HEADS UP: Lisa de Vanna (11) of Australia and Amy LePeilbet of the US vie for a high ball in the first half during the international friendly match at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Picture: Victor Decolongon Source: Getty Images
A MATILDAS side brimming with teenagers has impressed almost 20,000 soccer fans in California by going down to newly crowned Olympic champions the United States by just a goal in a women’s friendly this morning.
Lisa DeVanna put the Aussies ahead early in the match before Alex Morgan equalised in the 55th minute and then played a role in the winner eight minutes later.
Australia warmed up for the match with a 4-0 victory over Haiti last week in a match where teenage goalie Brianna Dave made her international debut and the opposition goalkeeper was accidently knocked out by a teammate.
The whitewash was the perfect lead-in to this today’s game, with coach Tom Sermanni opting to give numerous rising stars the experience of international competition on the North American tour.
“It’s promising at the moment and we’re hopeful that all those teenagers continue to improve as they get older,” said Sermanni, who has seven teens in his squad.
“We think we’ve got some real talent in the squad. Tours like this are a great opportunity and a great learning experience for those players.”