Australian head coach Alen Stajcic is demanding more from his players after seeing the Matildas needing a penalty shootout to beat unfancied Thailand after a 2-2 draw in the AFC Womenâs Asian Cup 2018 semi-final.
Just three weeks after putting five goals past Thailand in a pre-tournament friendly, the Matildas narrowly escaped elimination, with Alanna Kennedyâs 91st minute header taking the tie to extra-time before Mackenzie Arnoldâs goalkeeping heroics finally won it.
While Australia were successful in becoming the first team to reach three consecutive AFC Womenâs Asian Cup finals since China PR in 1999, Stajcic said there were no excuses for their performance.
âI didnât think it was a great performance at all, and I didnât think Iâd be sitting here as a winner and being so disappointed in ourselves.
âFrom the head coach to player number 23, I know weâre not happy with our performance and the way we played, so weâve got a lot of soul searching and reflection to do to see how we can improve (in the final) in three daysâ time.
âWe have to be accountable for the way we played the game. That goes from me down to the players â it just wasnât good enough.
âI think you have to be positive about how well Thailand played,â the 44-year-old said.
âI thought they were unlucky not to win the game. Their heart and their spirit was fantastic and they played with everything theyâve got. To hang on for so long and lose by so little, I almost feel for them, because I thought they deserved to win.â
Australia left a number regular starters including Sam Kerr, Emily van Egmond and Steph Catley on the bench for the semi-final, but Stajcic refuted any suggestion his side expected a straightforward win against the 30th-ranked Chaba Kaew.
Stajcicâs opposite number, Nuegrutai Srathongvian, acknowledged her disappointment at losing the match in such a dramatic manner, but pride was the overriding emotion for the Thailand head coach.
âIâm very, very proud of the players today. Everybody played to their responsibilities and up to our tactics and game plan,â she said.Â
âItâs a pity that we lost, but itâs a big challenge every time we play a top team. As Iâve said many times, we always bring our experience from the past and bring them to the next game.
âThis game shows us we have much improvement, even though we still have some flaws, but Iâm very proud of our players, because everybody played to their fullest.â
Thailandâs performance against the Matildas gave an indication of their ability to compete with the worldâs best.
With her sideâs qualification secured, thatâs something that fills Nuengrutai with optimism ahead of next yearâs FIFA Womenâs World Cup.
âItâs going to be really interesting going to the World Cup next year,â she said.
âEverything depends on our preparation for the games next year. For this tournament, weâve had a good preparation, but weâll keep trying to improve and take our game to the next level.
âItâs going to be really interesting to study and prepare for the best teams in the world, and we canât wait for the tournament next year.â â www.the-afc.com