The Matildas’ lack of team depth is exposed when they are beaten 5-0 by ruthless Canada in front of their delirious fans under the Langford lights.

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson was left searching for answers after Canada defeated his ‘experimental’ team 5-0 on Saturday.

While key figures such as Mary Fowler, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Ellie Carpenter and Katrina Gorry were named on the bench, it was Australia’s clear lack of depth that will worry the Swede ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Nichelle Prince opened the scoring for the hosts after just 10 minutes, before scoring the second moments before the break.

Chloe Lacasse, Simi Awujo and Adriana León added to the misery in the second half after the trio found the back of the net, with the Matildas appearing to be chasing shadows at times, such was the gulf in class between the two teams.

The result also somewhat atoned for Australia outscoring the Canadians 4-0 during the World Cup group stage in July at home.

And although it was a friendly, Matildas fans were quick to express their frustration at the one-sided result on social media.

‘Tony (Gustavsson), you’ve got to be kidding me, your starting lineup looked like an under-21 team. Against 11 seasoned Canadian pros…we got what we deserved,’ raged one fan.

Another posted: ‘There’s no point in experimenting with the lineup if we’re not actually going to play (decent) football.’

A third chimed in: “This is just embarrassing.”

Gustavsson’s team has a chance to atone when they play Canada again in Vancouver on December 6.

It promises to be a memorable occasion, as the Canadians bid farewell to one of the greatest female soccer players of all time: Christine Sinclair.

Sinclair, Canada’s 14-time Soccer Player of the Year, has captained her nation since 2006, playing in six World Cups, 10 CONCACAF tournaments and four Olympic Games, winning gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.