For those of us still having nightmares about the Socceroos taking on Germany in that opening game, the thought of the Matildas taking on the German national women's team is enough to make us shudder.

Especially when you consider that the Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft der Frauen have as many footballing accomplishments to their name as letters in it. Ranked second behind only the USA, and nicknamed the slightly more manageable Die Nationalelf, which translates as 'The National Eleven', the German women's team is one of the world's most successful and formidable women's football teams. They're also the defending Women's World Cup champs, having taken out both the 2003 and 2007 titles. And did I mention they're hosting the 2011 Women's World Cup?

Which makes the Matildas playing them in a friendly (although such a term is pretty much a misnomer for what's rarely a friendly match) in the lead up an incredibly savvy move.

With long-serving and prolific goal-scoring players filling out the starting XI, including Captain Birgit Prinz who alone has a whopping 204 caps and 126 goals under her belt, the experienced Germans will be the team to beat in the 2011 comp. Familiarising the 11th-ranked Matildas with their pace and playing style—and on German/World Cup soil to boot—is smart prep.

So forgive me for being slightly surprised that it was the Matildas who first found the back of the net. Collette McCallum put the ball pinpoint-accurately in front of an on-running 17-year-old Sam Kerr. Kerr then beat two defenders and the goalkeeper, who was caught in no-woman's land, to chip the ball in.

The Germans struck back with a sneaky goal that wrong-footed both the defence and goalkeeper and captain Melissa Barbieri soon after, then scored a second after Barbieri couldn't contain a low shot.

But going 2-1 down to the world's second-ranked team and reigning World Cup champs is more than a pretty good effort is surely giving the Matildas confidence heading into 2011. It's also gone part way to alleviating my Australia v Germany nightmares. Bring on the Women's World Cup (and the W-League before it).