Sydney University Soccer Football Club player and former Elite Athlete Program member Amy Harrison has been selected in the Matildas squad for their international tour.
Selectors of the Australian Women’s Football team chose a 21-player squad to represent them in China from 19-28 October 2015.
The China tour is seen as crucial preparation for the team as they are set to be the final international games for the Matildas before an extremely challenging Olympic qualifying tournament in February, where only two countries will make it to Rio 2016.
Harrison made her debut senior international appearance against New Zealand earlier this year, in a 3-2 win to the Matildas. However, she was unfortunately left out of the Matilda’s squad that would go on to make the quarter-finals of the women’s Soccer World Cup in Canada.
Harrison’s re-selection comes off the back of an impressive 2014/15 W-League season with Sydney FC where she was named Westfield W-League Young Player of the Year at the FFA Johnny Warren medal awards night.
Amy started her career with Sydney FC as a 16-year-old in the 2012/13 season, where she played one game in her debut against the Melbourne Victory. Through her hard work and dedication Harrison went on to play 12 out of the Sky Blues 13 matches in the 2013/14 season, also netting her maiden W-League goal in the process.
Amy will again be playing for Sydney FC in their 2015/16 W-League campaign, as the season kicked off on October 17th, she and the other touring Matilda’s playing in the W-League will commence their club duties on return from the China tour.
The 19-year-old midfielder has previously captained the Young Matilda’s (under-20 Australian team) and is hopeful that this selection in the Matilda’s means she is one step closer to reaching her goal of making it to the Rio Olympics.
Harrison is one of four new members to the Matilda’s squad to tour China. Coach Alen Stajcic included four players in his squad who were not part of the Matilda’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 campaign. Sydney based Caitlin Cooper plus Newcastle duo Georgia Yeoman-Dale and Tara Andrews join Harrison as the other new members. The four have been given their chance to press for Olympic selection after they performed strongly in the W-League and at the Matilda’s pre-tour training camp in Canberra.
