This year brings even more excitement, as they face a new opponent for the first time.

The recent Copa America runners up and FIFA world ranked 39, Chile, will travel to Panthers Stadium in Penrith to play against the Matildas for the first time in history, after recently qualifying for their very first FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The emerging side will expose the Aussie squad to a different style of play and give both teams the opportunity for some diverse experience to take into the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Matildas come into the friendly sitting at sixth on the FIFA ladder, with some strong, albeit mixed results this year.

The Australian team’s last match was a friendly against England where they finished all tied up at 1-1, while in their previous match against France, the girls went down 2-0.

Prior to this, it was at the 2018 Tournament of Nations (ToN) where the Matildas really asserted their dominance, just missing out on the ToN trophy.

Just pipped at the post by top-dogs USA on goal difference, it was this performance that pushed the Australian team from eighth to sixth in the world.

KEY PLAYERS

Chile – Maria Jose Rojas

Taken by Ben Southall (@bsouthallau)

The name Maria Jose Rojas, or “Cote” as she is known, may be familiar to some. Not just because she plays for Chile, but because she also plays for W-League’s own Canberra United.

The 30-year-old made her W-League debut in round one against Melbourne City before hitting the back of the net against Perth Glory in their eight-goal thriller just last week.

The formidable forward has also played in Japan, Lithuania, Germany and the US and has shown she is someone you’d much rather have playing for you than against.

Scoring two goals for her country during the 2018 Copa America Femenina and undoubtedly securing their ticket to the FIFA World Cup, Rojas will also be able to draw on her new-found Aussie knowledge after tangling with some of her Matildas competition already.

Australia – Chloe Logarzo

Taken by Rachel Bach (@bythewhiteline)

The effervescent 23-year-old will no doubt bring her usual mix of commanding presence in the midfield combined with her dexterity around the box, especially when linking up with roomie and FIFA goal celebration partner, Lisa De Vanna.

Logarzo’s willingness to put her body on the line and create chances for her side, have paid off on many occasions and when she’s not scoring goals, she’s creating them.

Currently, at 35 caps and 6 goals for her country, the Sydney FC midfielder has become a solid staple for Australia, with her prowess around the pitch continually on the rise.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Essentially, both teams will be flying blind and playing against the unknown when battling it out, with nothing but video review as any insight into their opposing team’s style of play.

On paper, the Matildas present a battle of David and Goliath proportions for the Chilean side, but as we all know, the ranking is never a sure bet to rest your laurels on, with the underdog factor potentially acting as a strong motivator for Chile.

“Chile are an emerging nation in international women’s football. They had a fantastic Copa America this year and have showed a great level of technical proficiency, as we would expect from a proud South American footballing nation," Matildas Head Coach Alen Stajic said of the match up.

“For us to prepare for the FIFA Women’s World Cup we need to play against a diverse range of opposition and Chile will be a great challenge for us.”

MATCH DETAILS

Panthers Stadium, Penrith
Saturday November 10, 3.30pm AEDT

Catch the match LIVE on FoxSports 505 and SBS.