Australia women's national football (soccer) team

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Australia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname Matildas
Association Football Federation Australia
Coach Tom Sermanni
Most caps Cheryl Salisbury (139)
Top scorer Cheryl Salisbury (34)
FIFA rank 14
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home kit
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away kit
First International
Australia 2 – 2 New Zealand
Sutherland, Sydney, Australia; 6 October 1979
Largest win
Australia 21 – 0 American Samoa
Auckland, New Zealand; 9 October 1998
Worst defeat
United States 9 - 1 Australia
Ambler, PA, United States; 5 June 1997
World Cup
Appearances 4 (First in 1995)
Best result Quarterfinal (2007)
Olympic Games
Appearances 2 (First in 1996)
Best result Quarter-final, 2004
AFC Women's Championship (since 2006)

and OFC Women's Championship (1983-2003)

Appearances AFC - 1 (First in - 2006),

OFC - 7 (First in 1983)

Best result AFC - Runners-up (2006),

OFC - Winners (1995, 1998, 2003)

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The Australia women's football (soccer) team, nicknamed the Matildas (from the song Waltzing Matilda), represents Australia in international women's football (soccer) and is governed by Football Federation Australia (FFA). The team has regularly qualified for both the Women's World Cup and the Olympics although has won neither.

Contents

The first Australian women's national team was formed in 1978, four years after the Australian Women’s Soccer Association, to play in the inaugural World Women’s Invitational Tournament, in Taipei, Taiwan. The team was made up primarily of players from New South Wales and Western Australia. Australia was the only national team at the tournament. Thus, none of the matches are counted as official caps. The players that year 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), Monika Werner (VIC). Coach Jim Selby.

The Matildas played their first Oceania Cup in 1983 and their first Asian competition against Japan in 1984. The second Oceania Cup Tournament in New Zealand, in 1986 was only three teams: Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan. During 1987 and 1988 the Matildas played tournaments in Taiwan and China encountering the American and European teams for the first time. The team failed to qualify for the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup for lack of overall number of goals. Between 1991 and 1994, the Matildas played internationally only during a tour of Russia in 1994.

In 1999, the Matildas posed nude for a calendar to fundraise money and gain positive publicity for women's football. Although it received some backlash due to puritan conservative values in various communities, it was a success.

In 2006, the Matildas played in the AFC Asian Cup played in South Australia. 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.

Australia has qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and drawn into Group C. Their first match was against Ghana on September 12 in Hangzhou, in which they defeated Ghana 4-1 [1], then the match against Norway on September 15 also in Hangzhou which they drew 1-1 before they drew against Canada 2-2 on September 20 in Chengdu to advance out of group play. Australia has now qualified into the next stage of the 2007 women's world cup after a 2-2 draw with Canada on the September 20, 2007. Australia finished second in their group with Norway in first position.

Advancing to the knockout round for the first time in team history, Australia came up against Brazil in their elimination match. Despite a strong performance, the Matildas came up short, losing to Brazil 3–2 to end their 2007 World Cup run at the quarterfinal stage.

Group C
Flag of Australia Australia
Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of Ghana Ghana
Flag of Norway Norway

  • 1996 - Did not qualify
  • 2000 - Round 1
  • 2004 - Quarter-finals
  • 2008 - Did not qualify


The squad for the 2007 World Cup was named on 4 September 2007 as listed below.[1]

No. Pos. Player DoB/Age Caps Goals Club
1 GK Melissa Barbieri 20 January 1980 52 0 Flag of Australia Richmond SC
2 DF Kate McShea 13 April 1983 58 2 Flag of Australia Queensland Academy of Sport
3 MF Alicia Ferguson 31 October 1981 66 6 Flag of Australia Queensland Sting
4 DF Dianne Alagich 12 May 1979 75 3 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
5 DF Cheryl Salisbury 8 March 1974 139 34 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
6 DF Rhian Davies 5 January 1981 66 3 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
7 DF Heather Garriock 21 December 1982 97 14 Flag of the United States Adirondack Lynx
8 FW Caitlin Munoz 4 October 1983 35 12 Flag of Australia ACT Academy of Sport
9 FW Sarah Walsh 11 January 1983 49 24 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
10 MF Joanne Peters 11 March 1979 109 28 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
11 FW Lisa De Vanna 14 November 1984 48 17 Flag of England Doncaster Rovers Belles LFC
12 FW Kate Gill 10 December 1984 42 24 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
13 DF Thea Slatyer 2 February 1983 38 2 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
14 MF Collette McCallum 26 March 1986 35 7 Flag of Australia Western Waves
15 MF Sally Shipard 20 October 1987 35 2 Flag of Australia ACT Academy of Sport
16 MF Lauren Colthorpe 25 October 1985 16 2 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
17 MF Danielle Small 7 February 1979 43 9 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
18 GK Lydia Williams 13 May 1988 5 0 Flag of Australia ACT Academy of Sport
19 DF Clare Polkinghorne 1 February 1989 10 0 Flag of Australia Queensland Academy of Sport
20 FW Joanne Burgess 23 September 1979 30 4 Flag of Australia NSW Institute of Sport
21 GK Emma Wirkus 11 January 1982 7 0 Flag of Australia South Australian Institute of Sport


Coach: Tom Sermanni

  1. ^ "Matildas FIFA Women's World Cup squad", Football Federation Australia, 2007-09-04. Retrieved on 2007-09-07. 


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