West Ham United goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold says that this month’s Cup of Nations will be vitally important for Australia’s preparations for a home FIFA Women’s World Cup later this year.
Arnold is expected to link-up with the CommBank Matildas later this week ahead of the four-team tournament which also includes the Czech Republic, Spain and Jamaica.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 is now less than six months away and Arnold believes that the frequency of international games later this month will act as ideal preparation for the tournament.
“I think the Cup of Nations is going to be very important for us, especially the game format, playing every two or three days which is what the World Cup is going to offer us as well,” Arnold told Football Australia. “Being in England with cup games as well, we are beginning to get a little more used to that with five or six games being crammed into two or three weeks.
“It’s going to be very important to us, having the different opponents as well. They’re nations that we don’t get to play against every day. It’s very good preparation for us for the World Cup and hopefully, we can take advantage of that.”
Arnold was speaking to the media off the back of one of her best performances of the season so far. The player kept a clean sheet as West Ham United battled out a goalless draw with Arsenal at The Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday. She picked up the Player of the Match award for her individual performance.
“It felt good to be honest,” Arnold said when reflecting on the game. “It was a tough game, Arsenal are always a top side and it is always going to be tough against them.
“Credit to our team, we were under pressure for the last 45 minutes. It was a really important point that we came away with and personally, I was happy with my performance. Hopefully, we can keep moving in the right direction.”
Arnold is expected to feature in West Ham United’s FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup semi-final fixture against Chelsea on Thursday evening before flying home to Australia for the 2023 Cup of Nations.
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