Ellie Carpenter and Caitlin Foord are summer ready. At just 19 and 24 years old most players of similar age would be arriving at the World Cup with blurry eyes and nervous legs, but not these two. Club teammates at Portland Thorns in the USA and international teammates with Australia, Carpenter & Foord are on the same journey, they've travelled the world and ended up in France hoping to conquer it.
The Matildas have reached the Quarter Finals of the past three World Cups, and as they stride to get past that barrier this time around we caught up with Carpenter and Foord in Portland to get their take on France 2019, their journeys from Australia to the US and to find out what they've learnt from the experiences to date.
Caitlin became the youngest Australian to play at a World Cup when she made her debut as a 16 year old in the 2011 tournament, while Ellie already has over 30 caps to her name despite her tender age, having been called up to the national team at 15. In many ways both players have followed similar career trajectories, and as they leave Portland for France, they'll be arriving with an abundance of experience and knowledge on their club teammates, many of whom will be key players for their respective countries this summer.
Speaking to Bryana Gold for SoccerBible IGTV, both players are in confident mood, and so they should be. Three years ago they were playing in front of 50,000 fans at the 2016 Olympics, proof that the women's game is rapidly growing, and 2019 is all set to take the game to the next level. The Matildas will be wearing their first ever bespoke Nike kit designs, and they'll be backed by many that believe in a new generation of players led by captain Sam Kerr. Australia awaits.
Watch the full episode on IGTV.
