AUSTRALIA DEVELOPS A WINNING HABIT AFTER WINNING THE CUP OF NATIONS.

Tony Gustavsson, the coach of Australia, wasn’t satisfied with every play in every game, but he was happy that the co-hosts of the Women’s World Cup were forming a winning habit after winning the Cup of Nations on Wednesday.

On a rainy night in Newcastle, Jamaica lost 3-0, extending Australia’s winning streak to seven games and giving the host nation three straight wins in a competition that also included Spain and the Czech Republic.

The friendly competition was planned by the Swedish organizer Gustavsson to roughly resemble Australia’s World Cup group, in which the Matildas will compete against Canada, Ireland, and Nigeria.

The one lesson we did learn, according to Gustavsson, “is how it feels to win, and we can’t disregard that.

“Tonight’s game wasn’t particularly good. Neither the first half against the Czech Republic nor the second half against Spain were particularly strong. Football in tournaments, however, is about finding a way to triumph, persevering, and having faith in one’s abilities. We can also see that we can score goals and do it in a variety of methods when it comes to competition play.

In front of 9,000 spectators at Newcastle International Sports Centre, long-range goals from Katrina Gorry and Caitlin Foord and a closer-range effort from Alex Chidiac gave Gustavsson’s fairly settled team a comfortable victory over the Jamaicans.

Despite an occasionally sluggish performance in Australia’s third encounter in a week following the 4-0 win over the Czech Republic and a 3-2 triumph against Spain, Gustavsson was nonetheless happy to see his team keep a fourth clean sheet in their previous five games.

“The opportunity to win a trophy and hoist it up, to seize the opportunity to receive that feeling what it feels to win,” Gustavsson said, “doesn’t come around too often.”

Because winning is so addictive, I can’t wait to congratulate the gamers and really appreciate the experience.

Australia’s next assignment is a trip to London in April to take on European champion England. On July 20, the World Cup, which New Zealand is co-hosting, will begin.