Arsenal praise the All Stars and Eidevall learns the true toll of travel

A-League Women All-Stars 0-1 Arsenal

Report by Emma Burke, EXCLUSIVE match photos by Kris Goman, from AAMI Park for Impetus (25/5/24).

Above: Arsenal’s Australian international Caitlin Foord (red shirt) rises above Alex Chidiac at AAMI Park yesterday. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.

Arsenal may have taken the win against the A-League Women All Stars at AAMI Park in Melbourne, but it could all have been so different. The North London side’s head coach Jonas Eidevall spoke afterwards about just how strong their opponents were.

“They’re a very talented team, hardworking, tactically gifted as well, we could see that to the end it was a competitive game,” said Eidevall, before attributing Arsenal’s win not to the goal scored by Alessia Russo, but to the incredible save made by their 19-year-old goalkeeper Naomi Williams, who denied Melbourne City striker Hannah Wilkinson the potential equaliser in the final moments of extra time.

**Above:** Cortnee Vine looks to turn away from Katie McCabe at AAMI Park yesterday. **Photo:** Kris Goman for Impetus.

Both Catley and Foord praised the All-Stars team, made up of players they had played with or against in their time in the A-League.

“The All Stars coming together, having never played together before, I thought they were great, they were really challenging to mark going forward, and they’ve got incredible individual players,” said Catley.

“They worked really well as a team, the midfield caused a lot of problems for us getting on the ball. Their midfield was confident to get on the ball, to switch it, and that was where they caused us the most problems,” said Foord.

While both teams left the game unscathed injury-wise, there were some close calls for two of Arsenal’s Aussies, Catley exiting the game at half-time and returning to the bench with a heavily strapped right thigh, and Kyra Cooney-Cross exiting the game late and almost needing a stretcher to do so.

**Above:** Kyra Cooney-Cross (red shirt, on ground) crashes to earth under a challenge as Caitlin Foord appeals. **Photo:** Kris Goman for *Impetus*.

“I’m fine, I just had a little bit of a tight groin towards the end of that first half, so just keeping it good for the next stuff coming up,” Catley said.

On Cooney-Cross’ situation, however, when asked Catley rolled her eyes before laughing and calling her younger teammate “dramatic,” for almost being stretchered off for what Foord said was “a bit of cramping.”

This experience also allowed for the coaching staff and the rest of the Arsenal team to gain some insight to how the Matildas trio survive when travelling to Australia to play for their national team and then being thrown straight back into club football.

“You think you know jet lag because you’ve been to America a few times but it’s a totally different ball game going to Australia,” said Eidevall.

**Above:** Kayla Morrison (black shirt) looks to break through. **Photo:** Kris Goman for *Impetus*.

“I very much believe you have to put yourself in their [the players’] shoes at times to get a good understanding of what they’re going through and if you have that you can help better as well. It’s not only me now [who understands the Australian experience] it’s the rest of the team as well.”

While most of their club teammates now head into their off-season, the grind doesn’t stop for the Australian Arsenal players, as all three have been selected to play with the Matildas against China in Adelaide on the 31st of May.

“These are kind of our last prep and our last games on home soil,” said Foord. “We really want to make the most of that and start to get into gear heading into the Olympics.”