Our top five performing Matildas in the last 12 months

Over the last 12 months, Australia’s Matildas have made a huge mark within football, which has been noticed not only by their own Australian fans but worldwide.

From a successful World Cup campaign to an outstanding performance in the Olympic qualifiers our Matildas have shown great success in the past year. But it is many key players that have led to this great success.

Keep reading to find out about the outstanding women who make up a key part of the 2019/2020 squad...

Emily van Egmond - Number 10

Emily van Egmond has really made an impact within the Matildas squad over the past year. She has been a key player within the squad and has had some great performances especially in the Olympic Qualifiers.

In the toughest game so far against China the Matildas were down 0-1 in the 86^th minute after a goal scored by China’s Tang Jiali potentially caused an upset against Ante Milic’s squad.

Not having conceded a goal the whole tournament until now, it was nerve-wracking to drop to second in the group and the possibility of facing South Korea was edging closer and closer, a battle that they didn’t want to face.

But it was Emily van Egmond who saved the day scoring a late goal in the 91^st minute to top the group and face Vietnam. An amazing goal that saved the girls and made the Matildas road to Tokyo one step closer.

You can find the link to this amazing highlight right here.

Jenna McCormick - Number 2

Jenna McCormick made her mark on the Matildas in late 2019 with a debut in front of a record-breaking crowd of 20,000+ fans at Bankwest Stadium in an international friendly against Chile.

A humble player who is proud to represent her country, McCormick has been a strong supporting individual in the backline of the Matildas’ squad.

She may only have been a part of the squad for a few games but during these games, she helped to form a strong back line, especially in front of a home crowd in Adelaide in the second match of the friendly series, which resulted in a 1-0 win for the Tilles.

Hayley Raso - Number 16

Hayley Raso is a speedy winger who has an incredible ability to run up the line and cross the ball to our successful strikers Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord.

An incredibly strong woman who recovered from a serious back injury and never thought she would be able to play the game she loved so much ever again.

Things quickly changed and she made her debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in 2019. Even though she didn’t see the back of the net at the tournament she made it possible for other players in the team too.

With two starting matches and 188 minutes played, she made a name for herself and has continued to do so and we are all looking forward to see her playing for Everton in the near future when matches resume.

Kyah Simon - Number 17

Kyah Simon from the beginning of 2020 has really paved her way in the Matildas squad. After an amazing run during the Olympic qualifiers at the beginning of this year, scoring multiple goals in the campaign, she re-emerged after persistent injury issues.

She has really shined over the past 12 months playing a key role in the Matildas squad and even assisting Emily Van Egmond in her show-stopping goal to equalize with China.

She also made her mark in the 2019/2020 W-League season seeing the back of the net many times throughout the season, helping her team take out the championship.

Sam Kerr - Number 20

We’re sure this name sounds familiar? One of Australia’s favourite sportswomen. Kerr, the captain of the Matildas, has really helped and pushed the team to stardom.

Kerr has had many moments of success, scoring four goals against Jamaica at the Women’s World Cup - putting on a show stopper performance for the crowd and the fans watching at home.

The fan favourite number 20 has become a household name. Signed to Chelsea in The FAWSL, she has paved the way for Australia’s Matildas to transition over to European clubs.

Her drive and passion for the team to succeed and the belief she has in her teammates is truly something special. She continuously shocks the world with her amazing football skills and is definitely one of the best players to ever walk the field.

These are just five of the amazing Matildas in the current squad who have really caught our eye over the past year. It isn’t just these individuals who play a key role in the team, it is obviously many more as well.

But these women are paving the way for Australian football and we cannot wait to see the next amazing highlights that come from them in the near future.