Well that is the exact case for the U20 women's team, the Young Matildas, who made history by being the first Australian team to qualify for World Cup though Asia after Australia joined the confederation at the start of this year. They've been matched in Group A along with Oceania champions New Zealand. However, things will be much tougher against their other group opponents, Brazil, and the host nation and current European champions, Russia. The tournament runs from August 17 to September 3 and NZ will be their first challenge with the match to be played in St Petersburg on August 17, with Brazil three days later in the same city. Russia will be the final game - to be played in Moscow on the 23rd.
Quotes from coach Alistair Edwards:
"We could not have asked for a better way to further test ourselves on the world
stage than playing against the three contrasting styles of the European, South American
and Oceania champions," said Young Matildas coach Alistair Edwards.
"To be drawn in the same group as the host country will mean that there will be
significant attention on our group and when you add Brazil to the mix it will be very
exciting for the players."
Australia qualified for the event after finishing in the top three of the recent Asian
Football Confederation tournament in Malaysia. It was a close proposition, though. After
failing to make the final, they had to beat favourites for the tournament itself, Japan,
in the third-placed game. Things didn't go well when they went a goal down twice, but they
recovered, eventually scoring the second equaliser in the 75th minute and then winning
goal in the earth-shattering 88th minute.
As coach Edwards quipped after the match, "Guus isn't the only one going to Russia".
Taking over the Russian national team is Hiddink's next engagement after his role with Australia at the World Cup.
China won the tournament (after losing to Australia in the group stage) with DPR Korea finishing second.
The World Cup for U20 Women proved a case of missed opportunities for Australia. After a comprehensive 3-0 win over New Zealand first up, two early chances went begging against Brazil only for Brazil to then take total control and win 2-0. Needing to win the final game against Russia, Australia squandered chance after chance after chance, including several point blank and almost open goal situations. A defensive error led to Russia taking the lead on 75 minutes, only for Australia to finally score 10 minutes later with a spectacular diving header off a free kick from Danielle Brogan - the girl that caused the Russian goal. After two more close calls, with one involving the ball cleared off the line followed a scrambled free kick, Australia ran out of time.
Given the age of the girls, surprisingly the games were exciting and very entertaining. The general lack of athleticism and power compared to the men's teams means far more open spaces and really open play. The skill level was very good, too. Despite the early exit, the team certainly did Australia proud. The fact they had the European champions in Russia on the run for virtually the entire match says as much. Just a bit more polished finishing and it could have been so much better.
Young Matildas start in style
The Young Matildas have got their FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship campaign off to a flying start with a 3-0 win against New Zealand in their opening match played at St Petersburg's Petrovsky Stadium in Russia.
The Australian goals were scored by Collette McCallum, who grabbed a double, and captain Sally Shipard, with both players also key members of the Matildas side which qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup during last month's AFC Women's Asian Cup in Adelaide.
Although New Zealand looked dangerous from set-pieces neither team was able to gain the ascendancy in a fairly scrappy first half until McCallum scored in unusual circumstances direct from an inswinging corner five minutes from the interval.
Australia took control as the match wore on with Shipard and Kylie Ledbrook dominating the midfield before McCallum scored in a similar manner to the first goal with 10 minutes remaining. This time, McCallum, who scored a dramatic late winner against Japan to ensure qualification back in March, drove in a firm ball from the sideline with the ball rocketing past the New Zealand goalkeeper.
Shipard powered home a far-post header to complete the scoring in injury time.
"It is vital that we got off to a good start in the tournament, which we did by claiming all three points, and we will now be looking to maintain the momentum against Brazil in our second match," said Young Matildas coach Alistair Edwards.
"We deliberately started cautiously knowing that New Zealand would come out hard, which they did, but we were back playing our normal game from the latter stages of the first half and for the rest of the match."
Australia will now meet Brazil, also in St Petersburg, before moving to Moscow for the final group match against Russia on August 23. The final will be played in Moscow on September 3.
AUSTRALIA 3 (Collette McCallum 39’, 80’, Sally Shipard 93’) defeated NEW ZEALAND 0
Australia: Lydia Williams (gk); Clare Polkinghorne, Kim Carroll, Danielle Brogan, Olivia Kennedy; Leah Blayney (Caitlin Cooper 90'), Kylie Ledbrook, Sally Shipard, Collette McCallum; Sasha McDonnell (Servet Uzunlar 86'), Leena Khamis (Jenna Tristram 69')
Cautions: Shipard 24', Blayney 72'
Referee: Gyoengyi Gaal (Hungary)
Australia tops Group A as Russia and Brazil could only fight out a 0-0 draw in the other game in the group.
Young Matildas lose to Brazil
The Young Matildas have suffered a 2-0 loss against Brazil in their second match at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship in Russia.
A goal in each half from the South American champions saw off the challenge of the Australians in a match played in hot conditions.
Australia had a number of chances to break the deadlock in the first half notably through Sasha McDonnell and Leena Khamis before Francielle scored from the penalty spot three minutes prior to the interval.
Australian goalkeeper Lydia Williams denied the Brazilians with a couple of spectacular saves before Fabiana netted in the 69th minute to complete the scoring.
"I am fairly pleased with our performance albeit not so pleased with our finishing," said Young Matildas coach Alistair Edwards. "You simply have to take your chances at this level."
"Fabiana with her pace was probably the difference today having won the penalty as well as scoring the second."
Australia, who defeated New Zealand 3-0 in the opening match, will now meet host-nation Russia in their final group match on Wednesday at Moscow’s Torpedo Stadium.
BRAZIL 2 (Francielle 42' pen, Fabiana 69') defeated AUSTRALIA 0
Australia: Lydia Williams (gk); Clare Polkinghorne, Kim Carroll, Danielle Brogan, Olivia Kennedy; Leah Blayney (Servet Uzunlar 80'), Kylie Ledbrook (Jenna Tristram 59'), Sally Shipard, Collette McCallum; Sasha McDonnell, Leena Khamis (Amy Chapman 66')
Cautions: Polkinghorne 10', Ledbrook 38'
In the other game in the group, host nation Russia defeated New Zealand 3-2 thanks to an injury-time goal by Svetlana Akimova.
Russia led 2-0 after just 14 minutes thanks to Anna Kozhnikova and Elena Terekhova, but New Zealand hit back through Abby Erceg and Emma Humphries. However Akimova's late strike gave Russia all three points, and also knocked the Kiwis out of the tournament.
Matildas out
The Young Matildas have been eliminated from the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship after a 1-1 with European champion and host-nation Russia.
Australia needed a win to progress to the quarter finals after earlier Group A matches resulted in a 3-0 victory over a New Zealand and a 2-0 loss against South American champion Brazil.
The Young Matildas held the ascendancy over their highly-rated opponent for lengthy periods but were unable to translate that dominance to the scoreboard.
The tone of the match borne out by the match statistics, which saw the Aussie girls record 21 attempts at goal to Russia’s nine and winning the corner count 13-2.
Coach Alistair Edwards brought in three new players to the starting line-up with striker Servet Uzunlar, plus midfielder Amy Jackson and Amy Chapman all impressing in the first starting appearance of the tournament.
Sasha McDonnell had the best of the first half opportunities notably failing to convert a Sally Shipard cross with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Australia continued its momentum after the interval but still could not find the all-important opening goal.
However it was Russia, completely against the run of play, who scored with star player Elena Danilova setting up Anna Kozhnikova for a 75th minute strike.
Australian defender Danielle Brogan equalised five minutes from time with a brave diving header to convert a Collette McCallum free-kick.
Australia continued to lay siege to the Russian goal until the final whistle with Shipard hitting the roof of the net and a McCallum free kick being cleared off the line.
However Brazil’s scoreless draw with New Zealand meant it topped the group on five points ahead of Russia on goal difference, with Australia eliminated despite accruing four points.
“We will definitely leave with our heads held high,” Edwards said. “We dominated the game from start to finish and created chance after chance, but just couldn’t put the ball away.”
“I thought we absolutely battered them and we are gutted; we thoroughly deserved to be in the quarter finals.”
SCOREBOARD:
Russia 1 (Anna Kozhnikova 75’) drew with Australia 1 (Danielle Brogan 85’)
Australia line-up: Lydia Williams (gk); Clare Polkinghorne, Kim Carroll, Danielle Brogan, Olivia Kennedy; Sally Shipard (c), Collette McCallum, Amy Jackson (Caitlin Cooper 68’), Amy Chapman (Kylie Ledbrook 62’), Sasha McDonnell, Servet Uzunlar (Jenna Tristram 77’).
Group A
Team GP W D L GF GA +/- Pts
Brazil 3 1 2 0 2 0 2 5
Russia 3 1 2 0 4 3 1 5
Australia 3 1 1 1 4 3 1 4
New Zealand 3 0 1 2 2 6 -4 1
Australia
Despite the fact that the two Antipodean teams were knocked out, they both have plenty to be proud of. The Aussies got off to the better start, beating their neighbours 3-0 on the opening day to secure continental bragging rights.
However, in their second match, against Brazil, some glorious chances went a-begging and, at the other end, Brazil were considerably more deadly. "With Fabiana, Brazil had the match-winner in their ranks," explained coach Alistair Edwards after the game. And so it all came down to the last group match against the hosts, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Again, Australia dominated, carving out chance after chance but, again, they were left to rue their own profilgacy in front of goal as Russia snatched the point they needed to take them through into the quarter-finals.
Afterwards, the Young Matildas impressive captain, Sally Shipard - who played through the entire competition with a fractured foot - choked back the tears as she spoke to FIFA.com.
"It's really hard to take," she said. "We go home when I don't think there has been a game at this competition that we haven't deserved to win. As for all the missed chances, I don't know what happened there. This is a young team and maybe some of the girls just aren't used to playing under the international spotlight.
"But this tournament has been great, I've loved every minutes. We've only just arrived in Moscow, our hotel is beautiful, and now we're going home. But at least we showed the world how Australia play, and I thought Collette McCallum was magnificent for us throughout the whole tournament."
New Zealand
The talk coming from the New Zealand camp is of a similarly disappointed, yet upbeat mood. After starting off with a heavy defeat against arch-rivals Australia, they truly showed what they were made of against Russia, only to concede a winner deep into injury time.
"For such a small footballing nation, we really punched above our weight here," said proud coach John Herdman. "The girls proved that they belong on the international stage."
The Kiwis' first point came from an unexpected draw in the final match against Brazil, and they can leave the tournament safe in the knowledge that they have gained in international experience. "That's the main thing for us", continued Herdman. "The girls will really benefit from their time here in Russia. The future looks bright for New Zealand football."
Footnote: New Zealand recovered from two early goals to level 2-2 against Russia, only to concede a third goal in the 93rd minute and lose 3-2. Their final game saw a 0-0 draw against Brazil.