Collette McCallum:We can do it.
Matilda's World Cup Star Collette McCallum is currently playing her club football for the Pali Blues in Los Angeles, USA, but on Thursday she will line up against Australia's Olympic conquerors, North Korea, in the Asia Cup Semi-Final
Speaking from the team's hotel in Vietnam, resting up after the 3-1 defeat to Japan, McCallum believes the Matildas can beat Cup favourites Korea.
"Depends how well we play on the day. We've got a chance of winning it definitely," said a cautiously optimistic McCallum.
The Matildas scraped through to the semi's courtesy of a Clare Polkinghorne goal in Monday's 3-1 loss to Japan.
"It was a bit of a shock to us. The goals we conceded were from our mistakes. But that's football. We've got to move on. We're a better team than that. The conditions are still hitting us a bit.
"We have to make sure our recovery is right. But we kept fighting and luckily we got that goal that put us through."
"We play a 442 (normally) and one of the girls man marked Tharwa so we had to adjust to that. I don't think we capitalised enough. We went back to 442 in the second half and we looked more dangerous.
"Hopefully Chezza (Cheryl Salisbury) will be right, we were at a bit of a loss not having her at the back, talking to us and keeping us composed. I think everyone else is okay to play.
"It'll be a tough game. North Korea are probably the best team in Asia at the moment. We've got Lisa De Vanna up front, she'll create problems. We know about the Olympic games, so we'll be going out there looking for revenge.
After the Asia Cup McCallum and the team travel to Korea Republic for the Peace Cup where they have the likes of Brazil and Italy lie in wait.
And then McCallum heads back to LA to complete her stint with the Pali Blues.
"It's very different (in LA) to what I get back in Australia. We play all our games on astroturf. We've got players in the team from Canada, England Italy and Australia. It's a quicker game. They do a lot of high pressure play. It's physically tougher. They are strong girls, and I need to improve that side of my game.
"I'd like to go to Sweden I think that league would suit my type of game. But I wanted to see how it would go for me in America," said McCallum.
9 comments:
Any news on who is playing tonight? as usual nothing on FFA site. You wouldn't even know the Matildas are playing.
No must be top secret.
Chezza may be out, but wouldn't be surprised if they try and give her a go if it is at all possible.
Seems to be struggling. What 20 mins in one comp, maybe time to think about retiring, ain't going to get any easier is it?
It really annoys me.
You go the FFA site and it is not even a scheduled match.
Some one has to something about our National 'representative' organisation.
Women pay the same amount of dues, get paid less when they represent their country and get treated like mushrooms.
I hope the canberra girls play.
I'll ring someone have an answer one way or t'other in a few minutes..
don't think any Canberra girls will start, maybe Amy Chapman...but she looked very tired against Korea I thought.
I'll have the team news in 20 minutes apparently!! I'll post it here.
"Don't think any Canberra girls will start"
ha ha ha..shows what I know..three to start!!!!
Oh cool! do you know who else is playing?
refresh your page, top story is the team
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