Scotland Women’s 1-0 win over Australia is a result we needed – and I hope can build on it with our next game against Costa Rica.
It was an entertaining and close-matched game in London, but Nicola Docherty’s 46th-minute stunner was the difference against this year’s World Cup co-hosts.
Australia was always going to be a tough test because they are ranked 10th in the world, however, it was a challenge I felt we shouldn’t fear.
It was an opportunity to play a big team and with that, even though it’s a friendly, comes a different kind of pressure.
As I’m not away with the squad due to injury, I wasn’t sure how things went during the week, but I spoke to Claire Emslie, who took the captain’s armband in my absence, on Friday morning.
She said everyone was buzzing and that they had a good week in training – they got their heads down and worked really hard.
The performance against Australia reflected that – we competed well against a top team and came away with a deserved win.
It’s a really positive result and it shows the progress we’re making. We know we can compete against the top teams, but previously we haven’t always got the results to match the performances.
The win will really lift the squad and so will the clean sheet.
Even though Sam Kerr didn’t come on for the Matildas, their best players are in the attacking third. A clean sheet against the firepower they have is a really positive step.
During the World Cup qualifying campaign, we conceded needless goals and it’s something we’ve tried to work on in the camps since. I’m sure Pedro Martinez Losa will be delighted with the performance.
After we went ahead in the second half, it was end-to-end stuff before Australia ramped up the pressure for a 15-minute spell, but we dealt with their threats well.
The clean sheet is a good feeling as a collective squad, but also for the backline – Fiona Brown, Emma Mukandi, Sophie Howard and Docherty – and goalkeeper Lee Gibson, who limited the Matildas chances and made some good stops.
There were positives other than the result, too.
It was great to see 17-year-old Emma Watson make her senior debut and she was one of the stand-out performers, driving up the middle and making crunch tackles against Australia’s experienced players.
She didn’t look out of place or out of her own comfort zone.
This camp was the perfect opportunity for Emma to be exposed to the national team – she’s worked hard this season and merited her chance to be involved.
I was delighted to see she really made the most of it. It’s a huge achievement and I’m sure she is somebody we will be seeing much more of in a dark blue shirt.
Costa Rica a chance to build more momentum
Scotland play Costa Rica in another friendly on Tuesday night at Hampden and we must back up the Australia result with another good performance.
Costa Rica are going to the World Cup this summer, so the squad will be aware of the challenge, but I expect it will be a different kind of game to the Matildas test.
That’s something the squad should embrace, as we should be exposing ourselves to different styles of play because that will help us develop and improve.
💪 A fantastic win in London
🔜 We're back to Hampden on Tuesday night as we take on Costa Rica.
➡️ We want to see you there – get your tickets now: https://t.co/3uSkeH82Qp#SWNT
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) April 7, 2023
I think more players, some of whom didn’t play against Australia, will come into the line-up and get their chance to make an impact at Hampden.
There will only be one more window for us before we start our inaugural Nations League campaign later this year and these friendlies are a chance for us to build momentum.
The addition of the Nations League is exciting and it brings an extra competitive-edge to international football. We want to be challenged and come away with positive results in the friendlies before that competition begins.
Euro 2025 hosts confirmed
Scotland now know what where they will be aiming to get when the next round of qualifiers get under way, as Switzerland have been confirmed as the hosts for the 2025 European Championships.
Knowing where the tournament will be held does help to visualise your ambitions.
Our last two qualifying campaigns have been really disappointing because we want to be playing at major tournaments.
Friendlies like the ones against Australia and Costa Rica are important because they help to go into the tournament’s qualifying matches with a positive mentality.
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