By Emma Burke 7/2/24
Above : Michelle Heyman will return to the national team against Uzbekistan. Photo: Football Australia.
The Matildas squad that faces Uzbekistan in the third and final round of Olympic Qualifying for Paris 2024 includes the familiar faces of Michelle Heyman and Chloe Logarzo, and marks a first senior call-up for Kaitlyn Torpey.
Head Coach Tony Gustavsson announced his 23-player deep roster last night to the media and spoke in a press conference about the choices he’s made in his inclusions and exclusions.
“We’re really happy to find the combination that we have of younger players, experienced players, players that have been with us before and are coming back and so forth,” said Gustavsson.
“We have to consider injury situations, with players unavailable, and look at how we can fill those spots, for example the 9 and 10 role,” he said regarding the loss of players such as Sam Kerr and Holly McNamara to ACL ruptures, and Lydia Williams requiring surgery on her ankle.
The selection of Michelle Heyman sees her return to the senior team five years after she announced her retirement from international football.
“Heyman has played herself into this team,” said Gustavsson, “it’s not about age in a Matilda, it’s about the quality you have as a footballer,” he continued.
Heyman, who is 35, recently became the first player to score 100 goals in the A-League Women’s, and currently leads the race for the Golden Boot, having scored 10 goals in 15 games for Canberra United. Internationally, Heyman has appeared 61 times for the Matildas, including at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, and the 2016 Rio Olympics, and scored 20 goals.
“She’s in tremendous form, she’s scoring for fun, and we feel playing these qualifiers against a very well organized Uzbekistan, it’s going to be difficult to get in behind and we need an in-and-out pure 9 in the box that needs half a chance to score, and that’s Michelle Heyman.”
This roster also sees the return of Chloe Logarzo to the international fold after having struggled in recent years with injuries and form.
“I’m really happy to bring Chloe back in. She knows the identity of the team, she knows the playing style, she’s going to integrate quickly into it,” said Gustavsson.
While she has recently been utilised as a number 9 for her club at Western United, where she has so far collected 5 goals and 2 assists this season, Logarzo is traditionally known for her tenacious work as a box-to-box midfielder, attributes that Gustavsson was quick to heap praise on.
“Her runs off the ball, her tackling, her 1v1, her defending and attacking, her scoring ability, her ability to get into the box, her runs in behind the backline, we need players that can get into the box and be first on the ball… she’s going to be there to poach every single ball if she gets on the park,” he said.
Internationally, Logarzo was a part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics squad, where the Matildas came home empty handed after losing 4-3 to the USA in the Bronze Medal match. She previously was awarded the Player of the Match in the Matildas game against Brazil at the Women’s World Cup in France in 2019, a game in which she scored to level the score and which is heralded by fans as ‘The Miracle of Montpellier.”
The only new addition to Gustavsson’s team is Kaitlyn Torpey, a versatile defender originally from Brisbane, who was recently announced as having signed with San Diego Wave in the NWSL for two years, a move that set a record outgoing transfer fee in Australia from Melbourne City.
“We’ve kept an eye on her for a long time, her improvement of performances over the last year, especially after her last injury has been phenomenal,” Gustavsson said of the 23-year-old.
“She has a profile as a player that is intriguing for the way we play. She has the speed with technique, she can play the 7 or 11 for us out wide, she can play as an attacking outside back for us, she’s confident on the ball, she’s aggressive.”
The remaining 20 places on this squad contain the usual suspects you would expect to see, however both Alex Chidiac and Courtney Nevin have been omitted this time around.
The Olympics only allow for 18 players per country with a handful of reserve players who also travel with the team, meaning that there will be more cuts made should the Matildas qualify for Paris 2024.
Despite this, Gustavsson has said that there are still opportunities for players who haven’t made this roster to book their ticket.
“Everyone that is selected for this camp, and those that missed out, are in contention for a position on the Olympic roster,” he said.
“The door is open, but it’s not wide open.”
The Matildas take on Uzbekistan in a two-leg series, the first played in Tashkent at the Milliy Stadium at 8pm AEST on the 24th of February, before travelling to Melbourne for the second game also at 8pm AEST on the 28th of February at Marvel Stadium.
SQUAD LIST
Mackenzie ARNOLD (GK)
Ellie CARPENTER
Steph CATLEY
Kyra COONEY-CROSS
Caitlin FOORD
Mary FOWLER
Katrina GORRY
Charlotte GRANT
Michelle HEYMAN
Clare HUNT
Alanna KENNEDY
Chloe LOGARZO
Aivi LUIK
Teagan MICAH (GK)
Clare POLKINGHORNE
Hayley RASO
Amy SAYER
Kaitlyn TORPEY
Emily VAN EGMOND
Cortnee VINE
Clare WHEELER
Jada WHYMAN (GK)
Tameka YALLOP
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