Fan | Daily Mail Online

The Matildas ended their match against Switzerland in Zurich with a 1-1 draw in their first match under interim coach Tom Sermanni, but a puzzling substitution involving Mary Fowler left fans scratching their heads.

It was the first match since Swedish manager Tony Gustavsson was sacked after the Paris Olympics after steering the Matildas to the last four at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The team has struggled since then and was missing captain Sam Kerr [ACL injury] and crashed out in the group stage at the Paris Olympics.

Scottish manager Sermanni has now been given the keys to the castle for the time being, but Matildas fans may have to be patient for a while.

Despite the new leadership, Sermanni struggled to activate the potential of star player Mary Fowler, who was largely absent from the game.

Sermanni unleashed a new formation, with Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy and Courtney Nevin forming a back three defense, with Ellie Carpenter and Kaitlyn Torpey joining them when the Matildas were out of possession.

The midfield trio remained unchanged with Mary Fowler, Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross.

However, Fowler was shifted to the right side instead of her central role, which limited her impact on the game.

Interim coach Tom Sermanni still has a lot of work to do to turn around Matildas’ poor form, which dates back to before the Paris Olympics

“Mary Fowler is still playing deeper. She was trained as a #9 in her youth and plays as a winger/forward for Man City, but the Matildas are fascinated by playing her deeper and wonder why they can’t get the best out of her?’ one fan asked.

“Can we play Mary Fowler in her position next game?” asked another.

Sermanni acknowledged the challenge of finding Fowler’s best position, saying, “She’s a very talented soccer player and a young soccer player at that, so I don’t want to expose her too much.”

Fowler’s time on the court was marked by limited touches and several times where she dropped back to find the ball.

Caitlin Foord led the Matildas attack and was instrumental in creating their scoring opportunity.

Her run into the penalty area earned a penalty after a controversial dive from the Swiss goalkeeper, which Foord confidently converted.

This put the Matildas ahead, but failed to get their best form going.

Daniela Galic was one of the new faces called up to the Matildas as new coach Tom Sermanni looks to regenerate the squad

Caitlin Foord of Australia celebrates her goal with her teammates in the draw against Switzerland

Switzerland equalized in the second half, taking advantage of a mistake in Matildas’ defense. Geraldine Reuteler seized the opportunity and scored just 18 minutes after the break.

This goal reflected Matildas’ defensive struggles, which Sermanni described as ‘very messy from us defensively’.

Despite mixed performances, Sermanni remains hopeful but has just a few days to fine-tune his lineup before facing Germany.

“I thought we were a little bit behind… but overall we looked pretty solid and pretty safe,” Sermanni said.