Matildas at the Algarve Cup

With the Matildas set to kick-off their Algarve Cup campaign on early Friday morning, The Women’s Game is here to give you a crash course in the competition.

There are 12 teams in the 2018 edition of the tournament.

Host nation Portugal is in Group A with China PR, Norway and Australia while Canada, South Korea, Russia and Sweden in Group B and Netherlands, Japan, Denmark and Iceland in Group C.

History at the Algarve

Last year the Matildas just missed out on silverware, placing fourth behind Denmark, Canada, and Champions, Spain.

While Australia topped their group a loss to Sweden in the first game of the tournament saw them in the third-place match where they eventually lost in a penalty shootout to Denmark.

This is the highest Australia has finished in the Algarve Cup since their first and only appearance in 1999 where they came fifth.

In 1999, Australia didn’t win a game and managed draws against Denmark and Portugal before a 2-0 loss to eventual Champions China.

How the Matildas look this year

Australia is currently the highest ranked competitor in Group A and at the Algarve Cup.

The Matildas always want to win trophies and with their performance in 2017, it would suggest they are on the way to achieving their goals.

Unfortunately, heading into the Algarve Cup the Matildas were hit with injuries to Caitlin Foord, Kyah Simon and Amy Harrison during the W-League season and then Emily Gielnik prior to leaving for Portugal.

In the 2017 Algarve Cup, the Matildas goal scorers were Emily Gielnik (3), Kyah Simon (1), Alanna Kennedy (1) and Ellie Carpenter (1) but the squad have scorers to fill the boots of the injured Gielnik and Simon

Emily Gielnik Scores Goal for Australia 1-1, Video courtesy of: CCTV5, Algarve Cup #AlgarveCup #womensfootball #GoMatildas @Mheyman23 pic.twitter.com/NZZFEsSL81
— WomensSoccerUnited (@WSUasa) March 6, 2017

In the last four games, Sam Kerr has scored seven goals and continued her scoring for Perth Glory in the W-League winning the Golden Boot while Lisa De Vanna, Tameka Butt and Chloe Logarzo have also found the back of the net.

The Matildas have pumped Brazil 6-1 to win the inaugural #ToN17, with Sam Kerr slotting four goals across the three matches. #AUSvBRA #9News pic.twitter.com/dHmBEhtKN5
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) August 4, 2017

There is also up and coming striker Alex Chidiac and debutants Emily Condon and Rachel Lowe.

Lowe brings with her a passing accuracy rate of 72 percent from the W-League season while Chidiac brings her experience already having four international caps at just 18 years old and headlined the Young Matildas in 2017.

Condon, who scored six goals while playing for Adelaide United in the 2017/18 season, was also a Young Matildas squad member alongside Lowe and Chidiac at the AFC U19 Women’s Championships.

The Matildas are running on a seven-game winning streak and things are only just heating up.

The injection of some new blood into the mix along with the veterans of the game, the Matildas will surely be the team to beat.