Chloe Logarzo reveals the key mindset change that helped her return to Matildas squad
Chloe Logarzo was all but resigned to her international career being over. As she prepares to return to the Matildas squad, she tells ERIN SMITH what changed to bring her back into the fold.
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Six months ago Chloe Logarzo adopted a new mindset — one that relied heavily on considering her time in the Matildas done and dusted.
The clever use of reverse psychology has Logarzo in career best form and landed her back in the Matildas for the all important Olympic qualifiers against Uzbekistan.
Instead she planned to throw everything into playing the best football she could for Western United, without the constant worry of wondering whether or not her efforts were good enough to get her back in a Matildas camp.
Her change in mindset was linked to the mental strain Logarzo experienced after missing selection in the World Cup squad, forced to watch from the sidelines as her teammates created history.
Six months on the nifty reverse psychology trick has worked wonders for Logarzo who is in top form. She has scored seven goals across 15 matches for Western United, along with two assists and has been named in the 23-woman squad for the Olympic qualifiers series against Uzbekistan.
Logarzo plans to take a similar attitude with her into the Matildas camp – opting not to put any pressure on herself or contemplate the idea of being selected for another Olympics campaign.
“No expectations means no disappointment,” Logarzo said.
“I’m going to try as much as I can and I’ll definitely be okay with whatever happens.
“I’ve proved to myself enough mentally where I’m at and that I could get back there and I think that was the thing that was stopping me.
“When you can play with no regrets and no expectations then you play freely, that’s what I’ve been doing in the A-League and it’s been working.”
The Matildas head into a week-long camp in Doha next week before flying to Tashkent for the first leg of the two-match Olympic qualifier series against Uzbekistan on Saturday.
Logarzo has had limited camps under coach Tony Gustavsson – the Tokyo Olympics her only major tournament with him at the helm of the Matildas.
“I’m excited to get back into camp, I feel like I’m a kid again that’s getting their first call up and I haven’t been in a really long time,” Logarzo said.
“I’m going to have a look at the game book and make sure I understand everything that we need to do. I think that part of it excites me a lot because I feel like I’m getting an opportunity like I was when I was 21 getting the same opportunity.”
While Uzbekistan are ranked 47th, well below the 12th placed Matildas — Logarzo is expecting a tough clash.
“It’s one of those games when you don’t really know the opponent and anything can happen,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to getting into camp and seeing what we can do as a team and to focus on ourselves.”
Logarzo is equally as excited for the second-leg of the series which will be played at a sold out Marvel Stadium.
It will be the first time Logarzo gets to be on the field to experience the recent rise in support for the Matildas. Watching it from the sidelines during the World Cup was hard for Logarzo.
“The last time I was at Marvel Stadium I was watching the Matildas play in a box and I think I cried the whole entire time, that was the last game before the girls headed off for the World Cup,” she said.
“It will definitely be a different experience for me being back down on the field. I think I’ll have a lot of emotions coming into this camp and just being present after the World Cup.”
A-LEAGUES
While excited and itching to get into camp Logarzo has had to bottle it all up and push it to the back of her mind so she can put all her focus on this weekend’s A-Leagues clash with Wellington Phoenix.
After a rocky start Western United have clawed their way up the table and sit just one point behind competition leaders Melbourne City.
For Logarzo it is a bit of deja vu with United finishing the league just one point behind Sydney FC last year and then going on to lose to them in the grand final.
It is not a situation Logarzo wants to repeat this season.
“We were disappointed with dropping the ball last year both with the premiership and the grand final,” Logarzo said.
“That’s been our driving force and it’s uniting us to keep pushing forward.
“It’s right at the perfect time because we are really coming into form. I think what we missed last year was experience.
“It was our first year and a lot of the girls hadn’t played in a grand final before. But we don’t have as many first times this season, it takes the excitement out of it.
“We can really think and focus on getting the work done.”
The whole league is very close, four points separate fourth placed Melbourne Victory and ninth placed Wellington Phoenix.
Logarzo said it is a massive change from her first season in the A-Leagues in 2015.
“It just means that across the board the league is getting a lot better and it means the new generation of players coming through have performed out of their skin,” Logarzo said.
“There was such a separation between Sydney FC, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory – you could definitely put money on that they would be the ones in the grand final or at least the semi-finals and now it’s an even game.
“Every single game, every single point matters.”
Western United will face Wellington Phoenix on Sunday at 5pm (AEDT).
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