Eleven Matildas choose America’s NWSL as place to prepare for Women’s World Cup
Emily van Egmond is one of a record number of Australians plying their trade in the National Women’s Soccer League, making America’s top tier the league of choice when it comes to World Cup preparation.
For many a footballer, sharing a field with Marta or Alex Morgan is a rarity reserved for World Cups and Olympic Games.
For Emily van Egmond it’s an everyday reality at Orlando Pride, where the Matildas linchpin calls the Brazil and United States stars club teammates.
Van Egmond is one of a record number of Australians plying their trade in the National Women's Soccer League, making America’s top tier the league of choice when it comes to World Cup preparation.
Of coach Ante Milicic’s current squad of 23 set to play Friday’s World Cup warm-up friendly against world No.1 the US, 11 are spread among six of the nine NWSL teams.
All-time leading NWSL scorer Sam Kerr leads the pack in her second season with Chicago Red Stars, while well-travelled Elise Kellond-Knight (Seattle Reign) and Chloe Logarzo (Washington Spirit) are embarking on their first US seasons.
Add Logarzo’s Spirit teammate Amy Harrison, selected in the Cup of Nations squad but not this one, and Kyah Simon, injured but on the books of Houston Dash, and the result is a decent chunk of Matildas gaining high-level training and competition right when they need to hit their peak for France in June.
Then there’s uncapped goalkeeper Teagan Micah, who’s playing for the University of California’s UCLA Bruins, while others are getting valuable game time elsewhere, with Tameka Butt (Klepp IL, Norway) and Aivi Luik (Levante, Spain) in Europe and a handful of others training at home in Australia.
“There’s no shying away from the fact that America is the No.1 league,” van Egmond said.
“The difference is every game’s a game. In the European leagues you can tend to have four top teams rather than consistency throughout the whole league.
“That’s really what attracts our girls to come to America. You know what you’re getting.
“It’s a challenging environment and you’re playing and training against some of the best players in the world every day.”
For van Egmond they include six-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta and 2018 US Soccer Player of the Year Morgan, America’s national co-captain who will be gunning for 100th international goal against the Matildas in Colorado on Friday lunchtime AEDT.
Also in an Orlando squad partly assembled by former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni are experienced Matildas defender Alanna Kennedy and US international Ali Krieger.
“To be able to train and play with players such as Alex Morgan and Marta, it’s not only going to benefit you as an individual but also a massive benefit for our team and club football,” van Egmond said.
“Within the national team we’re fully focused on ourselves right now, doing the best we can and putting ourselves in those challenging environments such as Orlando Pride, Chicago Red Stars and Seattle Reign.
“It only benefits our national team.”
Van Egmond, one of the later arrivals in camp in Denver, has been on the comeback trail from an ankle injury that sidelined her for the end of the Newcastle Jets’ W-League season.
But the 25-year-old since started Australia’s Cup of Nations wins over New Zealand and South Korea before being rested against Argentina.
And she’s eager to get more minutes in the legs against the reigning World Cup champions, whom she says the Matildas no longer fear after being beaten and drawn with in their last two encounters.
“Obviously you respect the best nation in the world, but there’s a fine line with that,” van Egmond said.
“A bunch of our girls now have been playing in America for a number of years and been quite successful. We don’t have fear, it’s more excitement.”
US-BASED MATILDAS IN CURRENT SQUAD
Portland Thorns - Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso
Seattle Reign - Steph Catley, Elise Kellond-Knight, Lydia Williams
Washington Spirit - Chloe Logarzo
Orlando Pride - Alanna Kennedy, Emily van Egmond
Chicago Red Stars - Sam Kerr
Houston Dash - Clare Polkinghorne
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