Brisbane Roar and Ninja A-League star Sharn Freier was singled out for praise by interim head coach Tom Sermanni after the CommBank Matildas lost 3-1 to Brazil.
In what was Clare Polkinghorne’s ‘celebration game’ as the A-Leagues and Matildas legend prepares to retire at the end of this international window, Australia were overpowered by a physical Brazil in Brisbane on Thursday night.
The most-capped player in Matildas history, Polkinghorne started and wore the captain’s armband for the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finalists before being substituted in the 60th minute.
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Caitlin Foord scored for the Matildas after 2024 Olympic Games silver medallists raced out to a 2-0 lead before the visitors restored their two-goal cushion within nine minutes of the second half starting.
Roar captain Tameka Yallop and teammate Freier came off the bench in the second half, and the five-time international emerged as a “great example” post-game.
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Asked where he thought the team was at and what the next year looks like for the Matildas with an AFC Women’s Asian Cup looming on home soil in 2026, Sermanni told reporters: “What we need to do in our program is build up a real depth all the way through so we’re able to bring in players without it being a a big transition. that’s the key.
“Sharn is a great example. She came on tonight and showed real promise with her pace and ability to dribble.
“Now we didn’t know that. I certainly didn’t know it because I’ve only seen her in the A-League.”
“Those are the kind of things we need to do now. Then you hope those players, Bianca Galic etc, they actually step up to this level,” added Sermanni ahead of Australia’s two friendlies against Chinese Taipei on December 4 and 7.
“But it’s a catch-22, you don’t have an awful lot of time to do that. You can’t suddenly throw six new players into the team.”
