PERTH -- The Matildas conceded a late equaliser to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Slovenia on Sunday in Perth.
Michelle Heyman's opener in the 50th minute looked like it would be enough to secure Joe Montemurro a second straight win in charge of Australia, but a 91st minute goal from Mirjam Kastelec derailed that.
Both sides made numerous changes following the Matildas' 3-0 victory in their first meeting earlier in the week and a very different match played out as a result. Australia looked a lot more assured on the ball, and Montemurro's calls for possession with control and forward movement with intention appeared to have embedding that little bit deeper in the playing group.
A new look forward line of Heyman, Kaitlyn Torpey, Remy Siemsen, with Amy Sayer in behind looked cohesive, while Ellie Carpenter was a force down the right flank. The centre-back pairing of Winonah Heatley and Clare Hunt looked assured while Alanna Kennedy -- pushed into the midfield -- and acquitted herself well.
Slovenia did not press like they did in the first match and were forced to do a lot more defending but got just reward late in the match, and celebrated wildly when it hit the back of the net.
The Matildas will now farewell the likes of Carpenter, Kennedy, and Heatley, and welcome a raft of new players into camp ahead of two friendlies against Panama on July 5 and July 8.
New lineup, familiar positions
When asked about preferred positions, national team players who are versatile enough to play in multiple spots usually explain which position they like before saying that they'll play anywhere as long as they're on the pitch.
This has led to Heatley, who plays as a centre-back in Denmark, more often being deployed as a holding midfielder for Australia. Sayer plays as an attacking midfielder in Sweden but has made more of a name for herself as a goal-scoring threat in green-and-gold. And Kennedy has made a whole career out of being a centre-back but has always felt she can play as a No. 6, and has done so in stints for clubs.
Against Slovenia, Montemurro tried all three of these players in the positions they most prefer. And they all succeeded.
Sayer has been fabulous further up the park but took her game to a whole other level in the midfield, showing off vision, grit, while also still getting some looks in at goal. Before this window, Sayer told ESPN's "The Far Post" that she prefers to be a playmaker in the thick of the action and she shone doing exactly that.
Heatley said it was "lovely" to be playing "in a position that comes a lot more naturally" to her postgame. She was just as assured on the ball, strong when it came to cleaning up messes and cutting out chances, and still pushed forward when the opportunity arose.
Kennedy's move was perhaps the most intriguing. For years, talk of moving her into midfield was baulked at because there's been no depth at centre-back for the Matildas.
But it's not 2019 anymore. This wasn't a square peg in a round hole kind of move.
Just as Steph Catley's move into centre-back has been allowed -- after being a cause of much angst in the past -- thanks to the emergence of the likes of Charlotte Grant and Jamilla Rankin at left-back, Kennedy can move into the midfield because Catley, Heatley, and Hunt can play in the heart of defence.
Montemurro explained the move, highlighting her ability to not only protect the back two as a more defensive minded midfielder but to also press and push forward.
"You will see Alanna playing in that position quite a lot," he said post-game.
How Heatley, Sayer, and Kennedy all do in these positions against other opposition and with other players around them will be something interesting to watch as further into Montemurro's tenure.
Glimpses of the future
There were certain passages of play in this game, where you quite clearly saw what Montemurro was trying to embed in the squad.
It's only been two games and a handful of training sessions and both the players and the coach are aware of the fact that they still have a long way to go when it comes to fully executing the new plans and systems.
There will be harder tests, games filled with more pressure against even tougher opponents. But after 10 months of playing football with no real bigger picture in mind, there's something re-energising about being sold a vision and watching to see if it comes to fruition, not only for fans but for players as well.
"Having Joe in now after a long time without that set coach, I think the biggest thing I've noticed is that intensity in training," Grant told media when asked about the biggest differences in the squad since Montemurro had come on board.
"You feel like you're really working towards something and you feel that belief grow within the group."
And that belief was evident in those glimpses. The smart decision-making. The fluidity of movement. Being executed by 22-year-old Holly McNamara. Or Grant or Sayer, or Kyra Cooney-Cross who are all 23. Maybe it was 24-year-old Heatley or 25-year-old Carpenter.
These glimpses from these players showed not only showed a preview for the short-term but the long-term as well.
That's football, baby
Football is a very simple game but that doesn't mean it always makes sense. Case in point, these two friendlies.
"It's interesting, the results should have been the other way," Montemurro said with a laugh post-game.
"The other day should have probably been 1-1 and tonight should have probably been a little bit more."
The Matildas played so much better in this second match without the reward for effort on the scoreboard. Slovenia's press in the first match deserved much more than a final scoreline that read 3-0.
But Montemurro was once again pleased with how his charges are beginning to execute his plans.
"They're starting to understand the importance of preparing to go forward and they were picking the moments to go forward which was great," he said.
"That means we are inviting pressure and we're comfortable under pressure. That was probably the biggest thing the other night where we weren't good when there was a little bit of pressure applied.
"But today we were a lot better and the belief is coming. So I'm very happy with the performance."
Next up is imparting that message to a new group of players ahead of the squad changes and the second set of friendlies against Panama.