At his sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup, Sermanni is a fountain of knowledge for Canada
MELBOURNE, Australia — They say it’s a small world. And Tom Sermanni has coached in most of it.
The Scottish-born, Australian-based coach is working his sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup — and his second as a member of the Canadian teaching workers. Sermanni, who additionally had a 16-month stint in control of the U.S. girls in 2013-14, served as Australia’s head coach on the soccer showcase in 1995, 2007 and 2011 and led New Zealand on the 2019 event.
With Canada, he served as an assistant to John Herdman on the 2015 World Cup and is a member of Bev Priestman’s workers on the present competitors in Australia and New Zealand.
But labelling Sermanni an assistant coach actually doesn’t do him justice. The affable 69-year-old is a invaluable useful resource — a strolling encyclopedia of soccer.
“One of the greatest characters of football,” stated former Australia captain Julie Murray.
The seventh-ranked Canadian girls skilled in Melbourne on Monday morning earlier than taking a four-hour flight west to Perth the place they tackle No. 22 Ireland in Group B play Wednesday. Olympic champion Canada is coming off a scoreless draw with No. 40 Nigeria whereas the Irish, of their World Cup debut, misplaced 1-0 to No. 10 Australia.
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Sermanni’s ties within the sport are exceptional.
As an instance, Sermanni gave present Australian captain Sam Kerr her senior debut at 15 in February 2009 in a sport in opposition to Italy in Canberra. Fast ahead 14 years and Kerr is the face of soccer in Australia. The Chelsea star has 63 targets in 120 video games for Australia and is at her fourth World Cup, albeit presently nursing a calf harm.
Wearing Italian colors that very same sport Kerr debuted for Australia was attacking midfielder/striker Pamela Conti. Now 41, Conti is coach of the Venezuelan girls’s group, ranked 51st on the planet.
Conti can also be a part of the FIFA Coach Mentorship Program, which sees skilled coaches from the ladies’s sport mentor up-and-coming coaches from around the globe.
Conti’s mentor? Tom Sermanni.
Other mentors within the FIFA program embody Priestman, former Canada and Norway coach Even Pellerud, Brazil and former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage and present U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski.
Sermanni says the training goes each methods.
“Very much so. And they keep you on their toes with that. And they also keep you thinking about how you might do things or how you might deal with a problem ⦠The other great thing is there’s no solution in coaching, there’s no one way to do it.”
Born in Glasgow, Sermanni performed in England and Scotland for Albion Rovers, Blackpool, Torquay United and Dunfermline Athletic. In his early days as a semi-pro participant, he doubled as a main faculty trainer with a specialization in bodily schooling.
He was dropped at Australia in 1983 by Marconi, the soccer arm of a sporting membership based by Italian immigrants.
“I only intended to come for a year and here I am 40 years on, still here,” stated Sermanni, who lives with Alison, his spouse of 36 years, within the Sydney suburb of Brighton-le-Sands.
The coach who introduced him to Marconi joined Canberra City the next 12 months and Sermanni adopted him there. He taught highschool in Canberra and ultimately turned a player-manager with Canberra Croatia.
He ultimately spent 16 years in Canberra the place he labored on the Australian Institute of Sport. It was there {that a} buddy approached him in 1994 to see if he had any curiosity in taking over the Australian girls’s head teaching job.
After his teaching position with the Matildas led to 1997, he frolicked in Japan as an assistant coach at Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC earlier than transferring to the U.S. in 2001 for an assistant teaching position with the San Jose CyberRays after which the highest job with the New York Power, one other group within the now-defunct Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA).
After a stint as director of soccer growth within the Malaysian state of Sarawak, he had a second go-round as Australia coach from 2005 to 2012. In 2010, he led the Matildas to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Australia’s first main continental title since becoming a member of the Asian Football Confederation in 2006.
He took cost of the U.S. girls in January 2013, ultimately transferring on to affix the Canadian workers at Herdman’s behest earlier than changing into the primary coach of the Orlando Pride in 2015.
Sermanni spent three seasons within the NWSL earlier than taking up the New Zealand girls’s group on a nine-month contract that stretched into three years, ultimately leaving the Football Ferns after the Tokyo Olympics.
While Sermanni’s profession has taken him around the globe, his Scottish accent stays the identical. As does his penchant for crosswords.
Along the way in which, he has seen the Women’s World Cup develop from 12 to 32 groups.
“Incredible,” stated Sermanni, recalling his ’95 Australia group had only one assistant coach who doubled because the goalkeeping coach.
“The game’s just moved on. And really in such a short space of time as well,” he added. “It’s just amazing how it’s kicked on.”
Sermanni sees “unprecedented development” within the girls’s sport across the globe over the past 5 years, citing groups’ preparation and funds.
“Although there are still some significant gaps, the quality of teams has gotten closer. The quality of the games has improved significantly and the development of what you would call the third- or fourth-tier teams has come on quite significantly,” he stated.
Sermanni’s many connections usually means dealing with buddies and former groups.
His New Zealand facet misplaced 2-0 to Canada on the 2019 World Cup in France and he’ll face the Matildas in Canada’s last group sport July 31 again in Melbourne.
“Over time it’s just become part of the business ⦠you just kind of get used to going in and trying to do the job the best you can,” he stated.
His connection to Canada got here from Herdman, who coached in New Zealand earlier than coming to Canada. Herdman known as Sermanni as soon as he had left the U.S. job.
“Which I’m eternally grateful for,” stated Sermanni, who was inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame in 2014.
He says he has no thought what his teaching future holds.
“I was quite happily easing into retirement when I got the call (from Canada for this World Cup) and I got the mentorship thing,” he stated. “And I help out with a W-League team here in Australia, the Western Sydney Wanderers (where he is head of women’s football).”
“I don’t have any ambitions,” he added. “I’ve had my time as head coach. I’ve had my time of chasing the game and trying to get on as far as I can in the game. I’m just really happy that I’m still involved in some capacity.”
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