The Westfield Matildas will complete the April international window with a clash against the Netherlands.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming game.
Background
Australia secured qualification to the Olympics in Tokyo all the way back in March 2020. The pandemic has meant that not only did that tournament not go ahead as scheduled, but the national team had to wait over a year to be reunited and play some matches.
READ: What's happened since the Westfield Matildas last played?
Although Australia hasn’t been able to play, the team and the nation have had plenty of exciting things happen.
WATCH: Westfield Matildas - The story so far
Chief among them was FIFA awarding the 2023 Women’s World Cup to the As One bid which will see the biggest tournament in women’s football played here and in New Zealand. Tony Gustavsson was also announced as the new coach of the Westfield Matildas.
The team was finally able to return to the pitch, taking on Germany in Wiesbaden. In the Westfield Matildas' first hit out in 396 days, they fell to the Germans 5-2.
READ: Beattie Goad achieves goal against Germany
The squad
With the health and safety of players and staff at the front of mind, the squad selected for these friendly matches was made up of overseas-based players only.
These protocols also saw Amy Harrison and Ellie Carpenter unable to join the squad despite being selected.
Emily Gielnik's fine Westfield W-League scoring form continued with a brace against Germany. That clash also saw three Westfield Matildas debuts.
Beattie Goad entered the match in the opening 15 minutes replacing Karly Roestbakken. Alex Huynh and Indiah-Paige Riley entered the fray in the second half.
Where to watch
This friendly will be broadcast on Fox Sports, Kayo, ABC TV, and the My Football App.
WATCH: How to watch Westfield Matildas v Netherlands
The opponent
The Netherlands provide another tough test for Tony Gustavsson's side. The teams met in the lead up to the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019 with the Dutch running out 3-0 winners.
More recently, Sarina Wiegman's team completed qualification to the Euros and earned wins over Belgium and the Westfield Matildas' last opponent, Germany.
Match Details
Netherlands v Westfield Matildas
Wednesday, 14 April 2021
Venue: NEC Stadium, Nijmegen
Kick Off: 2:30am (AEST)
Broadcast: Live on FOX SPORTS, Kayo, ABC TV and My Football Live App
Please note that all dates & times listed are AEST. Kick-off in the Netherlands is on Tuesday, 13 April 2021 at 6:30pm local time.
