Problem with the matchmaking is that it seems to only rely on the PvP ranking points and not on the actual player strength (age and bonuses). Even if the system was given enough time to establish the player ranking, that can not really work - mainly because of the asymmetry in boosts of the attacking and the defending army of most players - therfore even in the simplest matchmaking the system would need to have a defensive and offensive rating to give decent opponents.
It should rely on the points and not the bonuses. Bonuses should be something that helps you maintain a rank, not something that doesn't matter because it's mirrored in making your matches harder/easier. Your matches should naturally get harder (or rather at least some of them should). And if you don't have defense to make yourself an (actually) difficult target, people should get free points from hitting you and it should knock you down the ladder.
The age thing on the other hand... that needs to change. If matchmaking is restricted to +/- 1 age, it already works to not have lower ages get out of control as it'd mean SAM players are calibrated to SAAB, VF to SAM, OF to VF, etc. But at the same time it'd mean that lower age players aren't faced with completely impossible situations (or rather the "impossible" situations they face are only momentarily impossible until they get better boost not sometimes you get shown space age weaponry to face with your sticks and stones).