Teen footballer Ellie Carpenter could become an Olympian after helping Australia qualify for the Rio Olympics
ELLIE Carpenter could be playing for a gold medal at the world’s biggest sporting event after helping the Matildas qualify for the Rio Olympics.
ELLIE Carpenter could be playing for a gold medal at the world’s biggest sporting event after helping the Matildas qualify for the Rio Olympics.
Carpenter watched on from the bench as Australia secured a spot at the Olympics for the first time since the Athens 2004 games, defeating North Korea 2-1 on Monday night.
After the win on Monday, Matildas coach Alen Stajcic said his squad is “capable of doing anything” at the Olympics in August.
The Pemulwuy teen had already made an on-field impact during the tournament in a 9-0 win against Vietnam in her Matildas debut last Wednesday in Osaka, Japan.
The 15-year-old became the first player born in the 2000s to play football for Australia, in both the men’s (Socceroos) and women’s (Matildas) squads.
The record caps off an extraordinary four months for the teenager who was also named as The Women’s Game’s Best Newcomer of the Year and the Parramatta Advertiser Junior Sports Star.
A 14-year-old Sharon Wass has the record for the youngest Matlidas player, earning her first cap against New Zealand in 1981.
“During the warm-up I was a bit nervous but the girls made me feel really relaxed and calm, but as soon as the whistle for the game went off the adrenaline kicked in,” Carpenter said.
“I thought I did well considering it’s my first game at an international level.”
Carpenter could feature in Wednesday’s dead rubber against China.
It is the final game of the Olympic qualifying tournament and both nations have a booked a ticket to Brazil.
The football phenom is also a good sprinter, but had to give up on athletics to help her reach her full potential in football.
“I had to think really hard about it, about which sport would get me further,” Carpenter said.
“I believed there were more opportunities in the football world and that decision has paid off.”
The defender grew up kicking around a ball with her older brother who is currently playing football in Portugal, also at the young age of just 17.
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