Australia women's national soccer team

Australia
Nickname(s) Matildas
Association Football Federation Australia
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach Alen Stajcic
Captain Lisa De Vanna
Clare Polkinghorne
Most caps Cheryl Salisbury (151)
Top scorer Lisa De Vanna (45)
FIFA code AUS
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 6 Increase 2 (28 September 2018)
Highest 4 (December 2017)
Lowest 16 (October 2006)
First international
 Australia 2–2 New Zealand 
(Sutherland, Australia; 6 October 1979)
Biggest win
 Australia 21–0 American Samoa 
(Auckland, New Zealand; 9 October 1998)
Biggest defeat
 United States 9–1 Australia 
(Ambler, United States; 5 June 1997)
World Cup
Appearances 7 (first in 1995)
Best result Quarterfinals (2007, 2011, 2015)
Oceania Cup
Appearances 7 (first in 1983)
Best result Winners (1994, 1998, 2003)
Asian Cup
Appearances 5 (first in 1975)
Best result Winners (2010)

The Australian women's national soccer team is overseen by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Federation Australia (FFA), which is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) since leaving the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2006. The team's official nickname is the Matildas (from the Australian folk song "Waltzing Matilda"), having been known as the Female Socceroos before 1995.[1] The current team manager is Alen Stajcic.

Australia is a three-time OFC champion, one-time AFC champion and one-time AFF champion, and became the first ever national team to win in two different confederations (before the men's team did the same in 2015 AFC Asian Cup). The team has represented Australia at the FIFA Women's World Cup on five occasions and at the Olympic Games on two, although has won neither tournament. Immediately following the 2015 World Cup, Australia was ranked ninth in the world by FIFA.[2]

History

Matildas before a game against Italy in 2009

The Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) was founded in 1974[3] and a representative Australian team competed at the following year's Asian Women's Championship.[4] A national team made up primarily of players from New South Wales and Western Australia was sent to the 1978 inaugural World Women's Invitational Tournament, in Taipei, Taiwan.[5] Australia played against club teams at the tournament and none of the players' appearances counted as official caps.[6] Coached by Jim Selby, the selected players were: Sandra Brentnall (WA), Connie Byrnes (captain, NSW), Julie Clayton (WA), Kim Coates (NSW), Julie Dolan (NSW), Cindy Heydon (NSW), Barbara Kozak (WA), Sharon Loveless (WA), Toni McMahon (NSW), Sue Monteath (QLD), Sharon Pearson (NSW), Judy Pettitt (WA), Anna Senjuschenko (WA), Teresa Varadi (WA), Leigh Wardell (NSW) and Monika Werner (VIC).[7]

Australia's first official international match was against New Zealand at Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda, New South Wales, Australia on Saturday 6 October 1979, as it was billed as the "1st Australian Women's International Soccer Test". The Australian team listed in the match programme was Sue Monteith (Qld), Shona Bass (Vic), Kim Coates (Vic), Dianna Hall (SA), Carla Grims (SA), Fiana McKenzie (SA), Sandra Brentnall (WA), Judith Pettit (WA), Sharon Mateljan (WA), Julie Clayton (WA), Cindy Heydon (NSW), Julie Dolan (NSW), Toni McMahon (NSW), Jamie Rosman (NSW), Rosie van Bruinessen (NSW) and Leigh Wardell (NSW). Jim Selby remained as coach and the managers were Noelene Stanley and Elaine Watson. A lack of resources meant Australia's first eight official matches were all against New Zealand.[8]

The 1980s

Australia played in the first Oceania Cup in 1983 at New Caledonia, losing the final to New Zealand in extra time. It was the first time the Australians faced a team other than the "Football Ferns" of New Zealand. A team would not be assembled again until the next edition of the tournament in 1986 tournament in New Zealand, which featured Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, as well as New Zealand's B team. Australia lost in the final again, beaten 4–1 by Taiwan.[9][10]

The late 80s had Australia encountering the American and European teams for the first time in the 1987 Women's World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan, and the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China. For the latter tournament, the players had to sew themselves the own Australian crests onto the team tracksuits.[11] Hosting the 1989 Oceania Cup, the Australians finished third. The 1991 tournament doubled as qualifiers for the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, and the winner was determined by the best results from a group. Australia finished level on points with New Zealand, but had scored fewer goals, which resulted in New Zealand progressed to the World Cup as OFC representative.

The 1990s

Between 1991 and 1994, the Matildas played internationally during a tour of Russia in 1994. The Oceania tournament in 1994 again doubled as World Cup qualifiers in the same round-robin format. Again, Australia finished even with New Zealand on points but this time had a superior goal difference, and qualified for their first FIFA Women's World Cup.[10]

Before 1995, the nickname for the women's team was just "Female Socceroos", derivative of the male squad. Thus in 1995 the Australian Women's Soccer Association joined with Special Broadcasting Service to broadcast a naming competition for the female team. Out of five names, the popular vote chose "Matildas", from the song "Waltzing Matilda". The players themselves did not approve of the name, and took years to use the moniker to describe the team.[12]

At the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden, Australia were grouped with the United States, China and Denmark. During their opening match against Denmark, they lost 5–0. During the team's second match, a 4–2 loss to China, Angela Iannotta scored Australia's first goal at a World Cup. In the final group match against cup holders the United States, Australia scored first but went on to lose 4–1.

The Matildas would assert their Continental strength at the 1998 Oceania Cup, which doubled as a World Cup qualifying tournament. Australia thrashed their Pacific island opposition in their group games and semi-final, before defeating hosts New Zealand in the final 3–1 (the only goal conceded for the tournament), and qualifying for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup in USA. At the tournament, Australia was grouped with Sweden, China and Ghana. In their opening match, they secured their first non-loss in a World Cup match with a 1–1 draw against the Ghanaians. Their following group matches were both 3–1 losses, finishing third in the group, but showing improvement on previous tournaments.

Australia still did not have much attention and respect, with the Matildas forced to train with second-hand equipment from the Socceroos, not getting paid and with few games to play.[10] To promote themselves and raise funds for the team, in 1999 the Matildas posed nude for a calendar, which sold over 40,000 units.[12]

The 2000s

The profile built for the sport carried into 2000, where the Matildas had a guaranteed spot for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. While in January a friendly match against the Czech Republic in Melbourne's Bob Jane Stadium attracted only 1,500 spectators, a crowd of 10,000 came to the Matildas' game against China at the Sydney Football Stadium in June.[12] Much anticipation surrounded the team's Olympic performance on home soil, but a 3–0 loss to Germany in their opening game brought those hopes down. A draw with Sweden and a final loss to Brazil ended their tournament in the first round. While the on-field performance was disappointing, attendances at matches were high for women's soccer in Australia, raising the profile of the game.

The team were the host nation for an annual invitational tournament called the Australia Cup, from 1999 to 2004 inclusive, winning it twice.

Following the Olympics, many problems halted the Matildas' schedules. As Ernie Merrick backed out on his intentions to coach the team, Adrian Santrac only took over as manager in November, and Australia played no games in 2001. The following year the team argued over the calendar proceeds with the promoter, and AWSA went defunct, being absorbed by Soccer Australia (current Football Federation Australia). In-between, many players opted to retire from the national team.[13]

In 2003, they won the Oceania Cup and qualified for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, where they finished in the first round.

The team won the 2004 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Fiji to return to Olympic tournament in Athens 2004.[14] The Matildas won their first Olympic game ever against Greece, and managed to qualify for the quarterfinals,[15] losing to Sweden 2–1.[16]

In 2006, Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation, and the country was given hosting rights to the AFC Women's Asian Cup that same year. The opening game for the Matildas was against South Korea. An early own goal by South Korea put the Matilda's up, finishing with 3 goals in the second half to give them a 4–0 win. The second match against Myanmar was also a win to the Matildas, who finished with 2 goals, with Sally Shipard and Lisa De Vanna scoring one a piece. The Matildas went on to reach the final, being defeated 4–2 on penalties by China after having a two-goal half time lead.

2007 World Cup

Australia qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and drawn into Group C. They defeated Ghana 4–1 on 12 September in Hangzhou,[17] followed by a 1–1 draw against Norway at the same venue on 15 September. Thanks to a late goal from Cheryl Salisbury, they drew against Canada 2–2 on 20 September in Chengdu to advance to the knockout round for the first time in team history. Australia came up against Brazil in their elimination match, losing to Brazil 3–2 to end their 2007 World Cup run at the quarter-final stage.

2008 tournaments

The Matildas failed to get through qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics held in 2007, where they lost to Korea DPR both home and away in the final round.

In 2008, the Matildas competed in the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup. They were drawn in Group B, placing second in the group with relative ease behind Japan, who they would eventually face in the third place playoff. With the Matildas progressing from the group stage to the semi-finals, they were paired up against Korea DPR. Korea DPR won the match 3–0 and went on to win the tournament. This led them on to the third place playoff, facing Japan for a second time in the tournament and again losing, leaving the Matildas in fourth place.

The 2010s

External video
Aussies Abroad: The Matildas (ESPN) retrieved 12/18/2013

In 2010 the Matildas qualified for the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup in China. They beat Vietnam (2–0) and South Korea (3–1) before losing to China 1–0 which made them advance in second place and advance to the Semi Finals where they beat Japan 1–0. The final which was played in wet conditions was history making itself with it being the first senior soccer team (men or women) to make a final in the AFC. They created more history by being the first ever Australian soccer team to win in Asia after beating at the finals the team of Korea DPR in penalties, 5–4, after a regular time score of 1–1 (Australia's goal being scored by Samantha Kerr). The title gave the Matildas a berth at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.[18]

The following year the team contested the World Cup, being sorted into Group D. Despite losing 1–0 to Brazil in the opening game, victories of 3–2 and 2–1 over Equatorial Guinea and Norway respectively qualified the Matildas to the quarterfinals.[19] At the knockout stage, the team lost 3–1 to Sweden. Caitlin Foord was awarded Best Young Player of the tournament, and defender Elise Kellond-Knight was chosen for the All-Star Team.

During the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, they became the first Australian team, men's or women's, to win a knockout stage match at a World Cup when they defeated Brazil by a score of 1–0. The goal was scored by Kyah Simon after a shot by Lisa de Vanna was blocked and redirected by goalkeeper Luciana. In the quarterfinals, the Matildas lost to defending champions Japan in a late goal by Mana Iwabuchi.[20]

The following year, they contested in qualifiers for the 2016 Summer Olympics where they finished on top of the group after defeating all of the opponents bar China,[21] to get to the Olympic Games. Drawn in Group F, Australia lost to Canada, conceded a draw to Germany, and defeated Zimbabwe in a blowout to finish as the best third placed team. The adversary in the quarterfinals were hosts Brazil,[22] who avenged the defeat one year prior in the penalty shootouts as goalkeeper Bárbara saved Alanna Kennedy's kick.[23]

At the 2017 Tournament of Nations event, the Matildas recorded their first ever win over the United States after 27 attempts, defeating them 1–0 in Seattle.[24] The Matildas went on to defeat Japan 4–2 and Brazil 6–1 to finish as the inaugural tournament champions.[25] Following the Tournament of Nations, the Matildas scheduled a series of two friendlies hosting Brazil, with the first match at Penrith Stadium being sold-out,[26] and an even larger crowd of nearly 17,000 attending the next match 3 days later in Newcastle.[27]

In December 2017, Matildas were awarded the Public Choice Team of the Year at the Australian Institute of Sport Awards.[28]

At the 2018 AFC Asian Cup, Australia reached the final after defeating Thailand in the Semi-final on penalty kicks. They would lose 1-0 to Japan in the final, but had already secured a spot at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. [29]

At the 2018 Tournament of Nations Australia once again went undefeated, finishing the tournament with two wins and one draw. They were tied with the United States with 7 points, but the US had a superior goal differential and were crowned tournament champions. [30]

Team

Current squad

The following 18 players were named to the squad for friendlies against France and England on 5 and 9 October 2018, respectively.[31]

Caps and goals are current as of 9 October 2018 after the match against England.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Mackenzie Arnold (1994-02-25) 25 February 1994 21 0 Norway Arna-Bjørnar
1GK Jada Mathyssen-Whyman (1999-10-24) 24 October 1999 0 0 Australia Western Sydney Wanderers
2DF Ellie Carpenter (2000-04-28) 28 April 2000 26 1 United States Portland Thorns
2DF Steph Catley (1994-01-26) 26 January 1994 69 2 Australia Melbourne City
2DF Larissa Crummer (1996-01-10) 10 January 1996 23 4 Australia Newcastle Jets
2DF Elise Kellond-Knight (1990-08-10) 10 August 1990 100 1 Sweden Hammarby
2DF Clare Polkinghorne (co-captain) (1989-02-01) 1 February 1989 110 9 United States Houston Dash
3MF Tameka Butt (1991-06-16) 16 June 1991 72 10 Norway Klepp
3MF Alex Chidiac (1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 13 1 Spain Atlético Madrid
3MF Chloe Logarzo (1994-12-22) 22 December 1994 35 6 Australia Sydney FC
3MF Aivi Luik (1985-03-18) 18 March 1985 19 0 Spain Levante
3MF Amy Sayer (2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 3 0 Australia Sydney FC
4FW Lisa De Vanna (co-captain) (1984-11-14) 14 November 1984 142 45 Australia Sydney FC
4FW Caitlin Foord (1994-11-11) 11 November 1994 65 11 Australia Sydney FC
4FW Mary Fowler (2003-02-14) 14 February 2003 3 0 Unattached
4FW Emily Gielnik (1992-05-13) 13 May 1992 22 4 Australia Melbourne Victory
4FW Princess Ibini (2000-01-31) 31 January 2000 4 0 Australia Sydney FC
4FW Kyah Simon (1991-06-25) 25 June 1991 87 24 Australia Melbourne City

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Australia squad within the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Lydia Williams (1988-05-13) 13 May 1988 73 0 United States Seattle Reign 2018 Tournament of Nations
GK Casey Dumont (1992-01-25) 25 January 1992 3 0 Australia Melbourne Victory 2018 AFC Asian Cup
GK Eliza Campbell (1995-05-16) 16 May 1995 2 0 Australia Perth Glory 2018 Algarve Cup PRE
DF Laura Alleway (1989-11-28) 28 November 1989 55 2 Australia Melbourne Victory 2018 Tournament of Nations
DF Alanna Kennedy (1995-01-21) 21 January 1995 72 6 United States Orlando Pride 2018 Tournament of Nations
DF Caitlin Cooper (1988-02-12) 12 February 1988 10 2 Australia Sydney FC 2018 AFC Asian Cup
DF Hannah Brewer (1993-04-16) 16 April 1993 3 0 Australia Newcastle Jets 2018 Algarve Cup
DF Amy Harrison (1996-04-21) 21 April 1996 7 0 Australia Sydney FC v.  China PR, 26 November 2017
MF Katrina Gorry (1992-08-13) 13 August 1992 71 14 United States Utah Royals 2018 Tournament of Nations
MF Emily van Egmond (1993-07-12) 12 July 1993 80 16 United States Orlando Pride 2018 Tournament of Nations
MF Emily Condon (1998-09-01) 1 September 1998 1 0 Australia Adelaide United 2018 Algarve Cup
MF Georgia Yeoman-Dale (1994-02-24) 24 February 1994 5 0 Australia Sydney FC 2018 Algarve Cup PRE
FW Sam Kerr (1993-09-10) 10 September 1993 70 26 United States Chicago Red Stars 2018 Tournament of Nations
FW Hayley Raso (1994-09-05) 5 September 1994 30 2 United States Portland Thorns 2018 Tournament of Nations
FW Michelle Heyman (1988-07-04) 4 July 1988 60 20 Australia Canberra United 2018 AFC Asian Cup
FW Rachel Lowe (2000-11-19) 19 November 2000 1 0 Australia Western Sydney Wanderers 2018 Algarve Cup

Notes:

  • PRE = Preliminary roster

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Australia Alen Stajcic
Assistant coach Australia Gary van Egmond
Assistant coach Australia Mel Andreatta
Goalkeeping coach Australia Paul Jones

Records

Most caps

PlayerSpanCapsGoals
Cheryl Salisbury1994–200915138
Lisa De Vanna2004–14245
Heather Garriock1999–201113020
Joanne Peters1996–200911028
Clare Polkinghorne2006–1109

Most goals

PlayerSpanGoalsCaps
Lisa De Vanna2004–45142
Kate Gill2004–20154186
Cheryl Salisbury1994–200938151
Sarah Walsh2004–20123270
Joanne Peters1996–200928110

Matches

Recent results and fixtures

Historical results and fixtures

YearsArticle
1975 to 1999Australia women's national soccer team results (1975–99)
2000 to 2009Australia women's national soccer team results (2000–09)
2010 onwardsAustralia women's national soccer team results (2010–19)

Honours

Winners: 1994, 1998, 2003
Runners-up: 1983, 1986, 1991
Winners: 2010
Runners-up: 2006, 2014, 2018
Winners: 2008

Competitive record

For the all-time record of the national team against opposing nations, see the team's all-time record page.

FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
China 1991 Did not qualify
Sweden 1995Group stage12th3003313
United States 1999Group stage11th301237
United States 2003Group stage13th301235
China 2007Quarter-finals6th412197
Germany 2011Quarter-finals8th420267
Canada 2015Quarter-finals7th521255
France 2019Qualified
Total7/80 titles2255122944

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
United States 1996 Did not qualify
Australia 2000Group stage7th301226
Greece 2004Quarter-finals5th411234
China 2008 Did not qualify
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016Quarter-finals7th412185
Japan 2020To be determined
Total3/60 titles112451315

OFC Women's Championship

OFC Women's Championship record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
New Caledonia 1983Runners-up2nd4211203
New Zealand 1986Runners-up2nd420246
Australia 1989Third place3rd411276
Australia 1991Runners-up2nd4301211
Papua New Guinea 1994Champions1st4301132
New Zealand 1998Champions1st4400491
Australia 2003Champions1st4400450
Total7/73 titles28192715919

AFC Women's Asian Cup

AFC Women's Asian Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1975Third place3rd4202126
Australia 2006Runners up2nd6420152
Vietnam 2008Fourth place4th520379
China 2010Champions1st540173
Vietnam 2014Runners up2nd531195
Jordan 2018Runners up2nd5131114
Total6/61 title3016686129

AFF Women's Championship

AFF Women's Championship record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Vietnam 2004Did not participate
Vietnam 2006
Myanmar 2007
Vietnam 2008Champions1st5500211
Laos 2011Did not participate
Vietnam 2012
2013–presentSee Australia women's national under-20 soccer team
Total1/61 title5500211

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Teams of the Decades – Women's 1990–1999". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: Women's Ranking". FIFA. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Williams 2007, p. 165
  4. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel; Cruickshank, Mark; Fadeyev, Sergey; Lewis, Tom; Garin, Erik (30 May 2013). "Asian Women's Championship". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Cruickshank, Mark (31 December 2009). "Women's World Invitation Tournament 1978". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Teams of the Decades – Women's 1979–1989". Football Federation Australia. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  7. ↑ Dolan, Julie. "1978 – World Women's Invitational Tournament Taiwan". JDolan.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Williams 2007, p. 157
  9. ↑ Garin, Eric (31 March 2011). "Oceania Cup (Women)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 "It's been a long road to recognition as Matildas face their shot at glory". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  11. ↑ "Women's World Cup 2015: Remove the gender lens and back the Matildas". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Wilson, Caroline (11 September 2000). "A naked desire to win some credibility". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 October 2000.
  13. ↑ "Waltzing a fine line". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 January 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Team Profile – Australia". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "Matildas to face Sweden | : The World Game". Theworldgame.sbs.com.au. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "Olympic Football Tournaments Athens 2004 – Women – Sweden 2:1 (2:0) Australia – Overview". FIFA.com. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  17. ↑ "Women kick off World Cup campaign in style". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 September 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  18. ↑ "Matildas win Asian Cup on penalties". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Australia Vs Equatorial Guinea: Blatant Handball Missed By Referee". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  20. ↑ Iwabuchi (27 June 2015). "FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ – Matches – Australia-Japan". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  21. ↑ "Westfield Matildas qualify for the Rio Olympics!". Football Australia. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  22. ↑ Ultimate Guide: The Matildas take on host nation Brazil for a place in the Rio 2016 semi-finals
  23. ↑ Rio 2016: Matildas go down to Brazil in quarter-final shoot-out
  24. ↑ "Matildas record first-ever win against world champions USA". The World Game (SBS). 28 July 2017.
  25. ↑ "Matildas stun Brazil to win Tournament of Nations". ABC News. 4 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Matildas clash with Brazil a sell out". The World Game. SBS. 3 September 2017.
  27. ↑ "Westfield Matildas topple Brazil in Newcastle". Football Federation Australia. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  28. ↑ "Matildas and Kerr Australia's fan favourites at AIS awards". Australian Sports Commission website. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  29. ↑ "Latest". Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  30. ↑ "USA BEATS BRAZIL, 4-1, TO CLAIM FIRST TOURNAMENT OF NATIONS TITLE". August 2, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Stajcic names 18-player squad to face France and England". Westfield Matildas. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.

Bibliography

  • Williams, Jean (2007). "Waltzing the Matildas: Women's Football in Australia". A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1845206758.
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