Elise Kellond-Knight believes Chile will pose a completely different type of threat to anything the Westfield Matildas have faced in recent times.
The Westfield Matildas play their first friendly against Chile on Saturday, November 10 at 3:30pm at Panthers Stadium.
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Kellond-Knight, 28, erred towards caution with regards to a Chile side which she admitted were a bit of an unknown quantity.
“Honestly not a lot [of knowledge on Chile],” said Kellond-Knight. "We haven’t really played that many South American teams before so we’ll have a really good look at them, have a look at the video that we can find on them.
“But you can expect them to be flamboyant, [a] typical south American team, in a way similar to Brazil - unpredictable and very individual.”
So if Chile are anything like Brazil, fans can expect quite the encounter, to say the least.
Kellond-Knight, who recently brought up her 100th cap for the Westfield Matildas in the 1-1 draw against England at Craven Cottage, said the team are not resting on their laurels as they prepare for a great test ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“We definitely expect that [effort] from them. We had a little look at the statistic and we haven’t had a greater record against weak opposition,” said Kellond-Knight. “That’s something that we want to rectify in these upcoming two games. We really want to hammer home two good wins.”
It’s good to see Kellond-Knight back on Australian shores gracing the Westfield W-League — albeit for a different team. Following the 2014/15 Season, Kellond-Knight embarked on a European sojourn which saw her play in Germany and Sweden for three years, before finally returning to the W-League with Melbourne City.
But, as expected, she expressed her excitement at having the chance to represent Australia.
“It’s been a bit of a blur to be honest,” said Kellond-Knight. “I got back in Tuesday, played Friday, came straight into Sydney - so it’s all been a bit of a whirlwind but I’m loving being back in Australia.
“It’s been a few years, so for me its special to be able to play Westfield W-League and also these national games. It’s a different feeling, usually I come into camp and haven’t seen the girls for months but we’ve actually seen each other quite often and now I’ve got a couple of teammates within the Westfield Matildas.”
“I’m really enjoying it.”
The Westfield Matildas play Chile at Panthers Stadium on Saturday, November 13 at 3:30pm. You can purchase tickets here.
Alternatively, you can purchase tickets here to the second game, which kicks off at 7:30pm at McDonald Jones Stadium on Tuesday, November 13.