Sermanni mounts Canberra defence ahead of final game

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Sermanni mounts Canberra defence ahead of final game

Tom Sermanni’s 151st and final game at the helm of the Matildas will be about setting the team up for its next coach.

But he also used his final pre-match press conference to go in to bat for Canberra United, whose A-League Women future remains constantly under threat.

Sermanni is set to finish up his eight-and-a-half-month stint as interim coach after Monday night’s clash with Argentina in Canberra, with Joe Montemurro poised to be announced as full-time coach.

The women’s football stalwart last week fired up about a lack of professionalism within the A-League Women.

On Sunday, he said of the sold-out Matildas game at GIO : “It’s a great indication that we need to keep Canberra United in the A-League Women’s competition.

“This is a critically important team in A-League Women’s football, and a critically important team for the development of football.

“Because what we want to see is more players coming out of places like Canberra, and going through the A-League Women’s, and then coming into the international arena.

“So I will certainly make sure I do my best to make sure Canberra stay in the competition.”

When asked how exactly he planned to make that happen, Sermanni said: “I will try and make sure that I use, if I have some influence, the people that are part of the decision-making process.

“I think I caused a little bit of controversy apparently recently just talking about the A-League Women, and I intend to continue doing that to make sure that our competition stays vibrant, stays national, and that we have a team in it from Canberra.”

Arsenal trio Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross are poised to start their first game since their Women’s Champions League triumph.

Sermanni will likely test more young players to build depth for the incoming coach ahead of the Asian Cup.

“Since coming into the job it’s just really been important to try and keep everything stable, everything ticking along so that hopefully the new coach comes in and can then really start to take the program forward in the direction that he or she wants to take it in,” Sermanni said.

“For me it would just be business as normal, and I think we’re in the situation with a squad where a lot of players are looking forward towards the Asian Cup, and there’s a lot of competition for places in that final 23-player squad.

“So these games are important for us to continue hopefully a winning momentum, hopefully continuing to play better football.

“But at the same time they’re important for individual players too, like Kahli (Johnson) to come into the team and put pressure on other players for selection in the squad next year.”

Canberra United star Michelle Heyman will have plenty of fans on hand.

“I told her I’m expecting at least a goal,” Sermanni said.

“She’s playing in front of her home crowd. She’ll play tomorrow night at some stage in the game.”

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