Van Egmond: Westfield Young Matildas ready to complete their Myanmar mission

Westfield Young Matildas coach Gary van Egmond is confident the stifling conditions will not be a factor for his side when the second phase of qualifying for the 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championships begins today.

The Australian side begin their qualifying campaign against Nepal (kick-off 7.30pm AEST) at the Mandalarthiri Stadium in Myanmar.

ANALYSIS: Who the Westfield Young Matildas face on the road to AFC U-19 Championships
SQUAD: 
Westfield Young Matildas set for Myanmar mission

Temperatures at kick-off – which is 4pm local time – are set to be 39C.

“The weather is warm but it’s the same for everyone. You have to adjust,” van Egmond said at the official pre-tournament press conference.

“From our point of view, coming from Australia to here, we’re coming from our summer and autumn, so it’s a little bit cooler in Australia.

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“But the field is the same, the weather is the same for every team, the ball is the same and there’s 11 players on each team – so for us, we will look at the conditions and play accordingly.

“We look forward to this tournament. It’s another great experience for our players to gain international experience.”

The Westfield Young Matildas are in Group A and will also play matches against host-nation Myanmar (April 28) and Uzbekistan (April 30).

They will need to finish first or second in the group in order to join Thailand (hosts), Japan, DPR Korea, China PR, and other yet to be determined nations at the eight-team 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship which will be contested in October and November this year.

The top three nations at the 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship will advance to the 2020 FIFA U-20s Women’s World Cup.

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Westfield Young Matildas Match Schedule – 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship Qualifiers (Round Two)

Westfield Young Matildas v Nepal U-19
Date: Friday, 26 April 2019
Venue: Mandalarthiri Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 7.30pm (AEST)

Myanmar U-19 v Westfield Young Matildas
Date: Sunday, 28 April 2019
Venue: Mandalarthiri Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar
Kick-off: 7.00pm (local); 10.30pm (AEST)

Westfield Young Matildas v Uzbekistan U-19
Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2019
Venue: Mandalarthiri Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 7.30pm (AEST)

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This article was originally published on the CommBank Matildas website.
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