Even though Australias road to glory this summer in France wasn’t as big of a success as they would have dreamt of, the usual suspects did somewhat live up to the expectations. Of course, Sam Kerr is the name ringing in everyone’s ears but it was actually their right-back, Ellie Carpenter, that could’ve easily slipped under the radar of many spectators.
But she was very much one of the Matildas’ bright spots throughout FIFA Women’s World Cup and this tactical analysis will look into the young full-back and bring you her in-depth player profile alongside the tactics behind her success.
Player Overview
Ellie Carpenter is a 19-year-old right-back that plays her football for the Australian national team and Portland Thorns, the American club playing in the NWSL league. Carpenter is very much the Australian prodigy waiting to be unleashed.
As well as being last year’s W-League Young Footballer of the Year, the right-back is also the youngest player to score in NWSL history. Interestingly enough, she made her debut for the Matildas at the tender age of just 15, becoming Australia’s first international football player (male or female) to be born in the 21st century.
Her play is characterised by her blistering pace, an eye for both finishing and setting up goals and a keen sense for defending. This scout report will now take a closer look at all those qualities and tactics in more detail.
Defensive contribution
One thing that describes Ellie Carpenter the best would definitely be her aggressiveness. Whether we’re dissecting her attacking or defensive play, this one rule of thumb generally holds true. Whether by design or by accident, both Australia and Portland Thorns do share some similar tactics that suit Carpenter really well.
Her tendency to press the opponent and engage in duels is complementary to the high-tempo style both teams prefer. Notice in the images below how that translates onto the pitch and in two different situations that usually occur.
The firs
