Westfield Matildas hit VSP in preparation for Algarve Cup
Valentine Sports Park has played host to a three-day training camp put together by Westfield Matildas head coach Alen Stajcic for his 21 troops in preparations for the upcoming Algarve Cup in Portugal beginning on 1st March.
Going through various skills, drills, testing as well as friendly matches, the camp, which commenced on Monday, will conclude on Wednesday where the squad will then travel to Portugal that evening.
A host of Westfield Matildas mainstays over the past two years including 2016 AFC Women’s Player of the Year Caitlin Foord, veterans Lisa De Vanna and Clare Polkinghorne, Westfield W-League 2017 Championship winning captain Steph Catley and German based duo Elise Kellond-Knight and Emily van Egmond will all travel to Portugal alongside a number of players who find themselves back in the fold with another opportunity to stake their claims. Teigen Allen, Emma Checker, Emily Gielnik, Hayley Raso and Gema Simon all return after time away from the national team, Gielnik the latest of the quintet to feature in a Westfield Matildas squad after she was part of the squad for the Rio Games qualification tournament last year.
18-year-old Adelaide midfielder Alex Chidiac is another who is back in the senior setup after making her solitary Westfield Matildas appearance against New Zealand back in February 2015, while Sydney FC’s Amy Harrison has also been included after making a successful return from a knee reconstruction that saw her miss all of 2016.
Currently 6th in the FIFA women’s world rankings, the Westfield Matildas have been grouped alongside Sweden (ranked 8th), Netherlands (ranked 12th) and China P.R. (ranked 13th) for the tournament.
“This tournament is a starting point towards looking ahead to the Asian Cup next year, the World Cup the year after and then the Games in Tokyo in 2020,” said Stajcic.
“We’re really looking to test the players and see who is going to be part of this squad moving forward. The Algarve Cup gives us four matches against high quality opponents and I’m sure the team will learn and grow a lot from competing in this tournament.”
Football NSW interim CEO Stefan Kamasz wished the squad well on their upcoming tournament but was delighted to see such quality first hand at the Home of Football in NSW.
“It was great to see the Westfield Matildas utilise Valentine Sports Park as a training hub for their upcoming tournament in Portugal.
“To see such quality within our finest female football athletes this country has to offer at our door step was fantastic and I would like to wish Alen and the squad nothing but success and a safe trip.
“We hope to see them continue to use our facilities in the not too distant future.”
The Westfield Matildas’ first match of the Algarve Cup is against Sweden on Wednesday 1 March at 6.30pm local time (5.30am AEDT, Thursday 2 March).
