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium having made her final appearance for Chelsea, with Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross among the omissions.

Yet Montemurro was left to announce his squad on Wednesday under the shadow of the previous afternoon’s news that the governing body overseeing his team is bracing to reveal another record financial loss and an internal restructure that means shedding more 20 per cent of its workforce.

The deficit, which chief executive Martin Kugeler said was more substantial than last year’s $8.5 million, exposes what Kugeler conceded was FA’s failure to convert the hugely successful 2023 Women’s World Cup and dramatic rise of the Matildas into financial gain.

But Montemurro did not believe the significant cost-cutting measures would directly impact the resources required by the Matildas to participate in a World Cup abroad and their ability to secure and travel for friendlies in the lead-up.

“It’s always sad to hear these stories and [of] your co-work workers in levels of difficulty,” Montemurro said. “It’s always a difficult situation. But it’s a football organisation, and the investment in football is always going to be number one. And as far as we know, all is on course for our campaign in the World Cup.”

The next 13 months will be dedicated to setting up games against the best possible opposition that can offer a platform for a deep run at Brazil 2027.

“It’s been very strategic in the teams that we want to play, just to make sure that we understand all different styles that we could face at the World Cup,” Montemurro said. “But the most important thing is that we don’t have a lot of time. If you think about it, we’ve really only got five camps after this one, and we need to just make sure that everyone’s on the same page.

“Obviously at club level, that we’re monitoring them. But more importantly, that the information that’s going out there is preparing them for when they do come in camp for our preparation going forward.”

The squad’s headline is the return of Fowler, riding high on Women’s Super League glory with Manchester City, and Chelsea’s Carpenter, who is due to reach her 100th cap – after both missed the FIFA Series tour to Kenya.

Steph Catley is also back from a calf injury and Arsenal teammate Caitlin Foord is on track to crack 150 caps, while 17-year-old Adelaide United goalkeeper Ilona Melegh has received her first call-up on the back of an eye-catching A-League Women season and Nottingham Forest midfielder Alana Murphy has been recalled.

Absentees include Gorry, who recently finished her time at West Ham, along with Michelle Heyman, Tameka Yallop, Clare Hunt, Charli Grant and Cooney-Cross, who missed the end of Arsenal’s WSL season to be back in Australia with her sick mother.

World No.27 Mexico will offer a decent challenge for 15th-ranked Australia after the comparatively straightforward meetings with world No.128 Kenya and world No.153 Malawi.

“They’re a really quality side,” said Kaitlyn Torpey. “Joe and I were talking about it on the way here. They’re very technical. They’re really good on the counter-attack. It’s perfect preparation for Brazil.”

The question is whether Montemurro is willing to experiment more with players outside his trusted regular starters. Kerr, Foord and Hayley Raso led the line against Kenya and Malawi, which seemed prime opportunities to give more solid runs to the likes of Holly McNamara and other fringe players.

McNamara and her Melbourne City teammate and midfielder Leticia McKenna could both be in for some minutes after their starring roles in last weekend’s A-League Women grand final win, though Montemurro revealed little about whether he planned to rotate his attack.

“It’s a bit of a balance between stabilising and continuity, and obviously looking at the next batch of forwards that we’ve got from that perspective,” he said. “But the big thing for me is obviously to now give the opportunity to those players, but more importantly, that fluidity up front.

“So we talk about a front three and a solid front three, but really they’re important both in the defensive phase and obviously in the ability to combine when they need to come deep and so on. So there will be a little bit of changes and looking at some specific little areas.”