Match preview: CommBank Matildas vs Sweden
The CommBank Matildas and Sweden will continue their strong rivalry next Saturday 12 November when Australia host the reigning Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 silver medalists at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
November’s big clash on Saturday afternoon will be the first time the CommBank Matildas have played in Melbourne since March 2019 when they beat Argentina 3-0 in a Cup of Nations tournament at AAMI Park.
This will also be the first time the CommBank Matildas and Sweden have met since a women’s Olympic soccer classic semi-final in Yokohama, Japan.
It will also be the first time Blue-yellow will set foot on Australian shores in almost 20 years with the final meeting at the AWSA Australian Cup on 1 February 2008 in Canberra.
AAMI Park will host the blockbuster game on Saturday afternoon as the first game of the Seven Consulting International Series. The series is part of the preparations testosterone propionate for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023TMwhere the CommBank Matildas will use six FIFA International windows for the strongest possible preparation ahead of the tournament which starts on 20 July 2023.
Team news
Tony Gustavsson has named a CommBank Matildas squad of 24 players to face world number two Sweden. After being injured last FIFA Women’s International Window, the CommBank Matildas will welcome back several players including goalkeeper Lydia Williams, midfielders Clare Wheeler, Emily van Egmond and Elise Kellond-Knight and defender Alanna Kennedy.
Sweden-based Kellond-Knight returns to the national team after a long-term injury kept her out of the team for over 12 months. Stanford University’s Amy Sayer’s strong college season faces a second recall in 2022.
Meanwhile, West Ham United goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold has been ruled out after sustaining a calf injury while on club duty. It sees Sydney FC’s Jada Whyman join the camp for the second time this year.
“Meeting for the first time since we learned about our FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ opponents brings a different and sharper focus to the next set of games,” said Gustavsson.
“As always, when selecting the squad we have kept a close eye on their performances in clubland. There are a few more players available which is good news as they come back from injury after logging good game time.”
This window could see a significant milestone for CommBank Matildas stalwart Clare Polkinghorne with the defender in line to become the third Australian footballer to record 150 caps for the women’s or men’s national team.
Our opponent
A nation with a storied history in the women’s game, Sweden is currently the reigning bronze medalist in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The world number two ranked nation has recently come off a semi-final appearance at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 in England, qualifying for next year’s global showpiece for the ninth time.
Head coach Peter Gerhardsson has named a 22-man squad to travel to Australia, with Amanda Nildén left out of the squad due to an injury sustained while playing for Juventus.
The named squad is similar to the team that faced Spain and France in the last international window, however a noticeable absence from the team is FC Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfö.
Gerhardsson explained Rolfö’s omission from the team “Fridolina is a player that I really know where I am and what she can contribute to this national team. For the gathering here in November, where we only play one match, I have decided that I want to see some other players in the match in the positions she normally competes in, and therefore I have taken the decision that Fridolina will not come here in November.”
For all the latest news and information about the two-game series, stay tuned via the official Commonwealth Bank Matilda website.
CommBank Matildas v Sweden
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-off: 14:45 AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
Buy tickets now!