Caitlin Foord is a fantastic player for Arsenal Women, so it’s surprising she hasn’t been as influential as we’d expected her to be this season.
Speaking about his dependable winger, Australian women’s head coach Tony Gustavsson took his time to dispel the doubts about what a player Foord is. He stated, “I’ve been tracking Caitlin for a very, very long time, all the way back to my time when I was working in the US when she was playing there. I see a smart player, a technical player, but the one thing that she has that some smart, technical players don’t have is the commitment to defend.
⚽️ 1 stunning goal + 🅰️ 1 assist & ☑️ 90 mins@CaitlinFoord is your Player of the Match from #MEXvAUS!#Matildas pic.twitter.com/wRtjitP7lv
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) April 10, 2024
“Look at her slide tackles; look at her off-ball work; she is committed like no one else. She likes to compete; she’s a true competitor, and combine those two—the technical and the competitive—it’s rare, especially at the top, top, top level.”
I can’t help but be disappointed after hearing the Matildas’ head coach’s comments. I’m disappointed because we haven’t seen the consistent Caitlin Foord he’s referring to this far this season; all we’ve seen are flashes of brilliance. She has only scored 4 WSL goals for Arsenal (and 2 assists) out of 17 games for our Women.
The Australian has not been as consistent as we believe she could be. Some have questioned Jonas Eidevall’s continued reliance on her when he could use Cloe Lacasse instead. Anyway, the Swedish manager must fully appreciate the fantastic player he has in the Australian attacker; he probably understands that “form is temporary, class is permanent,” and Foord is world-class.
Nonetheless, Foord delivered a brilliant performance in Australia’s match against Mexico. The Matildas triumphed 2-0, and she not only assisted Hayley Raso’s goal that broke the deadlock, but she also scored the game winner off a Steph Catley assist. She was the hero of the night; she was awarded player of the match.
I hope that’s the beginning of her resurgence and we will see her very best for Arsenal in the future.
Susan N
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Caitlin may not have been quite up to last season’s consistency but when it comes to the big moments she invariably delivers.
Her introduction in the Conti final (together with Steph) provided the impetus and assist for Stina’s winner.