Matildas enter first camp of 2016

Matildas head coach Alen Stajcic has called in his first 22 player training camp of 2016 as preparations continue for next month's AFC 2016 Olympics Qualifiers.

Held at Valentine Sports Park in Sydney, the squad is headlined by FFC Frankfurt midfielder Emily van Egmond, who is currently in Australia following the winter break in the German league.

With a recent spate of injuries to recent squad members Sam Kerr (foot), Caitlin Foord (broken collarbone), Amy Harrison (ACL) and Aivi Luik (concussion), Stajcic has added some new names to the first camp of the new year.

Leading Brisbane Roar striker Emily Gielnik (capped 7 times for Australia) and teammate Angela Beard have been rewarded for their strong personal performances this season.

Van Egmond is one of 22 players selected by Westfield Matildas Head Coach Alen Stajcic for the three day training camp to be held at Football NSW headquarters, Valentine Sports Park.

Stajcic has been satisfied with the squad’s progress and improvement since their first camp back in early October, but not everything has gone to plan with a number of players falling to injury.

But if there is anything good to come out of players out injured, it opens up opportunities for others with  named to come in for the training camp.

Gielnik has made seven appearances for the Westfield Matildas, the last of which came in 2013, while for the uncapped Beard, it is reward for some outstanding form in the Westfield W-League which saw her named the NAB Young Player of the Month for November.

“But there is still a big competition for spots, and trying to narrow them down to just 17 field players is going to be extremely difficult,” said Stajcic.

“We’ve still got a long way to settle who is going to go and who’s not going to go. This is our last camp during the actual W-League season, then we’ve got one leading into the semi finals, and then February is really crunch time where we’re together for three straight weeks before we go to Japan.”

While the Matildas currently have no internationals planned for the February period, Stajcic stated that the internationals towards the end of 2015 and the regular camps have the Matildas well placed depth wise for the challenging qualification tournament.

“I think we’re progressing really well," he said.

"The longer the competition (Westfield W-League) goes, the more and more the girls that have been coming into camp have been standing up which is pleasing.”

The six team qualifying tournament will see each team play five games in ten days, with the top two countries at the end of the matches booking their place to Rio 2016

Matildas squad for Sydney training camp:  5-7 January 2016