Head coach Leah Blayney has named the 21 players who will represent Australia at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™.
The squad has been finalised following the completion of the Young Matildas pre-tournament training camp in Mexico City which included a training match against Club Universidad Nacional Femenil and closed door international friendly against the Mexico U20 Women’s National Team.
Australia’s final squad features a strong A-League Women’s presence with 17 players recording match minutes during the 2021/22 season. The 21 players represent six Member Federations with all players born on or after January 1, 2002.
Blayney has been able to call upon the majority of the group who have featured throughout the Young Matildas preparation that has seen members of the squad participate in April and June’s internationals against New Zealand, the AFF Women’s Championships 2022 in July and a host of training camps.
Speaking of the squad selection, Blayney said: “As we anticipated when we named the extended squad, selecting the final 21 players has been made extremely difficult due to the quality of play and application displayed by the playing group.”
“While it is a young final squad that we have selected, it is a talented squad with a mix of high technical ability, ever-increasing tactical maturity and the heart and desire that are indicative of Australian teams. This is a squad that has the opportunity to demonstrate their quality on the global stage.”
“Over the course of our preparations we have called in over 85 players and every player called in has assisted us in getting to this moment and made my task challenging. I want to thank each player that has represented the U20s since 2020 as they have played a vital part in our road to Costa Rica.”
“Having been on this journey together since March, this is a unified squad of players and staff who are committed and enthusiastic about representing our nation to the best of their ability. There is a togetherness that will be invaluable for us in this tournament against some world-class nations in our group.”
The Young Matildas will feature in the sixteen-nation FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup™ for the first time since 2006 and have been drawn into Group A with Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain. The top two finishers in each of the four groups will advance to the knockout stages, commencing on 20 August 2022.
Australia will open their tournament against hosts Costa Rica at the Estadio Nacional, San Jose on Thursday, 11 August at 12.00 pm AEST. Captaining the side during the tournament will be Western Sydney Wanderers’ Sheridan Gallagher, with the 20-year-old acknowledged for her performances on the pitch and leadership off the pitch.
“Sheridan is one of our most hardworking players,” Blayney said. “In terms of how she conducts herself around the group, she is extremely supportive of all the players and the girls know that. That is who you want in your corner when things are difficult.”
“The other part of Sheridan Gallagher is that she never takes a backward step and that is the epitome of us as a team.”
With the World Cup squad finalised, Australia will now depart for Costa Rica on 1 August with a final tune-up against Colombia on 5 August.
All of Australia’s matches for the tournament will be shown live, free and in HD on SBS and SBS On Demand with a full studio broadcast.
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Name
Position
Club
Junior Club / Member Fed
1
Sally JAMES
Goalkeeper
Blacktown Spartans
Majura FC / Capital Football
2
Charlize RULE
Forward
Sydney Olympic FC
Queens Park / Football NSW
3
Naomi CHINNAMA
Defender
Blacktown Spartans on loan from Melbourne City FC
NTC Victoria / Football Victoria
4
Ella TONKIN
Defender
Northern Tigers
Raiders FC / Football SA
5
Jamilla RANKIN
Defender
Blacktown Spartans
Eureka FC / Northern NSW Football
6
Sarah HUNTER
Midfielder
APIA Leichhardt on loan from Sydney FC
Northbridge FC / Football NSW
7
Bryleeh HENRY
Forward
Blacktown Spartans
Penrith FC / Football NSW
8
Hana LOWRY
Midfielder
Blacktown Spartans on loan from Perth Glory
Cockburn City SC / Football West
9
Cushla RUE
Forward
Sydney University FC
Western Mariners/ Football NSW
10
Daniela GALIC
Midfielder
Football NSW Institute
Lidcombe Waratahs / Football NSW
11
Kahli JOHNSON
Forward
Manly United FC
Manly United/ Football NSW
12
Miranda TEMPLEMAN
Goalkeeper
FV Emerging Matildas
Melville City FC / Football West
13
Jynaya DOS SANTOS
Forward
Football NSW Institute
Shellharbour Junior Football Club / Football NSW
14
Paige ZOIS
Midfielder
Bulleen Lions on loan from Melbourne Victory
Northcote FC / Football Victoria
15
Alexia APOSTOLAKIS
Defender
Football NSW Institute
Forest Rangers/ Football NSW
16
Jessika NASH
Defender
Blacktown Spartans
Doonside Hawks / Football NSW
17
Sheridan GALLAGHER
Forward
Illawarra Stingrays
Illawarra Stingrays / Football NSW
18
Chloe LINCOLN
Goalkeeper
Canberra United Academy
The Armidale School / Capital Football
19
Greta KRASZULA
Midfielder / Defender
VCU Athletics
NWS Koalas / Football NSW
20
Kirsty FENTON
Defender
NWS Koalas
Toronto Awaba / Northern NSW Football
21
Abbey LEMON
Forward
Blacktown Spartans
Blacktown Spartans / Football NSW
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