Spencer Prior and Young Matildas ready for World Cup Qualifiers

A big couple of weeks for Prior and his charges

In his own football career Young Matildas Head Coach Spencer Prior  had some big games.  Now it's the former Manchester City and Cardiff City defenders job to lead his young charges through the biggest games of their football careers to date.

"The preparation has been brilliant," said Prior after the last training session before the commencement of the AFC U19 Championships.

"The girls have taken on everything we have put to them and now it's time to put it on the park."

It has been a long build up to the AFC U19 Championships, a competition which double as qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.

In the last six months the team has had over 60 contact days including several AIS camps and tours to New Zealand and Myanmar for the AFF Women's Championships.  It was at that tournament, where the Young Matildas competed against senior national teams, that Prior felt the team really came together.

"The AFF was a really brilliant tournament for us to go to and big thanks to them and the Local Organising Committee."

"The girls did themselves really proud over there with some great results and some great performances."

"They went up hugely in my estimation in terms of the spirit and character amongst the team and the culture we have around the team is fantastic."

It is the experience, on and off the pitch, in the last 12 months that Prior hopes unite this unit to become the first Young Matildas squad since 2005 to qualify for a youth World Cup.

In the way are DPR Korea, Japan, China, South Korea and Myanmar. It is hard to find a tougher confederation at the U20 age group.

The first match is against DPR Korea and Prior believes that a good start is preferable but it won't make or break the campaign.

"Ideally, we get off to a very, very good start.  We are absolutely going out there to look for three points but a point isn't such a bad start."

"The beauty of it is that you have a few more games to try and put things right."

As to DPR Korea?

"We haven't seen too much of DPR Korea," said Prior.

"It's going to be a very interesting first 20 minutes discovering and working out how they play.  We think we know how they have set up but it will be an interesting first 20."

"Initially the idea will be to stay in the game, work them out and then put our own mark on we want to do and hopefully get a good start to the Championships."

The Young Matildas kick off their AFC U19 Championships campaign against DPR Korea today at 7.30pm (AEST).  Live stream: http://bit.ly/YMvDPRK