'Balance at the heart' says Gustavsson about Matildas squad

The Matildas' coach announced the squad that will meet the World Champions at the end of this month.  The two match series should prove to be an exciting one for the Australians who last faced the Americans during the Tokyo Olympics Bronze Medal match.

Matildas Squad for the November matches

• Twenty-five players were called in for the November camp including two debutants.
• A mixture of youth and experience was once again chosen by Gustavsson.
• The Matildas will be facing the World Champions, having last met them at the Tokyo Olympics.

Full ticket details can be found using this link. 

Both matches will once again take place in New South Wales.  The first match is going to be held at Stadium Australia in Sydney.  The Matildas will then move up the coast to Newcastle for their second encounter which is scheduled at the McDonald Jones Stadium.

Continuing with the same trends from his previous squad selections in 2021, Gustavsson has called up a team with a mixture of youth and experience.  In total twenty-five players will be brought into camp.

Twenty-one of those players were also present in the October selection which faced Brazil in Sydney.  Hayley Raso and Emily Gielnik are also returning to the team after having missed the last camp due to injury.  

Elise Kellond-Knight and Chloe Logarzo are both absent after having had surgery in September. Emily Checker, Jamilla Rankin and Jada Whyman who are are included in the last camp were excluded from this one.

Two new Australians have also been called up for the first time, Sydney FC's Jessika Nash and Charlize Rule. They could become the two newest Matildas to get capped this year, with twelve other women having played their first senior match in 2021.

Major squad goals!

Introducing your 25-player squad for #AUSvUSA 💪

Get your tickets now: https://t.co/LxeDC0wQQK

🇦🇺 v 🇺🇸 27.11.21 @StadiumAus
🇦🇺 v 🇺🇸 30.11.21 @CityNewcastle
📺💻📱: @10footballau#WeAreMatildas @USWNT pic.twitter.com/pYTYsWh64Y

— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) November 17, 2021

Speaking of his choices for this last 2021 meeting Gustavsson stated:

“In selecting the squad, balance was at the heart of the decision making.

“We know that this is our final occasion to see the group together before announcing the squad for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup next year, and our focus remains on this crucial preparation.

“However, with another camp at home, we didn’t want to miss the chance to expose another two young players to our standards and team philosophy, and to find out whether they can be a part of the building of depth towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.”

The two match series will be the final preparation this year ahead of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup. 

The November 2021 Matildas Squad is:

Match Details:

Game 1
Saturday, 27 November 2021
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Kick-Off: 3.00pm (AEDT)
Broadcast: Live and free on 10 and simulcast on 10 Play

Game 2
Tuesday, 30 November 2021
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Kick-Off: 8.05pm (AEDT)
Broadcast: Live and free on Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Play

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Further information about the possible matches should be announced on the Matildas website.