Matildas back fitness to deliver in World Cup quarter-final

afr.com:

France have enjoyed the luxury of rotating their squad. The Matildas have barely changed their team at all.

But Australia coach Tony Gustavsson insists when legs get heavy late in Saturday’s Women’s World Cup quarter-final at Suncorp Stadium, his charges have the fitness to prevail.

The Matildas play France on Saturday in Brisbane. Edwina Pickles

It could be the difference between a World Cup exit, or the chance to chase a greater glory and legacy on home soil.

Opta stats on Friday pointed out Gustavsson has given just 19 minutes per game to substitute players in the tournament to date, fewer than any other team, while no team has used fewer players in total than the Matildas’ 17.

Eight players: Caitlin Foord, Ellie Carpenter, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Katrina Gorry, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Steph Catley and Mackenzie Arnold have played 300 or more minutes.

The lack of substitutes, though Sam Kerr should ramp up her minutes on Saturday, is in stark contrast to Gustavsson’s well-worn rhetoric that to succeed in the World Cup would take “23 in 23”.

But he’s adamant even if Saturday’s match goes to extra time, his players can deliver.

“Obviously the total metres is one thing but what’s really interesting is the high speed metres and the sprints and they were off the charts compared to some other competitors,” Gustavsson said.

“We’re fit, we’re fast, we know that. If you look at the schedule that the players are playing now, it’s nothing different than what they do in club land in terms of the games and the amount of weeks, it’s very similar.

“The funny thing with this team is every time we have shortened time between two games, they amp up the high speed game off there.

“So the most intense game they have played so far in terms