The Matildas’ boss threw his support behind the pair and his decision to thrust youngsters into the crucial positions instead of more experienced players. The risky move showed signs of promise for the future but was heavily criticised as experienced defenders such as Emma Checker and Jenna McCormick weren’t selected in the extended squad.
Gustavsson suggested he could tinker with the backline for the match in Newcastle on Tuesday night. The Matildas have lacked stability in what has been an incredibly leaky defence under Gustavsson’s guidance,the team having conceded 36 goals during his 15 games in charge. However,the coach could be forced to look to youth once again given the possible absence of senior players.
“What I can say is we still have a lot of question marks leading into tomorrow with the availabilities,” he said. “We will make a decision after training today.”
Kennedy won’t start the match due to a quad injury but could come off the bench while Polkinghorne will have to pass a late fitness test to earn a starting spot against the Americans.
“She[Kennedy] is not ruled out but what I can say is she’s ruled out from starting the game,” Gustavsson said. “We need to be really mindful of how many minutes she plays,if she plays.”
The team’s defensive statistics since Gustavsson took charge make for grim viewing and while the Swedish coach didn’t try and mask those,he suggested the record had been worsened due to being unable to pick a consistent backline,particularly in friendly games. Gustavsson has handed several defenders debuts and is trying to widen the team’s playing stocks,however he is yet to find much success or stability.