- 4–2 build-up shape, with either FB slightly higher.
- Minimum width at the backline.
- FBs inverted (sometimes underlapping) if needed.
- Play out from the wings, instead of filtering through the centre.
- Try lots of build-ups from the left, but more successful from the right because of higher player quality (Raso, Carpenter).
- Fancy high balls towards an attacking player, who lays it off for an incoming player by third-man runs: FBs (Carpenter, Catley) or wide midfielders (Raso, Vine) — in the HS or on the wings.
- Two central midfielders (Cooney-Cross, Gorry) fancy cutting inside & switch to the other side after supporting first-phase build-ups. They don’t have many vertical options forward as it’s a 4–4–1–1 instead of a 4–3–3.
- Fight for second balls.
- Mary Fowler likes to operate deeper and support attack from the left, possibly creating left overload and right isolation. Caitlin Foord higher in more advanced areas.
- Wingers or FBs or wide midfielders cross in or take on defenders 1v1. Very combative and rely heavily on 1v1 successes.
- Tactics have high requirement on attacking players to have excellent first touches. Can be exploited for a team sitting deep.
For opposing teams:
- Keep a close eye on third-man runs with numerical superiority in the midfield. Australia don’t always have high success rates with third-man runs.
- Hybrid-marking instead of total man-marking. Aim for zonal defending so a better control could be founded from deep.
- Tactics have high requirement on attacking players to have excellent first touches; also very combative and rely heavily on 1v1 successes. Try to seize every single chance they lose the ball.
- Wide midfielders need to be aggressive and target the space between Australia’s full-backs and central-midfielders. Or in front of Australia’s wide midfielders. FBs need to be aggressive as well to support.
- 4–4–2 has an innate weakness between the two “4”s. Long balls to find someone who can hold defenders off; then lay it off for a third-man runner.
