A 27-strong squad has been selected for the Young Matildas training camp hosted by Wyndham City Council commencing next Monday.
The 10-day assembly will assist the U-20 Women’s National Team in getting ready for next month’s 2024 AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers. Australia will take on Guam and hosts Kyrgyz Republic with the group winner progressing to Round 2.
Head coach Leah Blayney commented on the squad: “The selected players are part of a group that we have been closely monitoring in various environments across Australia over the past 12 months. As we finalise our plans for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, it was important that we identified talent from the full football spectrum and ensured they had access to high quality minutes.”
“As a result, many were involved in the 2022 Pacific Women’s Four Nations Tournament while a host of others have performed consistently in the Liberty A-League.
“Our key priorities for the week of training are to build towards those qualifiers and to do so we need to foster strong tactical understanding and group cohesion. This is a fantastic opportunity for this cohort of players to put their hand up for selection through their actions on and off the park.”
21 players representing all eleven Liberty A-League clubs have been selected, with seven different Member Federations featured. Victorian defender Naomi Chinnama and South Australian midfielder Sasha Coorey have both been ruled out after they sustained medium to long term injuries.
As part of the training camp, the Young Matildas will play two vital training matches against Liberty A-League Women’s ladder leaders Western United and second placed Melbourne City.
“Both Western United and Melbourne City have demonstrated their playing strength over the course of the Liberty A-League season,” said Blayney.
“With the technical quality, tempo and physicality of the two teams, it will stretch this playing group outside of their comfort zone when it comes to these opponents.”
2024 AFC U-20 WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP – ROUND 1 QUALIFIERS – GROUP C
Guam v Australia
Date: 7 March 2023
Time: 12:30am ACDT
Australia v Kyrgyz Republic
Date: 11 March 2023
Time: 12:30am ACDT
