SA RELEASE: The 20-member Australian Team (the Qantas Matildas) to contest the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the USA has been announced today by National Women’s Coach Adrian Santrac.
This same team will start preparations for September/October’s World Cup by travelling to Japan next week to compete in the 3 Nations International Women’s Soccer tournament against Japan and South Korea.
Of the Qantas Matildas 20-member team, captain Cheryl Salisbury is set to become the one Australian to have played in all three Women’s World Cups finals tournaments for which Australia has qualified, having played in Sweden 1995 and USA 1999.
A total of five competed at the 1999 Women’s World Cup in the US – Salisbury, Dianne Alagich, Kelly Golebiowski, Joanne Peters, and Amy Wilson. Sacha Wainwright is a survivor from the 1995 World Cup. Bryony Duus and Heather Garriock make their first World Cup team, but have played in the 2000 Olympic Games, as did five of the above players. Alagich, Golebiowski, Peters, and Salisbury all currently compete in the WUSA, the top professional league in the world.
At the other end of the scale, Amy Beattie celebrates her first ever Australian team selection at any age level. The 22-year-old goalkeeper has played six seasons in the WNSL, and only came into serious international contention this year when invited in to join the Qantas Matildas at AIS Training Camps.
Defender Pam Grant and midfielder Taryn Rockall have also timed their runs perfectly to earn a coveted berth on the team. Grant only made her debut in January’s Australia Cup after replacing the injured Alagich, whilst Rockall returned from a knee reconstruction to make selection for the Oceania Qualifying Tournament in April. Two players who featured in the inaugural FIFA U19 Women’s World Championship last year – Thea Slatyer and Hayley Crawford – now have certainly made the grade at senior level.
The team has the hallmark of the current coach, with eleven of the side given their first taste of senior international football by Santrac since he was first involved as Interim Coach in January 2001.
Working from a squad of 26, two were ruled out of the selection process through injury, midfielder Olivia Hohnke forced out only last week, plus goalkeeper Claire Nichols.
Santrac is pleased with the team, despite their overall lack of experience at World Cup level. “As always, it was very difficult and a very deliberate process, taking into account the players’ development and commitment to their own improvement,” said Santrac. “In the end, I’m satisfied with the twenty selected, and confident they will represent their country in the manner expected.”
He added, “We’ve got a lot of mobility and talent amongst this group. It’s a strong balance which makes this squad effective. What we don’t exactly know is how they’ll handle the pressure of a World Cup, but this group is very sound emotionally, very steady. To date, in pressure situations, they’ve handled themselves particularly well. In some ways, the character within this squad belies their lack of playing experience.”
The Qantas Matildas depart for Japan on 21 July. Both Japan and South Korea will also be competing at the World Cup after Japan was successful in Saturday’s final playoff match against Mexico to claim the last berth to USA 2003. Upon return on 29 July, the Qantas Matildas will go straight into an AIS Training Camp in Canberra, concluding 9 August.
The sixteen nations to contest the 4th FIFA Women’s World Cup – USA 2003 are Australia, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Russia, France, USA, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Argentina, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. The Draw will be conducted in Los Angeles on 17 July (US time).
USA was named as the new host nation after FIFA moved the event from original host China following the outbreak of the SARS virus. USA 2003 is scheduled for 20 September to 12 October, and is Australia’s third consecutive Women’s World Cup finals appearance. The Qantas Matildas placed 12th (of twelve nations) in Sweden 1995, and 11th (of sixteen) in USA 1999.
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style=’font-size:10.0pt’>AUSTRALIAN TEAM – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP, USA 2003:
style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Players (20):       style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               Pos      style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               Caps Dianne ALAGICH style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               class=SpellE>CyberRays Adelaide               D style=’mso-tab-count:1’>            Month=”12″>12/05/79 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               36 Melissa BARBIERI style=’mso-tab-count:1’>             lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>VIS style=’font-size:10.0pt’>              Melbourne style=’mso-tab-count:1’>           style=’mso-tab-count:1’>         Month=”1″>20/01/80 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               7 Amy BEATTIE style=’mso-tab-count:1’>    / ACTAS      lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Canberra lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>               style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               GK style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               – Hayley lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> CRAWFORD         AIS / NSWIS (NNSW)       lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Newcastle lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>             F style=’mso-tab-count:1’>             Day=”27″ Month=”3″>27/03/84 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               4 Rhian lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> DAVIES     style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               AIS / ACTAS style=’mso-tab-count:1’>      lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Sydney lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:2’>                               D style=’mso-tab-count:1’>            Month=”5″>05/01/81 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               17 Bryony DUUS style=’mso-tab-count:1’>     / QAS            lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Brisbane lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>               style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               37 Gill FOSTER style=’mso-tab-count:1’>         / ACTAS      lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Sydney lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:2’>                               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>           Month=”8″>28/08/76 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               15 Heather GARRIOCK style=’mso-tab-count:1’>           style=’mso-tab-count:2’>                               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>           Month=”12″>21/12/82 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               35 Kelly GOLEBIOWSKI style=’mso-tab-count:1’>        lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Washington lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> Freedom Sydney             Year=”1981″ Day=”26″ Month=”7″>26/07/81 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               53 Pam GRANT style=’mso-tab-count:1’>        / QAS            Rockhampton style=’mso-tab-count:1’>                     D style=’mso-tab-count:1’>            Day=”15″ Month=”11″>15/11/82 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               4 Tal lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> KARP             style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               AIS / ACTAS style=’mso-tab-count:1’>      lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Perth lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>      style=’mso-tab-count:2’>                               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>           Month=”12″>30/12/81 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               10 Cassandra KELL style=’mso-tab-count:1’> / NSWIS       lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Central lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Coast lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>       style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               GK style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               7 April MANN style=’mso-tab-count:1’>        / QAS            lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Brisbane lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>               style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               F style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               17 Joanne PETERS (VC) style=’mso-tab-count:1’>          lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>New York lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> Power       class=Spe style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               47 Taryn lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> ROCKALL style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               AIS / NSWIS lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Sydney lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>         style=’mso-tab-count:2’>                               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>           Month=”11″>11/11/77 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               6 Cheryl class=GramE>SALISBURY class=GramE> style=’mso-spacerun:yes’> style=’font-size:10.0pt’>C)    AIS / lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>New York lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> Power       lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Newcastle lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>             D style=’mso-tab-count:1’>            Month=”8″>08/03/74 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               83 Thea lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> SLATYER   style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               AIS / NSWIS style=’mso-tab-count:1’>       lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Sydney lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:2’>                               D style=’mso-tab-count:1’>            Month=”2″>02/02/83 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               11 Danielle SMALL style=’mso-tab-count:1’> / NSWIS       lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Newcastle lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>             style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               M style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               16 Sacha lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> WAINWRIGHT (VC) AIS / ACTAS lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Canberra lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>   style=’mso-tab-count:1’>                              D style=’mso-tab-count:1’>            Month=”6″>06/02/72 lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’> style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               49 Amy lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>WILSON lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>                     AIS / ACTAS      lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>Canberra lang=EN-NZ style=’font-size:10.0pt’>               style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               F style=’mso-tab-count:1’>               36
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