Australia women's national under-23 soccer team

Australia
Nickname(s)U23 Matildas
AssociationFootball Australia
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationAFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coachJoe Palatsides
FIFA codeAUS
First colours
Second colours
First international
Philippines  1–0  
(Manila, Philippines, 4 July 2022)
Biggest win
  9–0  Timor-Leste
(Phú Thọ, Vietnam, 13 August 2025)
Biggest defeat
Sweden U23  3–0  
(Sweden, 29 May 2024)
Germany U23  3–0  
(Sweden, 1 June 2024)
ASEAN Women's Championship
Appearances1 (first in 2022)
Best resultTBD (2025)
Websitewww.matildas.com.au

The Australia women's national under-23 soccer team represents Australia in international under-23 soccer and at the ASEAN Women's Championship. The team was established in mid-2022 and is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia (FA), which is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) since leaving the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2006. The team's official nickname is the U23 Matildas.

History

In mid-2022, Football Australia established the first-ever Australia women's national under-23 soccer team (U23 Matildas) to represent Australia in under-23 matches, including in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Senior women's assistant coach, Melissa Andreatta was appointed as inaugural under-23 Head Coach and Leah Blayney as Assistant Coach.[1][2][3] In September 2019, the Australia women's national under-20 soccer team (Young Matildas) coach, Blayney had managed a squad to compete at the 2020 AFC U-23 Women's Championship.[4]

Andreatta named a 28-player final squad for the 2022 AFF Women's Championship held from 4 to 17 July in the Philippines – against ASEAN senior national women's teams.[1] Australia U23, captained by defender Charlotte Grant, were placed in Group A and their first match was a 1–0 defeat by the hosts, Philippines.[5] The hosts were coached by former senior Australian women's coach, Alen Stajcic.[2] Attacking midfielder, Amy Sayer kicked their first goal for the tournament during their second match in a 1–1 draw with Thailand.[6] In their third game Sayer scored all four goals in the team's first ever win – against Indonesia.[7] In the match against Malaysia, midfielder Mackenzie Hawkesby scored a hat trick.[1][8] U23 Matildas finished third in their group.

Andreatta formed a 24-player squad for a two-game friendly series held in Italy in September 2023, where Australia U23 played against AC Milan Women and then Scotland's under-23 women's football team.[9] The next U23 Matildas squad contested the Four Nations invitational under-23 tournament held in Växjö, Sweden from 30 May to 4 June 2024.[10][11] Australia, captained by midfielder Laura Hughes, lost against hosts, Sweden and visitors Germany, but won against visitors Poland.[12][13] For that win, U23 Matildas came back from 2–0 down to equalise at 2–2, with the result determined by a penalty shoot-out, which Australia U23 won 5–3.[13]

Andreatta was appointed head coach of Scotland's senior women's team in April 2025.[14] Senior Matildas' assistant coach Joe Palatsides replaced her in June as the new Head Coach of the U23 Matildas. They competed at the 2025 ASEAN Women's Championship (successor to the 2022 AFF Women's Championship) in Group B in Phú Thọ, Vietnam, in August 2025.[15] Palatsides described his squad on 30 July, "Some of these players have already had a taste of senior football while others are knocking on the door, but no matter where they are on their journey, this kind of experience is incredibly valuable."[16] At the tournament the team finished second in their group after defeating defending champions Philippines (1-0) and fifth time appearing Timor-Leste (9-0). In the semi-final they won against three-time champions and hosts, Vietnam (2-1) to face two-time champions Myanmar in the tournament's final on 19 August.

Coaches

Players

Current squad

The following 23 players were named to the squad for the U-23 Australian Women's National Team at the 2025 ASEAN Women's Championship held in Vietnam on 6–19 August.[16]

Caps and goals are current as of 16 August 2025, after match against Vietnam.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Chloe Lincoln (2005-01-04) 4 January 2005 5 0 Australia Brisbane Roar
12 1GK Sally James (2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 1 0 Australia APIA Leichhardt
18 1GK Tahlia Franco (2006-06-29) 29 June 2006 1 0 Australia Macarthur Rams
2 2DF Alana Cerne (2002-12-11) 11 December 2002 3 1 Australia Essendon Royals
4 2DF Ella Tonkin (2002-12-14) 14 December 2002 9 0 Australia Northern Tigers
15 2DF Tori Tumeth (2004-10-05) 5 October 2004 3 0 Unattached
17 2DF Sasha Grove (2004-12-30) 30 December 2004 3 0 Australia Western United
19 2DF Grace Johnston (2005-04-07) 7 April 2005 3 1 Australia Perth Glory
21 2DF Claudia Cicco (2004-08-27) 27 August 2004 3 0 Australia APIA Leichhardt
22 2DF Abbey Lemon (2002-08-14) 14 August 2002 2 0 Australia Sydney FC
23 2DF Naomi Chinnama (2004-05-13) 13 May 2004 5 0 Australia Perth Glory
5 3MF Aideen Keane (2002-02-09) 9 February 2002 4 2 Australia Sydney Olympic
6 3MF Isabel Gomez (2002-07-06) 6 July 2002 6 0 Australia Northern Tigers
8 3MF Georgia Cassidy (2005-05-27) 27 May 2005 2 0 Australia Perth SC
10 3MF Sofia Sakalis (2002-07-11) 11 July 2002 3 0 Australia Box Hill United
13 3MF Alana Jančevski (2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 4 3 Unattached
14 3MF Alicia Woods (2004-01-18) 18 January 2004 4 0 Australia Brisbane Roar
16 3MF Amy Chessari (2004-05-19) 19 May 2004 2 0 Australia Western Sydney
20 3MF Leticia McKenna (2002-08-07) 7 August 2002 5 2 Australia Melbourne City
7 4FW Emilia Murray (2004-11-09) 9 November 2004 3 1 Australia Melbourne City
9 4FW Holly Furphy (2002-04-29) 29 April 2002 4 3 Unattached
11 4FW Annalise Rasmussen (2005-05-22) 22 May 2005 2 0 Australia Central Coast Mariners


Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2025

7 August 2025 ASEAN Championship GS Myanmar  2–1   Phú Thọ, Vietnam
16:30 UTC+7
  • May Thet Mon Myint 32'
  • Win Theingi Tun 47'
 Report
Stadium: Việt Trì Stadium
Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)
10 August 2025 ASEAN Championship GS   1–0  Philippines Phú Thọ, Vietnam
19:30 UTC+7
Report Stadium: Việt Trì Stadium
Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)
13 August 2025 ASEAN Championship GS   9–0  Timor-Leste Phú Thọ, Vietnam
19:30 UTC+7
Report Stadium: Việt Trì Stadium
Referee: Mu Mingxin (China)
16 August 2025 ASEAN Championship SF Vietnam  1–2   Haiphong, Vietnam
20:00 UTC+7
Report
Stadium: Lạch Tray Stadium
Attendance: 16,890
Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)
19 August 2025 ASEAN Championship Final Myanmar  v   Haiphong, Vietnam
19:30 UTC+7 Report Stadium: Lạch Tray Stadium

Competitive record

ASEAN Women's Championship

ASEAN Women's Championship record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Vietnam 2004 Did not enter
Vietnam 2006
Myanmar 2007
Vietnam 2008 See Australia women's national soccer team
Laos 2011 Did not enter
Vietnam 2012
Myanmar 2013 See Australia under-20 team
Vietnam 2015
Myanmar 2016
Indonesia 2018
Thailand 2019 Did not enter
Philippines 2022 Group Stage 5th 5 3 1 1 16 4
Vietnam 2025 TBD ? 4 3 0 1 13 3
Total 1/1 0 titles 9 7 1 2 29 7

Honours

Regional

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Andreatta confirms youthful final 28-Player Australian U-23 Squad For 2022 AFF Women's Championships". Football Australia. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b Yap, Kieran (3 July 2022). "Andreatta and Stajcic Speak Ahead of AFF Opener". impetusfootball.org. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Apostolakis and Gallagher named in Australia's preliminary squad for AFF Women's Championship". Western Sydney Wanderers. 10 June 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ TWG Staff. "Young Matildas' U23 Championship squad finalised". The Women's Game - Australia's Home of Women's Sport News. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  5. ^ "M3.pdf" (PDF). aseanfootball. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  6. ^ Yap, Kieran (7 July 2022). "Matildas Clinch First Point Of AFF Championships". impetusfootball.org. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Australia Women U23 - Indonesia Women live score and H2H football match results". Scorebar. 8 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  8. ^ "M21.pdf" (PDF). aseanfootball.org. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  9. ^ "U23 Matildas Squad selected ahead of two September matches". impetusfootball.org. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Andreatta confirms U-23 Women's National Team Four Nations Tournament squad". Football Australia. 15 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Australian U-23 Women's National Team Squad Update (22nd May)". Football Australia. 22 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Australia [U23 Women] National Team » Fixtures & Results 2024". worldfottball,net. 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  13. ^ a b "AUS 3-2 POL | Australia - Poland | Summary". flashscore.com.au. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Football Australia thanks Melissa Andreatta". My Football. 9 April 2025. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ a b "Australias Next Gen Back at ASEAN Womens Champs". Mirage News. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Australia U-23 squad confirmed for ASEAN Women's Championships". Football Australia. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.