by Ben Gilby (21/5/24)
Above: Lydia Williams (left) and Charli Grant at today’s Matildas media event in Adelaide. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Football Australia.
Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson today revealed his 23-player squad for the two home games with China that will take place in Adelaide and Sydney on 31st May and 3rd June respectively.
The game next Friday night local time in South Australia will be The Matildas’ first game in Adelaide for five years, and their first at the iconic 53,000-capacity Adelaide Oval. Game two, at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, will see a sell-out crowd of approaching 80,000 celebrate the career of 103-cap legend Lydia Williams, who recently announced she will retire after the Olympic Games in August.
The squad features 21 of the 23 players who helped the team qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics with 17 players based internationally. Six home-based players, including two from the A-League Women Championship winning side, Sydney FC, complete the squad.
Head Coach Tony Gustavsson emphasised the squad selected for the China series is the culmination of numerous camps and international matches since the World Cup last year. He sees this as an important opportunity for the players to make their final claims for the Olympic squad.
“The squad we have named for this upcoming series against China PR is based on their performances for their respective clubs and also in our national team environment,” Gustavsson stated. “Some players are selected based on past performances, in tournaments and in previous camps, while others are chosen for their current strong form.”
“With the Olympics approaching, selection is about seeing the overall picture over four years of performance and assembling the best team possible. We have looked at providing cover in each of the different positions and ensuring the player profile for those positions enhance the squad. We are pleased and confident we have those options across the pitch,” he explained.
Defenders Clare Hunt and Courtney Nevin and goalkeeper Lydia Williams return after being unavailable for April’s FIFA International window in the United States when the Matildas took on Mexico.
Katrina Gorry (ankle) and Aivi Luik (hamstring) are still unavailable as they continue to rehab after being ruled out in April, while attackers Amy Sayer and Sam Kerr remain on the sidelines with long-term ACL injuries. Kerr and Sayer will continue their rehabilitation programs in their home club environments and subsequently will not be available for selection for the Olympics.
“I think everyone can do the math here and understand that obviously the Olympic roster will be based mostly out of those that are in this upcoming May/June camp,” Gustavsson outlined.
“However, we also have some players in Katrina and Aivi unavailable for selection for this window but most likely will be physically available to be part of an Olympic roster. This window will be a tough one for me and my staff in terms of evaluating players, where they are, and then the final selection process for Paris.
“We want to use this camp to summarise the evolved playing style we have built upon in the last couple of months. To go back to what we did at last year’s World Cup and the core things we did well there and then add the layers we have worked on since.
“Then we will see if we can get more of a complete overview of where we are positioned, work on nuances and details and get some answers of where are we and what do we need to keep working on come the Olympics,” Gustavsson concluded.
Matildas defender Charli Grant spoke of her immense pride today in being in her home state to represent her country in front of a sell-out crowd next Friday.
“I’ve always been going on about how good Adelaide is, so I’m really excited to show the girls what Adelaide is all about,” the Tottenham Hotspur right-back said.
“It’s always an honour to be selected for the national team, and to be able to play here at Adelaide Oval is a little bit extra special to me, this is where I grew up, this is where my family and friends are, so to do this for them will be special to have them watching.”
Playing in the city’s biggest stadium is yet another symbolic sign of the massive surge in interest surrounding The Matildas since last year’s World Cup – and Grant was thrilled about how her home city has embraced the team.
“We (last) played here five years ago at Coopers Stadium (Adelaide United’s home stadium) and I think we were saying there were 10,000 there, now we’ll be in front of 50,000 at Adelaide Oval, so it’s huge for the women’s game, it shows how it’s grown and I’m really proud of Adelaide for stepping forward and giving us a place to play.
“I’ve always come to Adelaide Oval to watch AFL games and to be actually playing there is a really special moment.”
This international camp is a particularly bittersweet one for Lydia Williams. The Western Australian recently announced she will retire after the Olympic Games, and the two games against China in the coming weeks will be her last chance to represent her country on home soil.
“I’ve given a lot to the game. It’s important for me to leave it in a better position so players like Charli and the future is going to thrive. I’m going to look back and really enjoy this moment. The next few months I am going to get to play with a smile on my face as I know what the future is like for The Matildas, and that’s all I can ask for.”
That future may well be bright, but the present is pretty exciting too – both on and off the pitch for the Australian national side.
“It’s been five years since we’ve been here (in Adelaide). To have the reception and to be slowly ticking our way through Australia selling out stadiums is really an honour…The series is a farewell, leading not only into (the) Paris (Olympics), but a special send-off game in Sydney which I’m really excited for, and really special preparations for the team leading into the Olympics.
“It’s knuckling down into final preparations for the Olympics…whilst it’s going to be a nice moment and a nice camp, it definitely will be competitive in making sure we are in the best shape possible leading into Paris.”
MATILDAS SQUAD FOR TWO-GAME SERIES WITH CHINA:
| NAME | CLUB | CAPS (GOALS) |
| Mackenzie ARNOLD | West Ham United | 47 (0) |
| Ellie CARPENTER (VC) | Olympique Lyon | 75 (4) |
| Steph CATLEY (C) | Arsenal | 124 (5) |
| Kyra COONEY-CROSS | Arsenal | 43 (0) |
| Caitlin FOORD | Arsenal | 122 (36) |
| Mary FOWLER | Manchester City | 51 (15) |
| Sharn FREIER | Brisbane Roar/Brisbane City | 1 (0) |
| Charlotte GRANT | Tottenham Hotspur | 24 (1) |
| Winonah HEATLEY | FC Nordsjælland | 0 (0) |
| Michelle HEYMAN | Canberra United | 64 (25) |
| Clare HUNT | Paris Saint-Germain | 18 (0) |
| Alanna KENNEDY | Manchester City | 122 (9) |
| Teagan MICAH | Liverpool | 17 (0) |
| Courtney NEVIN | Leicester City | 27 (0) |
| Clare POLKINGHORNE | Kristianstads DFF | 166 (16) |
| Hayley RASO | Real Madrid | 85 (17) |
| Kaitlyn TORPEY | San Diego Wave | 3 (1) |
| Emily VAN EGMOND (VC) | San Diego Wave | 142 (31) |
| Cortnee VINE | Sydney FC | 27 (3) |
| Clare WHEELER | Everton | 19 (1) |
| Jada WHYMAN | Sydney | 0 (0) |
| Lydia WILLIAMS | Melbourne Victory | 103 (0) |
| Tameka YALLOP | Brisbane Roar | 121 (13) |
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