En Route to Paris: Matildas’ veteran says the fourth place finish in Tokyo still lingers as she plans for third Games

Matildas midfielder Tameka Yallop says that walking away from Tokyo with nothing still bugs the Matildas, as they continue the Olympic medal chase. Listen to the full En Route podcast.

Matildas midfielder Tameka Yallop says there is no room for error at the Paris Olympics and has likened every match to a grand final.

Talking to Rowie Webster on the En Route to Paris Podcast, Yallop said she was still carrying the hurt from finishing fourth at the Tokyo Games.

“Both Olympics have been quite different,” said Yallop, 33, who will be playing at her third Games.

“Rio was my first Olympics so it was craziness and you wanted to see everything and absorb as much as you could and really get the whole experience.

“I think the first Olympics was just ‘wow’, it was a really cool experience.

“Then we go on to Tokyo and ... we were a lot more focused because we did have that Olympics experience. We were a lot more focused and ready for tournament football.

“We performed well in the tournament setting and to make it so close, I think that one still bugs us that we came fourth.

Tameka Yallop says walking away from Tokyo with nothing still bugs the Matildas. Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

“That’s the worst position at an Olympics. To walk away with nothing after being so close.

“But this Olympics is going to be a whole new experience again and something that all the girls are really looking forward to.”

In the 12-team tournament in Paris, the Matildas will have to play six games in 16 days to make it to the gold-medal match.

A draw or loss in the group stage will seriously harm their chances to stand on the podium.

“Each team is almost like you’re playing in a final, you need to make each game count,” Yallop said.

“The way the tournament and logistics are structured, it’s a bit more like a World Cup for us in that we play in different stadiums and we are going to different cities within France. There is a lot of travel involved.

“What makes it different from the World Cup is how congested it is. You play, you travel, you recover, you play again.

“You don’t really have time to think about anything else except what you have that day.

“We don’t really get to experience the (Olympic) village until a bit later on in the tournament.

“So it is an extra motivator to get out of the group stage and continue on, so that you do get to experience the village and see other athletes.”

Yallop, 33, also spoke to Webster about life as an elite athlete and a mum, the challenges of being married to a footballer from rival nation New Zealand and the phenomenal rise of the Matildas.

Listen to the whole chat at the En Route to Paris Podcast.

Originally published as En Route to Paris: Matildas’ veteran says the fourth place finish in Tokyo still lingers as she plans for third Games