3. THERE'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP

Looking at the performance of 19-year-old Ellie Carpenter, bombing down that right flank throughout the first half, we were reminded of the massive jump in quality that occurs after you break into the first-team ranks.

Carpenter is one of the most poised, effective players in our Matildas squad and it's the experience she's now accumulated through 36 Matildas caps and a successful NWSL stint that's allowed her to reach this stage.

We look back to the 13 goals our Young Matildas - all around Carpenter's age - shipped against Asian powerhouses Japan and North Korea and it's clear that as the quality of the Matildas is growing, so are the same problems we face in the Socceroos.

This Matildas squad are as exceptional as they are because they were all involved in the national team from a very young age. Yet Carpenter is the only teenager in this squad, and there were only two 23-year-olds as her next youngest, both on the bench.

This isn't necessarily a negative. The successful debut of McCormick and longevity of players like Aivi Luik proves that we can continue to develop our best and brightest for extended periods before they're rewarded with international caps, which they can then accumulate over a far longer career.

But the problems we face at youth level, where we now stand a real risk of failing to qualify for either youth World Cup (even our men's side qualified for the U/17s) poses significant threats for our ability to continue progressing in an ever-increasing female football arena moving forward.