Matildas can’t rest on their laurels, says Gorry

Midfielder Katrina Gorry is confident the Matildas can continue their dream run against Brazil this Saturday.

Katrina Gorry warms up with teammates during a training session in Sydney yesterday.

They are the talk of women’s sport in this country but the Matildas aren’t taking anything for granted as they prepare once more to take on one of the most powerful ­nations in world football.

Japan-based and Brisbane Roar midfielder Katrina Gorry is confident the Australians can continue to improve following their remarkable success at the recent Tournament of Nations in the US but she knows there is still plenty of work to be done.

The Matildas recorded their first win over host nation the US (1-0) before convincing wins against Japan (4-2) and the might of Brazil (6-1) to claim the trophy.

It helped lift the national team to sixth in the world rankings.

But now they need to overcome a Brazilian side still smarting after Gorry and the Matildas demoralised them on August 3.

“Winning the Tournament of Nations was hugely important for us,” Gorry said yesterday. “But beating the US for the first time then Japan and Brazil isn’t going to help us get through to the Asian Cup, World Cup and the Olympics.

“It did give us a huge amount of confidence but we know we need to keep growing, to keep focused and to keep getting better.’’

Gorry said she was excited by the prospect of playing at home against the Brazilians at Pepper Stadium in Penrith on Saturday night and in the return game in Newcastle on Tuesday. The Penrith game is already a 22,000 sellout and tickets are going quickly for the Newcastle game at ­McDonald Jones Stadium.

“Playing at home is going to be very exciting,” the pint-sized Gorry said. “The girls can’t wait. We want to show the fans what we are made of and repay them for their support.

“We have been watching the numbers (for the crowds) grow and it is fantastic.’’

Queensland-born Gorry plays for Japanese club Vegalta Sendai. She has been an integral part of the Matildas since 2012, playing 55 games and notching 14 goals.