Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams says that the upcoming international friendly fixtures against Scotland and England provide the team with good preparation for what they will face at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer.
The CommBank Matildas take on Scotland at AFC Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium on Friday before facing England at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford next Tuesday.
When speaking to Football Australia Media, goalkeeper Williams said that both games will act as great tests for what Australia might face this summer at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“I think we play with a lot of Scottish and English girls in the leagues that we play in, so we are quite familiar with them,” Williams said. “Playing in an English league, we know how direct, technical and skilful those players are. Scotland are the same, they have quite a lot of good players as well.
“Both games are going to be really challenging and I think that they might replicate what we could face later in the tournament (the World Cup). They are maybe quite similar to some of the sides that we are going to play (in the group stage) too.
“It’s a nice lead into what we are going to face at the World Cup.”
The vast majority of the Scottish and English players play their football on British soil and Williams says that it is fun to come up against many familiar faces.
She said “Playing against players that you know is fun. When you know them pretty well, it’s kind of nice competition but all of us are proud of representing Australia and that’s the most important thing that matters.”
Williams returned to the Barclays Women’s Super League in January when she joined Brighton & Hove Albion. The challenge at the Sussex club is a very different one for Williams but she says that it is still all about winning.
“We are going through a bit of a relegation battle at the moment, so it’s definitely a different vibe to where I’ve been playing elsewhere,” Williams said.
“It’s a good challenge, it’s a different challenge but it’s football; you’re in a team and you want to win, that’s the most important thing.”
Tickets for Friday’s international friendly between Australia and Scotland in Wimbledon remain on general sale and can be purchased by clicking here. The England fixture next Tuesday is a complete sell-out.
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