Multiple Authors
The best footballing talent across Asia will descend upon Australia in the weeks ahead, with the Women’s Asian Cup taking place across Perth, the Gold Coast, and Sydney as nations compete for the right to call themselves the continent’s best. But beyond the hunt for glory, the tournament will also serve to demonstrate the increasingly significant influence and exporting of Australian talent and footballing acumen across Asia.
When tournament favourites Japan open their tournament against Chinese Taipei, for instance, they will have former Young Matildas coach Leah Blayney working as an assistant to Danish coach Nils Nielsen. In Group B, after Shui Qingxia led China to its first Asian Cup crown in 16 years in 2022, only to be sacked after a failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the Steel Roses have appointed former Matildas boss Ante Milicic to steer their title defence, while former Perth Glory high-performance boss Cameron Lord serves as the head of strength and conditioning for the Bangladesh national team.
Then there are the Matildas’ opening day opponents, the Philippines, where the Australian influence is deep. The Filipinas are led by former A-League Women coach of the year Mark Torcaso, and features former A-League coaches Garrath McPherson and Riccardo Marchioli as assistants. Aussie support staff such as George Mcheileh and Lachlan Leong were present as they won a first-ever gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games last December, and current Melbourne Victory assistant Andrew Durante and South Melbourne boss Sinisa Cohadzic have also been a part of the staff. Former Western Sydney Wanderers assistant Nahuel Arrarte has been appointed as the Philippines’ under-17 national team coach and recently oversaw a talent identification camp held in the United States.
On the pitch, the likes of Sarina Bolden, currently on the comeback trail from an ACL injury suffered last April, Jessika Cowart, Sara Eggesvik, and inaugural Western United skipper Jaclyn Sawicki are amongst the Filipinas that have plied their trade in the A-League Women, while others, such as Anicka Castañeda, have spent time in National Premier League setups around the country. Defender Angie Beard, for her part, is a three-time former Matilda, making the switch to the land of her mother’s birth ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
“Mark is definitely a people person,” Beard said of Torcaso, the pair possessing a relationship dating back to 2016, when the coach signed her to play for Calder United in the NPLW Victoria. “Whether it’s management of players, whether it’s the staff that he brings in, whether it’s the opportunities that he can bring out nowhere, it almost seems.
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“His one big identifier as a person and as a coach is his management of people and the way that he can source the best talent. To go from one coaching staff to another coaching staff. He’s brought in more people, more analysts, more support staff, people who can really bring their own identities within a collective identity.
“Having Ric, our new assistant coach, come in, he fits in with the girls absolutely just seamlessly. Both analysts, Lachy and Gareth, have come in, and the way that they can break down the game in a way that the girls can just digest so easily. That’s Marco Torcaso in a nutshell: a people person 100%.”
Alongside Dario Vidošić at Women’s Super League side Brighton & Hove Albion, some of Australia’s finest female coaching exports, for their part, can be found in Europe, where Blayney has been based since being named Japan assistant last year. West Australian-born Tanya Oxtoby is in charge of WSL2 side Newcastle United, and former Brisbane Roar boss and Matildas assistant Melissa Andreatta currently leads the women’s side of Scotland.
“There’s a group of us who have come through recently who have some very strong mentors in the game,” Blayney said. “I know some of the boys have mentioned the influence of Ange [Postecoglou], as well as the influence of Rado Vidošić on some of our female coaches recently.
Leah Blayney, left, will serve as an assistant in Japan’s coaching team while, Mark Torcaso, right, is at the Philippines helm. ESPN
“The fact that we have access to a lot of that football IP in the country to date is something that has helped a lot of our coaches take that next step, go into high-level environments and not just fit in, but excel.
“Aussie coaches belong on the world stage.”
A 16-time Matilda, Blayney spent half-a-decade working in the Australian national teams space and became the first female coach to lead an Australian side at a World Cup when she guided the Young Matildas to the Under-20 World Cup in 2022.
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The first foreigner to be put in charge of Nadeshiko since they first formally fielded women’s teams in 1981, Nielsen brought the Blue Mountains-native in as one of his first appointments and, with the Matildas still without a permanent coach at that point following the post-Olympics departure of Tony Gustavsson, she jumped at the chance.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the Australian setup as a player and a coach,” she said. “I think it’s important that you add a diverse range of experiences to your locker. It’s important that I get international experience, it’s important that I get club experience, all those kinds of layers add to your tool set. I’m a person who likes to be challenged and to grow, so why not join a world-class setup and experience what that’s like?
“Both coaching with Japan, but also living abroad in Europe and being in and amongst some of the best clubs in the world; that opportunity and these experiences are something that is only going to help my career moving forward.
“[Nils is] based between Denmark and Japan, and makes frequent visits to England as well. The beauty of Europe is its close proximity. We collaborate quite regularly, along with all the Japanese staff. We have regular online meetings each week, and obviously, the group gets together in Japan when we can.”
If the Women’s Asian Cup plays out as the rankings suggest, Blayney will soon experience a reunion with the Matildas. If hosts Australia win Group, they’ll be on path meet the winner of Group C — likely Japan — in a Sydney-based semifinal on March 18. And with the winner of that game largely expected to go on to win the whole tournament, there will be no thoughts of split-loyalties.
“Look, it’ll be an incredible moment,” she said. “Australian fans are world-class.
“I hold Australia very close to my heart. However, obviously, we have a target, and I have a job to do with Japan. So any previous experiences or knowledge, of course, we’re going to be bringing them to this tournament.”
