Alen Stajcic has finalised his 21-player squad and has two excellent goalkeepers to choose from when it comes to that first game at the Tournament of Nations in America.
Lydia Williams and Mackenzie Arnold are both in excellent form and will make it difficult for the Westfield Matildas boss to select his no.1 for the opening game against Brazil.
Here’s a look at both goalkeepers selected in the Westfield Matildas squad for the 2018 Tournament of Nations.
LYDIA WILLIAMS
Age: 30
Caps: 70
Debut: Friendly v Korea Republic on 28 July 2005 in Jeonju
Clubs played for: AIS, Canberra United, Chicago Red Stars, Pitea IF, Western New York Flash, Washington Spirit, Houston Dash, Melbourne City, Seattle Reign
Her 2018 so far:
Williams will head to the Tournament of Nations with plenty of confidence after an exceptional year to date for club and country.
She played a key role in Melbourne City’s surge to the Westfield W-League title – winning her second Grand Final in a row in the Australian domestic league.
The 30-year-old has continued that form into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) with Seattle Reign, where she's featured nine times between the sticks this season.
During the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Williams played three matches as the Westfield Matildas were beaten in the final by Japan.
She kept one clean sheet in the tournament, with a successful save rate of 60%, while her 82.6% accuracy with her passing shows how important her distribution is from the back.
MACKENZIE ARNOLD
Age: 24
Caps: 19
Debut: East Asian Football Federation Cup qualifier v Chinese Taipei on 20 November 2012 in China
Clubs played for: Perth Glory, Canberra United, Western Sydney Wanderers, Brisbane Roar, Arna-Bjornar
Her 2018 so far:
Arnold continued her remarkable development over the last few years with another standout season in the Westfield W-League with Brisbane Roar.
In 12 matches with Roar, the 24-year-old shot-stopper kept an impressive six clean sheets as the club took out the Premiership.
It saw Arnold win the Westfield W-League’s goalkeeper of the Year award, ensuring her spot in the Westfield Matildas squad for both the Algarve Cup and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaigns earlier this year.
In Portugal, she started in Australia’s wins over Norway and China, while she carried those strong performances into the Asian Cup in Jordan, with the highlight her remarkable three saves in the semi-final penalty shootout win over Thailand.
Arnold’s eye-catching displays caught the attention of Norwegian top-flight club Arna-Bjornar in March, and the goalkeeper subsequently agreed to play abroad for the first time in her career.
The young Aussie has been a crucial component in her side’s strong season to date, keeping her first clean sheet in the recent 4-0 win over Grand Bodø.
