³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾

Commonwealth Bank Young Matildas head coach Leah Blayney has named a 24 strong squad for the upcoming international against Aotearoa New Zealand in Auckland.

Australia is set to travel across the Tasman for their first match internationally in almost three years, with the U20 side taking on the Junior Football Ferns on Sunday, 12 June 2022.

The travelling squad includes a combination of established CommBank Young Matildas and exciting fresh faces. Seven new names join the 17 players who featured in April’s international series in Canberra. Meanwhile, all 24 players have participated in at least one of the recent training camps undertaken at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Leah Blayney said: “It’s exciting to be naming the squad for the next milestone in our FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ journey.”

“As we continue to progress, we are establishing a core that is building an understanding of what it takes to perform and be successful at the highest level. This is being complemented by the introduction of new players to the set-up whom have impressed and earned the chance to see how they can add to our team.”

The squad sees seven Member Federations represented from Football NSW, Football Victoria, Northern NSW Football, Capital Football, Football Queensland, Football South Australia, and Football West. With the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Premier Leagues (NPL) Women’s competition currently underway across the nation, 11 clubs will see representation across the squad.

“We have been keeping a close eye on the players’ performances since the commencement of the NPL Women’s season. The scouting of those matches, combined with the recent domestic camps, have provided us with a good understanding of the players chosen. All the girls have worked hard and demonstrated qualities which could be beneficial and, as a result, they made the selection process difficult.”

“Facing New Zealand allows us to continue refining the concepts embedded during the training camps in an overseas match environment. It also allows us to gain an understanding of the squad’s ability to adapt to changing scenarios, particularly with many experiencing international travel for the first time in their careers.”

The CommBank Young Matildas will depart for Aotearoa New Zealand on 8 June 2022.

UPCOMING COMMBANK YOUNG MATILDAS FIXTURES:

New Zealand v Australia

Date: Sunday, 12 June 2022

Time: 2.00pm (local) / 4.00pm (AEST)

Venue: Kiwitea Street, Auckland

Tickets: Open to the public free of charge

COMMBANK YOUNG MATILDAS | SQUAD | 8 – 16 JUNE 2022