Matildas stalwarts say ‘best squad we’ve had yet’ will thrive at home World Cup

The Matildas will go into the Women’s World Cup in just over a fortnight with the strongest squad ever, said forward Caitlin Foord after the team announcement on Monday.

“The depth we have within the team is something we’ve maybe been missing,” she said. “So to be able to have 23 players that can play any game or in any position and still be able to get the job done – I think that’s what’s most exciting about this one.

“I do think it’s the best squad we’ve had yet.”

Foord’s club teammate at Arsenal and the Matildas’ vice-captain, defender Steph Catley, said the squad was stacked with players from the best leagues in the world.

“This team’s ready, this team’s experienced,” Catley said. “There’s nothing in me that doubts that we’re capable of achieving great things and obviously there’s pressure, but I think we also thrive off that.

“I think if this was our team four years ago, going into the situation, I would maybe feel a bit nervous about us being able to handle it. Going out there and being able to perform under pressure in front of 80,000 people, first game, I might have been a little bit worried.

“But the team that we have now, with the experience that we have now … most have high-pressure games at club level. We’ve played high-pressure games at multiple World Cups, at Olympics. And I think the fact that it’s a home crowd, everyone’s going to be there to support us – we’re just going to come alive and thrive off that.”

Catley acknowledges it hasn’t been a smooth ride for the Matildas to get to this point, finally with depth in the squad and players in form before a major tournament. When senior players took time out last year, allowing some fresh faces to get game time for the national side, it resulted in some big losses