Australia confirm 21-Player Final Squad for FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022

Head coach Leah Blayney has named the 21 players who will represent Australia at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™.

The squad has been finalised following the completion of the Young Matildas pre-tournament training camp in Mexico City which included a training match against Club Universidad Nacional Femenil and closed door international friendly against the Mexico U20 Women's National Team.

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Australia's final squad features a strong A-League Women's presence with 17 players recording match minutes during the 2021/22 season. The 21 players represent six Member Federations with all players born on or after January 1, 2002.

Blayney has been able to call upon the majority of the group who have featured throughout the Young Matildas preparation that has seen members of the squad participate in April and June's internationals against New Zealand, the AFF Women's Championships 2022 in July and a host of training camps.

Speaking of the squad selection, Blayney said: "As we anticipated when we named the extended squad, selecting the final 21 players has been made extremely difficult due to the quality of play and application displayed by the playing group."

"While it is a young final squad that we have selected, it is a talented squad with a mix of high technical ability, ever-increasing tactical maturity and the heart and desire that are indicative of Australian teams. This is a squad that has the opportunity to demonstrate their quality on the global stage."

"Over the course of our preparations we have called in over 85 players and every player called in has assisted us in getting to this moment and made my task challenging. I want to thank each player that has represented the U20s since 2020 as they have played a vital part in our road to Costa Rica."

"Having been on this journey together since March, this is a unified squad of players and staff who are committed and enthusiastic about representing our nation to the best of their ability. There is a togetherness that will be invaluable for us in this tournament against some world-class nations in our group."

The Young Matildas will feature in the sixteen-nation FIFA U20 Women's World Cup™ for the first time since 2006 and have been drawn into Group A with Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain. The top two finishers in each of the four groups will advance to the knockout stages, commencing on 20 August 2022.

The Young Matildas playing against Mexico's U20 WNT in a closed-door international. (Photo: Ann Odong/Football Australia)
The Young Matildas playing against Mexico's U20 WNT in a closed-door international. (Photo: Ann Odong/Football Australia)

Australia will open their tournament against hosts Costa Rica at the Estadio Nacional, San Jose on Thursday, 11 August at 12.00 pm AEST. Captaining the side during the tournament will be Western Sydney Wanderers' Sheridan Gallagher, with the 20-year-old acknowledged for her performances on the pitch and leadership off the pitch.

"Sheridan is one of our most hardworking players," Blayney said. "In terms of how she conducts herself around the group, she is extremely supportive of all the players and the girls know that. That is who you want in your corner when things are difficult."

"The other part of Sheridan Gallagher is that she never takes a backward step and that is the epitome of us as a team."

With the World Cup squad finalised, Australia will now depart for Costa Rica on 1 August with a final tune-up against Colombia on 5 August.

All of Australia's matches for the tournament will be shown live, free and in HD on SBS and SBS On Demand with a full studio broadcast.

AUSTRALIA U-20 WNT | FINAL SQUAD | FIFA U20 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP COSTA RICA 2022™

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Name

Position

Club

Junior Club / Member Fed

1

Sally JAMES  

Goalkeeper  

Blacktown Spartans

Majura FC / Capital Football  

2

Charlize RULE

Forward 

Sydney Olympic FC

Queens Park / Football NSW

3

Naomi CHINNAMA 

Defender 

Blacktown Spartans on loan from Melbourne City FC

NTC Victoria / Football Victoria 

4

Ella TONKIN 

Defender 

Northern Tigers

Raiders FC / Football SA 

5

Jamilla RANKIN 

Defender 

Blacktown Spartans

Eureka FC / Northern NSW Football 

6

Sarah HUNTER 

Midfielder 

APIA Leichhardt on loan from Sydney FC

Northbridge FC / Football NSW 

7

Bryleeh HENRY

Forward

Blacktown Spartans

Penrith FC / Football NSW

8

Hana LOWRY 

Midfielder 

Blacktown Spartans on loan from Perth Glory

Cockburn City SC / Football West

9

Cushla RUE 

Forward 

Sydney University FC

Western Mariners/ Football NSW  

10

Daniela GALIC 

Midfielder 

Football NSW Institute

Lidcombe Waratahs / Football NSW 

11

Kahli JOHNSON

Forward

Manly United FC

Manly United/ Football NSW

12

Miranda TEMPLEMAN

Goalkeeper 

FV Emerging Matildas

Melville City FC / Football West

13

Jynaya DOS SANTOS 

Forward 

Football NSW Institute

Shellharbour Junior Football Club / Football NSW 

14

Paige ZOIS 

Midfielder 

Bulleen Lions on loan from Melbourne Victory

Northcote FC / Football Victoria 

15

Alexia APOSTOLAKIS 

Defender 

Football NSW Institute

Forest Rangers/ Football NSW 

16

Jessika NASH 

Defender 

Blacktown Spartans

Doonside Hawks / Football NSW 

17

Sheridan GALLAGHER 

Forward 

Illawarra Stingrays

Illawarra Stingrays / Football NSW 

18

Chloe LINCOLN 

Goalkeeper 

Canberra United Academy

The Armidale School / Capital Football 

19

Greta KRASZULA

Midfielder / Defender

VCU Athletics

NWS Koalas / Football NSW

20

Kirsty FENTON

Defender

NWS Koalas

Toronto Awaba / Northern NSW Football

21

Abbey LEMON 

Forward 

Blacktown Spartans

Blacktown Spartans / Football NSW 

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