Soccer-Matildas need better technique for future progress-coach

By Simon Evans EDMONTON, June 28 (Reuters) - Australia coach Alen Stajcic believes their best-ever Women's World Cup run can be the foundation for future success but warns the country's players need to develop better technical skills. The Matildas had never won a knockout stage game before but, after emerging from a strong Group D, they upset Brazil and were three minutes from taking holders Japan into extra time. An 87th minute goal from substitute Mana Iwabuchi ended Australia's hopes of a place in the semi-finals as Japan repeated their 1-0 win from last year's Women's Asian Cup final. While proud of Australia's battling qualities and work-rate, Stajcic said Japan's ability to keep the ball and their quality passing and movement showed areas his team needed to improve on. "I think Australia need to become technically better," Stajcic told reporters. "Our kids need to do way more technical development than we have in the past. We have already put those wheels in motion but that takes 5-10 years, not overnight. "There is no reason that the Japanese girls are so technical other than hard work and practice -- we have got to get that into our systems, which we've done, but it takes time," he said. While the youth development programmes of the Football Federation of Australia are aimed at producing a future generation with better ball skills, Stajcic also reckons his current youthful team has plenty of room for improvement. "Our girls are in that category where they can develop tactically now. By the time the Olympics and then the next World Cup comes around we are going to be even stronger," he said. "It has been a good learning experience for everyone, me included. It is our job to get better. You don't want to compete with the best, you want to beat the best." Midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight believes the team's progress since they came together full time before this tournament shows they can make major strides before the next World Cup. "We have so much potential. We've only had six months together really so imagine another four years. There's so much potential," she said. (Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Ken Ferris)