By Kieran Yap 5/3/24
Above: Sasha Grove via Football Australia.
After their gusty 2-1 win over South Korea, The Young Matildas have every right to be buoyant, but are still remaining focussed on the task at hand as they prepare to face Uzbekistan in the U20 Asian Cup.
Despite the unplayable conditions, Australia was able to adapt and start their tournament off with three point, fullback Sasha Grove expressed a sense of relief that accompanied the celebrations.
“It was brilliant,” Grove said through Football Australia.
“So many of us have been working so hard for the past few months in preparation for this game.
“It was brilliant to really see everyone get stuck in and get the result after we went down at half time.
“There’s a lot of determination in this squad, a lot of pride in what we do. We’re very proud of the way we started the tournament and we’re excited to keep that going for the rest of it.”
The AFC has come under wide criticism for not delaying kickoff until the snow could be cheated, and with many of Australia’s players unfamiliar with the arctic surface, adjustments had to be made. Grove was proud of how her teammates were able to complete the job.
“The conditions were something we haven’t encountered before but as footballers we pride ourselves on being adaptable, and if that takes a half to get stuck into a game, it takes a half.
“At the end of the day we’re really good at finishing games strong and making sure that we win by any means possible.
“It’s always having faith in ourselves and each other with every pass, everything we do and that’s what helped up win yesterday.
“As we moved into the second half and (were) starting being a little more ambitious, getting the balls forward a little more quickly it’s when I was thinking ‘yeah we’ve got this in the bag.’
“That’s what happened when we got our first goal. A bit more confidence in our heads and we just went for it from there.”
Grove has enjoyed a strong season for Canberra United. She joined the club as an electrifying forward, but has evolved into one of the leagues best fullbacks.
At just 19 she is now an experienced senior footballer and revelling in the responsibilities as an A-League player.
“A lot of people say that we’ve got a young team this year, which means that I’m an old one now. So I definitely have to step up in some respects.
“It’s just building on the relationships that I’ve already have with some of the senior players . Playing alongside Nikki Flannery who’s always on my side.
“We communicate well, she’s got my back, I’ve got hers. She’s really taught me to step up. That’s the same with Emma (Ilijoski) on the other side of the pitch and Michelle (Heyman) up top
“It’s been my responsibility to help sone of the younger ones. I take a lot of pride in that.
“Every time I put on a Canberra shirt, every time I look at the crowd I want to win for them and I want to make my family proud.
“Everything I do, I do to win. It also makes me feel good, so that’s a good part of it.
With The Young Matildas off to a strong start, they now face Uzbekistan, and Grove is taking nothing for granted.
“Winning is really important and we love the feeling of it, but a tournament is more than just one game.
“There’s 23 players in this squad and they really play a role in the successes that we have . So really looking after ourselves and taking care in everything we do.
“This is their home country so every game is a big game for them. They’re proud to be here so we can’t be taking them too lightly moving forward.”
That sentiment was echoed by midfielder Daniela Galic. The Melbourne City star says that it is important to remain focused on the goals of World Cup qualification and then the knockout phases.
“I think we have to make sure we don’t get too complacent after the win and just doing what we’ve been doing.
“Obviously it’s worked so far. Hopefully we get the wins in the next two matches are are able to qualify, but I think we also want to go far in this tournament and hopefully win the tournament.”
Galic is one of the younger members of the team at just 17, but is almost a veteran in international football. She played in the 2022 U20 World Cup, and has joined this squad after training with the senior Matildas as they prepared for Olympic qualifiers.
“I feel like it was a massive step up for me,” she said of the camp in Dubai.
“Being able to watch World class players in training and having to be up against them. I learned a lot
“I liked to analyse them but now playing against them, training against them was very different, but it was a great experience overall.”
Galic has been one of the stars of the A-League Women since joining City at the start of last season, and it is easy to forget that she is still at the very beginning on her career. The U20 Asian Cup is where stars like Steph Catley at Ji So-Yun first emerged, and Galic hopes to follow in their illustrious footsteps.
“It shows how big of an opportunity this is for us as a team to see how many people are watching this. Hopefully we can end up like them one day.”
Australia take on hosts Uzbekistan on Wednesday 10pm AEST. Fans can watch via 10Play.
Read our earlier interview with Daniela Galic here.
Read Genevieve Henry’s profile of Sasha Grove here.
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