Matildas can do unthinkable if these stars fire

By Ben GloverJuly 18, 2023 - 11:53PM

The Matildas airs for a afloat squad photograph up of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

These are the 23 players who volition correspond Australia successful a tourney that could alteration the look of athletics successful this state forever.

Scroll connected to conscionable each subordinate arsenic Wide World of Sports introduces each of the Australian players who volition lace a footwear during the World Cup.

The Matildas seasoned made her debut mode backmost successful 2005 and has been a mainstay successful Australian colours much oregon little ever since.

Now 35, Williams is nary longer the Matildas' archetypal prime goalkeeper and is apt to play much of an off-field mentor relation successful this tournament.

Regardless, nary 1 tin instrumentality distant the honour of being picked successful her 5th World Cup squad, with her location World Cup acceptable to beryllium her past aft being picked successful the 2007 squad arsenic a 19-year-old.

The 21-year-old is 1 of the galore caller faces successful the Matildas' World Cup squad, having been capped by the nationalist squad oregon the archetypal clip successful 2021.

The fullback, who plies her commercialized with Leicester City successful England, volition propulsion for a spot successful Australia's backmost four, though it looks much apt that she volition settee for cameos disconnected the bench.

The 38-year-old journeyman debuted for the Matildas successful 2010 and has been successful and retired of the nationalist set-up without ever genuinely cementing her spot successful the side.

Luik has ne'er played successful a World Cup and successful information retired from planetary shot soon aft the Tokyo Olympics successful 2021 earlier being coaxed backmost to beryllium portion of the Asian Cup squad successful 2022.

She volition adhd captious acquisition to Tony Gustavsson's squad for the big federation but is improbable to diagnostic heavy connected the field.

The 34-year-old cardinal defender has amassed 157 caps for the Matildas and has been 1 of the archetypal names connected the squad expanse astir since her debut backmost successful 2006.

However, Polkinghorne's spot successful the starting broadside has been challenged recently, with Clare Hunt making an instant interaction aft breaking into the backmost four.

Polkinghorne's acquisition volition nary uncertainty beryllium factored into enactment and should she beryllium overlooked for the starting XI she'll astir surely beryllium called upon arsenic a regular substitute to enactment things up defensively erstwhile needed.

One of the fewer Matildas who inactive plies her commercialized successful the A-League, Vine has made an outstanding commencement to her planetary career, making a determination overseas apt aft the World Cup.

The dynamic winger is simply a nightmare for defenders and has go a cardinal cog successful the beforehand third, creating extremity scoring opportunities for the likes of Sam Kerr with her quality to spell past opponents and present crosses.

Is apt to commencement the archetypal crippled successful a wide attacking role.

The 25-year-old plies her commercialized for Everton successful England and is simply a comparative newcomer successful the nationalist team.

After debuting successful 2021, Wheeler has made 14 appearances for the Matildas and is simply a bully accidental of adding to those arsenic a midfield enactment disconnected the seat during the World Cup.

One of the Matildas' astir recognisable players, Catley has been a mainstay successful the nationalist squad since making her debut successful 2012, racking up 110 caps.

Although the 29-year-old is customarily deployed arsenic a near backmost and is susceptible of marauding runs and lethal crosses, she is versatile capable to play arsenic a cardinal defender and whitethorn yet extremity up starting her 3rd World Cup successful that role.

The reigning Julie Dolan Medallist arsenic A-League subordinate of the play is different midfielder vying for minutes connected the tract during the World Cup.

Chidiac debuted for Australia erstwhile she was inactive conscionable 16 successful 2015 and has made 27 appearances successful the greenish and gold, without ever rather surviving up to her prodigious potential.

One of the Matildas' genuine superstars, Foord made her World Cup debut arsenic a 16-year-old astatine the 2011 World Cup and forced her mode into the starting broadside earlier immoderate unbelievable performances led to her being named 'Best Young Player' astatine the tournament.

Now considered among the world's champion attacking players, 28-year-old Foord has scored 29 goals successful her 109 appearances for the Matildas and volition beryllium a cardinal to the big nation's chances of doing thing extraordinary.

With 128 caps nether her belt, the 29-year-old has been a mainstay successful the Matildas' motor country since making her debut arsenic a teen successful 2010.

She'll beryllium an important portion of the puzzle yet again astatine her location World Cup but whitethorn person to settee for a spot connected the bench, with Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross apt to get archetypal crack.

When she's playing with confidence, Fowler is 1 of the astir effectual attacking midfielders successful the world, and is simply a nightmare for the absorption arsenic she drops successful betwixt the lines.

Now 20, the prodigious endowment who debuted for the Matildas arsenic a 15-year-old appears to beryllium connected the cusp of thing special.

Whether she starts oregon comes connected arsenic an interaction player, Fowler is definite to play a immense portion successful the Matildas' tourney and volition beryllium looking to adhd much goals aft scoring the victor against France successful the send-off crippled successful Melbourne.

Having done her apprenticeship successful the nationalist set-up arsenic a backmost up to long-time No.1 Lydia Williams, Micah whitethorn again find herself successful the relation of understudy with Mackenzie Arnold establishing herself arsenic the Matildas' archetypal prime goalkeeper.

Now 25 and playing her nine shot for Rosengård successful Sweden, Micah has struggled for archetypal squad minutes recently, a information that is apt to number against her.

The midfielder sent a scare done the Matildas aft copping a sound successful the send-off crippled against France, forcing her from the tract conscionable six days retired from the commencement of the World Cup.

While the genu wounded is simply a setback for the 32-year-old, she is expected to retrieve successful clip to play her part, apt disconnected the bench, successful Australia's 3 radical games.

The 28-year-old volition play astatine her 3rd World Cup and has been a acquainted look successful the Matildas line-up for the past decade.

Now plying her commercialized astatine Manchester City, Kennedy has had a hard clip with wounded successful the pb up to the tourney and faces a combat to beryllium she is crisp capable to play a important relation successful a backmost 4 that has go a spot of Tony Gustavsson's broadside implicit the past six months.

Started the send-off crippled against France astatine centre backmost and whitethorn person done capable to clasp her presumption successful the starting squad for the World Cup opener.

The 24-year-old cardinal defender whitethorn extremity up being the Matildas' find of the twelvemonth aft slotting successful seamlessly to the starting XI instantly aft her archetypal telephone up.

Hunt has played conscionable 5 games for the nationalist team, but they've been 5 games of the highest prime and she present looks to beryllium the archetypal picked from a database of prime centre backs.

The Western Sydney Wanderers subordinate volition apt instrumentality her spot adjacent to either Alanna Kennedy oregon Clare Polkinghorne successful the Matildas' starting XI.

The 28-year-old has been a mainstay for the Matildas since breaking into the broadside successful 2012.

A potent originative endowment successful the beforehand third, Raso is apt to beryllium utilized either arsenic an attacking midfielder successful a cardinal relation oregon arsenic a winger, with the occupation of creating chances for prolific striker Sam Kerr.

One of the Matildas' biggest names was somewhat of a wildcard prime for this squad aft making a past ditch bid to instrumentality from a torn ACL.

A nailed connected starter successful the guardant enactment successful the past, the 32-year-old has conceded she'll beryllium deployed successful a antithetic relation this clip around.

Rather than expecting to play 90 minutes, Simon is keen to amusement she tin beryllium a crippled changer disconnected the seat successful a ace sub relation to interruption games unfastened erstwhile the Matildas request immoderate attacking spark.

At 29, Mackenzie Arnold is acold from a caller look successful the Matildas set-up but contempt having debuted mode backmost successful 2012, the goalkeeper has taken the tract conscionable 35 times for the nationalist team.

That volition alteration this World Cup, with Arnold present the preferred goalkeeper successful Tony Gustavsson's squad, with Arnold acceptable to play a immense portion successful Australia's aspirations of going heavy successful the tournament.

The maestro midfielder is simply a genius astatine mounting the tempo for the Matildas and volition beryllium astatine the bosom of everything the squad does erstwhile they're successful possession of the ball.

If an attacking determination is going nowhere, ticker arsenic the shot is recycled done the clever passing and question of the cultured Gorry.

Standing astatine conscionable 154cm tall, don't fto her size fool you, the 30-year-old is ever successful the game. Will bid a starting role, truthful look to her to adhd to her 94 caps and 17 goals successful the radical stages.

The skipper and prima striker is the cardinal to Australia's chances of winning the World Cup connected location soil.

At the property of 29 Kerr is successful her premier years and is 1 of the astir feared extremity scorers successful the world.

After 121 caps for her country, Kerr has a whopping 63 goals - an insane ratio of much than a extremity each 2 games.

Look for her to vie for the aureate footwear (most goals) and aureate shot (best player) awards as she attempts to pb her squad to an historical triumph.