By Emma Burke 14/5/25
Above: Isabel Gomez in action for Central Coast Mariners
A 23-player squad has been announced by Matildas Interim Head Coach Tom Sermanni ahead of the team’s two game series against Argentina, made up of long term Tillies and some new faces.
“It’s a fairly mixed squad,” said Sermanni, “it’s a balance of a group of our senior international players and quite a few young players.”
One of the new call ups includes Central Coast Mariners’ midfielder Izzy Gomez, who is currently preparing to take on Melbourne Victory in the A-League Women’s Grand Final this Sunday.
Gomez was previously called up in November of last year, but a knee injury cruelly kept her from making it to camp.
“She’s just continued since she’s come back from injury, week in week out, to be a dominant player in midfield,” he said.
“She offers a combination of things, she’s very tenacious but at the same time has a really good midfield skillset. Her passing is good, her decision making is good and obviously as you saw on the weekend managed to score a goal that was apparently just onside,” Sermanni said, referring to the controversial game winning goal Gomez scored to help her side into the Grand Final and break Melbourne City’s unbeaten streak.
Striker Kahli Johnson, who recently made the move from Western United to Calgary Wild FC in Canada’s new National Super League, where she has already scored twice, is another name to make it into the final 23 for the first time
“It’s been quite significantly hit with injuries and withdrawals so the upside of that is it gives opportunities to other players,” Sermanni said.
Players such as Mary Fowler, Tameka Yallop, and Mackenzie Arnold will all miss this window due to injuries, while other players such as Ellie Carpenter and Katrina Gorry have withdrawn themselves for personal reasons.
Sermanni was also asked for comment on the now very likely possibility that he will be succeeded by Joe Montemurro, who currently coaches Olympique Lyonnais Femenin.
“Joe would do fantastic in the job, he knows the players intimately, he’s coached at the highest level for a very long time and been extraordinarily successful so there’ll be no issue with Joe coming in,” he said after jokingly saying that Montemurro would be, “terrible,” in the role, but only because he’s from Melbourne.
Matildas Squad
Keepers
Teagan Micah
Jada Whyman
Morgan Aquino
Defenders
Steph Catley
Charli Grant
Winonah Heatley
Clare Hunt
Alanna Kennedy
Courtney Nevin
Tash Prior
Jamilla Rankin
Midfielders
Emily van Egmond
Leah Davidson
Kyra Cooney-Cross
Izzy Gomez
Amy Sayer
Clare Wheeler
Forwards
Holly McNamara
Bryleeh Henry
Michelle Heyman
Kaitlyn Torpey
Kahli Johnson
Caitlin Foord
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