Former national team striker Sarah Walsh assesses what we learnt after Australia’s 6-1 win over the African nation at the Games.
1: Australia's all-round depth and adaptability on show
Australia really showed versatility and depth in this game, with coach Alen Stajcic able to move players around the park, while our substitutes added value by goal scoring and helping with assists.Caitlin Foord, as an example of this versatility, ended up at right back after playing up front, while Kyah Simon dropped back to midfield. It just shows how flexible this squad is which is important.
2: Australia need to close out matches
It’s stating the obvious but being able to close out games is important. We saw what happened against Germany and we conceded late against Zimbabwe. We’ll need a 90 minute performance against Brazil in the quarter final, we can’t afford to switch off late.
3: Australia is an amazing team to watch
When teams look at the Aussies they genuinely should be scared of our finishing and pace, not to mention our many different goal scorers. Simply put, we have one of the most potent attacks.
4: Brazil: what a challenge in the quarter final
When I think of Brazil, I don’t think of that training match in July when they beat Australia on home soil. Rather, I think of that World Cup match in 2015. That said Brazil are a different team on home soil. Brazil have found good form but we play better against bigger teams. We absolutely need to perform for 90 minutes. And no doubt the pressure is on Brazil to get a result but they are in fantastic form, in fact I haven’t seen Brazil this good for quite a while.