In 12 days, Australia will walk out onto the Stade Velodrome in Marseille to face Germany and begin their Olympic campaign. Both the team and the nation will have high hopes as this cohort of Matildas attempts to break through the semifinal barrier and finish higher than fourth at a major tournament for the first time.
But those hopes look a little shakier after the Matildas fell to Canada 2-1 on Saturday in Marbella, Spain, in their final hit out before Paris 2024. While it won't count in the record books due to the game being a B international, Sharn Freier opened the scoring with her first goal for the Matildas, before Nichelle Prince and Evelyne Viens found the back of the net to give the reigning Olympics gold medalists the win.
Words like "unavailable" and "precaution" got a serious workout in what can be best described as a makeshift Matildas lineup, as did the ice packs and the ice vests, with injury niggles and warm Spanish temperatures playing their part.
Australia coach Tony Gustavsson continued to test tweaks and alterations to his game plan as well as discover some answers to questions hanging over players and combinations. In the end, it was a match played under unique circumstances, but being so close to a major tournament means there is plenty to talk about.
Cotton wool season
For a nation that is a little tender when it comes to injuries on the eve of big tournaments -- think Laura Alleway before the 2019 World Cup or Sam Kerr before the 2023 World Cup -- this match didn't provide much comfort.
It had already been confirmed during the week that both Steph Catley and Kaitlyn Torpey would be unavailable for selection as the pair worked through rehabbing lower leg injuries. The announcement of the starting lineup saw more notes on the health of the squad come to light. Both Teagan Micah and Tameka Yallop would also be unavailable for the Canada game, with the former continuing to work through an ankle injury sustained pre-camp, while the latter picked up a knock to her leg during training.
But the ice packs weren't done with just yet as Caitlin Foord was withdrawn from the starting lineup after the warmup with a tight quad, and abundance of caution the official reason given.
Objectively, every one of these calls was made with the Matildas first group game against Germany in mind. Risking injury or further injury for the sake of a B international warmup against Canada would have been nonsensical. But it didn't stop the heart fluttering and the counting and recounting of just how many days were left between now and the opening game.
As substitutes were made, more ice packs were wheeled to nurse the players who have been undertaking an intense couple of weeks of training in Spain. Postgame, players and Gustavsson alike said that one of the key objectives of this match was to play through heavy legs to imitate what will happen during the Olympics.
"We were using precaution here to protect some players," Gustavsson explained.
"You always want to have all of your players fit and in form and flying, and sometimes it's a challenge when you go into the tournament -- some players come from heavy load in the season, some players have been out of season for a long time, some players are coming out of injury, some players are coming into camp with some niggles.
"I've also been around long enough to know that all we can focus on is what we can control. In the pre-camp in the World Cup for example we had more than six players coming in with niggles or injuries that couldn't even train with us at the beginning of the camp. Then once the tournament started we got them up and running, be fit and in form and could perform really well. So we've been there before."
The Matildas are backed by a world class sports science and sports medicine team, and it is safe to assume that everything is being done to ensure everyone is as fit and healthy as they possibly can be for the Olympics proper. But that doesn't alleviate the worry entirely.
B internationals
The B international status of this game, and what that means, bears repeating and dissecting. Gustavsson frequently mentioned throughout the buildup to this match that both he and his Canadian counterparts were in constant dialogue to create a friendly environment that ultimately served the Olympic preparations of both nations.
That meant playing the game under B international conditions with unlimited subs in the first half and three windows in the second. Typically, games like these are played behind closed doors with no fans and no broadcast. Snippets of goals or saves might have made their way into the public domain after the final whistle was blown. They are used so that teams can work things out in a game like environment without the pressure of external eyes. It's a testing ground with more consequences than a scrimmage but none so drastic they can't be ironed out.
Australian fans have undeniably gleaned plenty from this game, but they've also picked up some fresh anxieties too. So there is a conversation to be had about whether or not Matildas fans needed to see a game like this. Is what was gained worth the additional stresses that have undeniably arisen? Does watching the process, a continuation of what is being worked on and out in training environments, make things clearer or warp perceptions? What should we take out of a game like this?
Ultimately though the game was broadcast, and Aussie fans and opponents would have picked up some interesting information.
Freier's goal was an obvious highlight and a well-taken strike after an excellent run and assist from Mary Fowler. That Freier was able to slot in relatively seamlessly and on the shortest possible notice bodes well for her potential inclusion up forward should the Matildas need to swap her into the 18-player squad following the squad rule changes this week. Gustavsson dubbed it a "breakthrough" game for the Brisbane Roar attacker.
Clare Wheeler, meanwhile, was another player who earned praise from her coach. With both Catley and Torpey unavailable to play at left-back, it was Wheeler who got the nod and acquitted herself well. Gustavsson made sure to single her out post-game, highlighting her ability to be a multifunctional player after starting the game at full-back before moving into the midfield in the second half.
Wheeler had been playing as a right-back for her club side, Everton, during the Women's Super League season so while the position is familiar to her, the flank isn't as much. But utility like that is invaluable at the Olympics.
Katrina Gorry made her return to the pitch following an ankle injury, which was a welcome relief for Matildas fans, and Winonah Heatley made her first appearance for the national team. And while there were concerns about the Matildas toothlessness up forward -- they had two shots, one on target, for one goal -- and more so their struggle to actually progress up the pitch in this game, defensively, they were able to stifle Canada's pace -- an area they wanted to focus on.
Attention now returns to preparation before that Thursday evening in Marseille against Germany.