‪Our Academy Men kick off at 7pm tonight at Sydney United Sports Centre, while our Women have a morning match on Sunday against the SD Raiders. Good luck to all our Academy teams playing this weekend! #CCMFC #NPLNSW ‬

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The Matildas take on Italy in their opening World Cup match against Italy on Sunday night, with injury taking a toll on the squad ahead of the start of the tournament.

Just hours after Laura Alleway (foot) was ruled out of the World Cup, Mary Fowler has been sent for scans after going down in training in a horror day for Australia.

Fowler, the youngest player at the World Cup, is now a slight prospect to join her watching on. The 16-year-old felt tightness in her hamstring early in the Matildas’ first training session in France.

Still the key to Australia’s success remains up forward.

The Matildas were demolished 3-0 by Netherlands in Eindhoven in their final warm-up match last Sunday, but Australia has shown an ability to regroup before.

Part of that resilience is due to the quality of the forwards, with star power and experience that makes any Australian attack dangerous for the opposition.

In the final instalment of our three-part series, here’s how The New Daily sees the strengths of the Matildas’ forwards.

Caitlin Foord

Despite being just 24 years old, the 2019 World Cup will be Foord’s third appearance on football’s biggest stage having already appeared at the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.

Initially breaking into the national team as a right back, Foord was named Best Young Player at the 2011 World Cup before going on to capture the same honour from the Asian confederation that same year.

Making the transition to the forward line, she played every minute for the Matildas in the 2015 World Cup and followed it up a year later with the 2016 Asian Player of the Year award.

Foord is a genuine world-class talent and the Sydney FC and Portland Thorns’ attacker is capable of exchanging blows with the best defences on the planet.

Expect her to form a dynamic attacking duo with Sam Kerr.

Lisa De Vanna

The most decorated international goalscorer in Australian footballing history, De Vanna, 34, will be competing in what is likely to be her last major tournament in France after 147 caps.

However, the veteran is wily, experienced and still more than capable of providing a spark to ignite the Matildas chances.

De Vanna has found the back of the net 47 times for the Matildas across an international career that began in 2004.

In that time she has parlayed her dogged determination and eye for a goal into stints with clubs in England, Sweden, the United States and Australia.

Having most recently had stops with Sydney FC and South Melbourne in NPLW VIC, De Vanna will be appearing at her fourth World Cup in 2019, with one of her most notable achievements being a brace in Australia’s first ever World Cup win against Ghana in 2007.

Emily Gielnik

Unlucky to miss out on selection for the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Gielnik – who made the move south from Brisbane Roar to Melbourne Victory before the 2018-19 season – has turned a superb season with the W-League premiers into World Cup selection.

A capable weapon on set pieces, Gielnik also possesses an eye for goal that makes her a scoring threat from almost anywhere in the attacking third.

Though unlikely to start in France, the 27-year-old looms large in the role that she made her name in: The super sub.

Hayley Raso

At times in the months leading into World Cup, the Matildas’ dressing room could have been mistaken for a casualty ward. Raso’s broken back suffered with Portland Thorns during the 2018 season was one of the most obvious examples.

Fighting back to earn a place on the plane to France, Raso – who is instantly recognisable thanks to the ribbon in her hair and penchant for putting on a gun show by rolling up her sleeves – is fearless in her play and is capable of scoring and creating goals.

Mary Fowler

The 16-year-old Fowler has dominated the headlines before this year’s tournament, with the phrase “teenage sensation” the key headline since being named in coach Ante Milicic’s squad.

Fowler, who at one stage it looked like may be lost to the Republic of Ireland, has been a star for the Young Matildas in recent times and has been praised by Milicic as an “explosive athlete”.

The coach has also said she is “very mature for her age” and is “good [with her] back to goal, [has a] very good left foot and right foot and is a genuine finisher”.

Sam Kerr

The undisputed biggest name in the Matildas squad, Kerr’s resume – despite being just 25 years old – is already legendary.

Kerr, who gave up AFL at age 12 because of a lack of opportunities, is a two-time Julie Dolan Medallist as the W-League’s best player, an ESPY award winner, an Asian Player of the Year, an ABC Sport Personality of the Year, a Young Australian of the Year and record goalscorer in the W-League and the NSWL.

Recently becoming one of the worldwide faces of Nike, Kerr will be headed to her third World Cup in 2019 having already appeared at Germany 2011 and Canada 2015.

She will be looking to banish one of the most often statistics cited about her on the international stage –  she has never scored a World Cup goal.

Kerr is capable of scoring from almost any position, but her true strength is when she is afforded the opportunity to run at opposing defences. She can then use her speed and physicality to get into a position where her lethal finishing can take over.

Quite possibly the best player in the world, Kerr has the potential to be unstoppable on a football pitch and is the key player in Australia’s quest to become world champions.

MATILDAS AT THE WORLD CUP

Sunday, June 9: Matildas v Italy, 9pm (SBS)
Friday, June 14: Matildas v Brazil, 2am (SBS)
Wednesday, June 19: Matildas v Jamaica, 5am (SBS)

-with AAP

The post Meet the Matildas: Going forward the key to World Cup glory appeared first on The New Daily.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/football/2019/06/07/meet-the-matildas-going-forward-the-key-to-world-cup-glory/

NPL Preview: Difficult tests ahead for our academy sides this weekend!

NPL Preview: Difficult tests for our academy sides

NPL Preview: Difficult tests for our academy sides It is a tough weekend of NPL action for our academy teams as the girls aim to make it six wins in a row as they verse SD Raiders while the men take on a difficult Western Sydney Wanderers. SD Raiders vs. Central Coast Mariners Academy Women The race...

https://www.ccmariners.com.au/news/npl-preview-difficult-tests-our-academy-sides

It’s now only days before the Matildas take on Italy in their opening World Cup match against Italy and the key to Australia’s success remains up forward.

The Matildas were demolished 3-0 by Netherlands in Eindhoven in their final warm-up match last Sunday, but Australia has shown an ability to regroup before.

Part of that resilience is due to the quality of the forwards, with star power and experience that makes any Australian attack dangerous for the opposition.

In the final instalment of our three part series, here’s how The New Daily sees the strengths of the Matildas forwards.

Caitlin Foord

Despite being just 24 years old, the 2019 World Cup will be Foord’s third appearance on football’s biggest stage having already appeared at both the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.

Initially breaking into the National team as a right-back, Foord was named Best Young Player at the 2011 World Cup before going on to capture the same honour from the Asian confederation that same year.

Making the transition to the forward line, she played every minute for the Matildas in the 2015 World Cup and followed it up a year later with the 2016 Asian Player of the Year award.

Foord is a genuine world-class talent and the Sydney FC and Portland Thorns’ attacker is capable of exchanging blows with the best defences on the planet.

Expect her form a dynamic attacking duo with Sam Kerr.

Lisa De Vanna

The most decorated international goal scorer in Australian footballing history, 34-years-old, 147 times capped De Vanna will be competing in what is likely to be her last major tournament in France.

However, the veteran is wily, experienced and still more than capable of providing a spark to ignite the Matildas chances.

De Vanna has found the back of the net 147 times for the Matildas across an international career that began in 2004.

In that time she has  parlayed her dogged determination and eye for a goal into stints with clubs in England, Sweden, the United States, and Australia.

Having most recently had stops with Sydney FC and South Melbourne in NPLW VIC, De Vanna will be appearing at her fourth World Cup in 2019, with one of her most notable achievements being a brace in Australia’s first ever World Cup win over Ghana in 2007.

Unlucky to miss out on selection for the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Gielnik – who made the move South from Brisbane Roar to Melbourne Victory ahead of the 2018/19 season – has turned a superb season with the W-League premiers into World Cup selection.

A capable weapon on set pieces, Gielnik also possesses an eye for goal that makes her a scoring threat from almost anywhere in the attacking third.

Though unlikely to start in France, the 27-year-old looms large in the role that she made her name in: the super-sub.

Hayley Raso

At times in the months leading into World Cup, the Matildas’ dressing room could have been mistaken for a casualty ward. Raso’s broken back suffered with Portland Thorns during the 2018 season one of the most obvious examples.

Fighting back to earn a place on the plane to France, Raso – who is instantly recognisable thanks to the ribbon in her hair and penchant for putting on a gun show by rolling up her sleeves – is fearless in her play and is capable of both scoring goals and creating them.

Mary Fowler

At 16-year-old Fowler has dominated the headlines in the lead into this year’s tournament, with the phrase “teenage sensation” the key headline since being named in coach Ante Milicic’s squad.

Fowler, who at one stage it looked like may be lost to the Republic of Ireland, has been a star for the Young Matildas in recent times and has been praised by Milicic as an “explosive athlete”.

The coach has also said she is “very mature for her age” and is “good [with her] back to goal, [has a] very good left foot and right foot and is a genuine finisher.”

Sam Kerr

The undisputed biggest name in the Matildas squad, Kerr’s resume – despite being just 25-years-old – is already legendary.

Kerr, who gave up AFL at age 12 because of a lack of opportunities, is a two time Julie Dolan Medallist as the W-League’s best player, an ESPY award winner, an Asian Player of the Year, an ABC Sport Personality of the Year, a Young Australian of the Year and record goalscorer in both the W-League and the NSWL.

Recently becoming one of the worldwide faces of Nike, Kerr will be headed to her third World Cup in 2019 having already appeared at Germany 2011 and Canada 2015.

She will be looking to banish one of the most often statistics cited about her on the international stage –  that she has never scored a World Cup goal.

Kerr is capable of scoring from almost any position, but her true strength is when she is afforded the opportunity to run at opposing defences. She can then use her speed and physicality to get into a position where her lethal finishing can take over.

Quite possibly the best player in the world, Kerr has the potential to be unstoppable on a football pitch and is the key player in Australia’s quest to become World Champions.

MATILDAS AT THE WORLD CUP

Sunday, June 9: Matildas v Italy, 9pm (SBS)
Friday, June 14: Matildas v Brazil, 2am (SBS)
Wednesday, June 19: Matildas v Jamaica, 5am (SBS)

The post Meet the Matildas: Going forward the key to World Cup glory appeared first on The New Daily.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/football/2019/06/05/meet-the-matildas-going-forward-the-key-to-world-cup-glory/

Our Mighty Mariners Holiday Clinics are back this July!

Plus, we've introduced a new one-day Mini Striker clinic, run by former Hyundai A-League striker Joey Gibbs!

Details: https://bit.ly/2EQJldF

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The Central Coast Mariners Academy are seeking the expression of interest of males born 2001-2004, looking to commence their journey in our elite pathway.

Expression of Interest: Mens Academy Players

The Central Coast Mariners Academy are seeking expressions of interest for male players born between 2001 - 2004 to immediately commence their journey in our elite pathway. Please submit your expression of interest via a CV and video footage to academy@ccmariners.com.au

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NPL Wrap: Women make it five in a row!

Check out the match reports from our Mens & Womens Academy sides.

NPL Wrap: Women make it five in a row

Both academy sides featured at Pluim Park on Sunday as St George FC came to the Central Coast. The women recorded their fifth win in a row with a 6-1 victory while the men were unable to hold their lead, drawing 1-1. Central Coast Mariners Academy Women 6 (Tucker 10’, Wise 33’, 37’, Mcatamney ...

https://www.ccmariners.com.au/news/npl-wrap-women-make-it-five-a-row

After a terrible 3-0 warm-up loss against the Netherlands on Sunday morning, the Matildas know they have only one more week to find the form that made them such a dangerous outfit in recent years.

The Matildas went into the game in Eindhoven without crucial midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight, who has a calf injury.

Coach Ante Milicic was forced to juggle his line-up and says work is needed to stem the flow of goals.

“I’m obviously disappointed and it’s a concern when you concede five against the US and in your next game, you concede three,” Milicic said.

“I’ll take responsibility for that.

“We will definitely learn from this and rest assured that this team will pick itself up and they’ll be ready for the first game against Italy.”

The Matildas play Italy on Sunday night to begin their World Cup campaign, before tackling Brazil and Jamaica to round out group C.

With the midfielders key to success, The New Daily continues its assessment of the squad that Australia hopes can win the World Cup.

Here are Milicic’s key players.

Aivi Luik

Without a doubt one of the biggest feel-good stories in the Matildas squad, veteran Luik will be headed to her first World Cup at the age of 34.

Luik has said the campaign represents her chance to fulfil a childhood dream born from watching the men’s World Cup as a nine-year-old.

A W-League Championship winner with Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City and member of the 2010 Asian Cup-winning squad, Luik has most recently been playing at Spanish side Levante. She brings steel and level-headedness to the midfield as a likely backup to Kellond-Knight.

Luik is also one of the few players in the Matildas setup with experience in the United States collegiate system, starting her career with Brescia University in Kentucky before transferring to the University of Nevada, whose teams are known as “the Wolf Pack”.

Chloe Logarzo

Suffering an ankle injury in Sydney FC’s triumph over Perth Glory in the 2018-19 W-League grand final, Logarzo was forced into a battle against time to prove her fitness and earn a spot on the plane to France.

Thankfully for the 24-year-old, she was successful having got field minutes with NWSL side Washington Spirit in order to prove her fitness and earn Milicic’s nod.

Capable of playing centrally or on the wing, Logarzo has 37 caps for the Matildas and was a member of Australia’s 2016 Olympic and 2018 Asian Cup squads but France 2019 is her first opportunity to shine on the World Cup stage.

In addition to Spirit and Sydney FC, Logarzo has also had stops across Europe with the likes of Danish side Eskilstuna United DFF and Norwegian side Avaldsnes Idrettslag.

Elise Kellond-Knight

One of the centurions in the Matildas’ World Cup squad, 28-year-old “KK” will likely serve as a holding midfielder during France 2019 although, sometimes to the chagrin of the Matildas’ dedicated fan base, she is capable of filling in at left back if needed.

Playing with Melbourne City in the 2018-19 W-League season marked a return to Australia for Kellond-Knight, who had spent time with German side 1 FFC Turbine Potsdam and Swedish club Hammarby IF after departing Brisbane Roar in 2015.

The midfielder has also had spells with Danish side Fortuna Hjørring and Iga F.C Kunoichi in Japan.

One of the stars of Australia’s 2011 and 2015 World Cup campaigns, Kellond-Knight will likely be a bellwether for Australia in the tournament.

If she’s firing, Australia can go a long way. If not, the Matildas may find themselves struggling against some of the more elite competition in France.

Emily van Egmond

Despite being just 25 years old, van Egmond can possibly bring up her 90th cap should the Australians progress to at least the semi-finals in France, having made her debut with the national side in 2010 and featuring in the past two World Cup campaigns.

Frequently employed as the quarterback of the Matildas midfield – entrusted with scanning the pitch and lacing passes to advancing teammates – van Egmond plays her club football with Newcastle Jets in the W-League and Orlando Pride in the NWSL.

Tameka Yallop

Yallop may have had a disappointing W-League season with Melbourne City, which missed the finals for the first time in its history, but it came as no fault of her own.

The 27-year-old has experienced a revitalisation in her form in recent years and, like Kellond-Knight, will be key to Australia advancing deep into the tournament.

Yallop, who made her debut for the national side in 2007 and has collected 78 caps since, is capable of turning her aggressiveness and willingness to back herself to score or provide assists at her third World Cup.

Katrina Gorry 

Gorry has battled with injuries, form and confidence in recent years to earn herself a spot on the plane to France but, should she find the form that she’s capable of, she may serve as the X-factor the Australian’s need.

The 2014 AFC Player of the Year, peak Gorry is surgical in her precision on a football field, using her football intelligence and instinctual nous to get herself into positions that not only aid her forward movement but also that of her teammates.

Though unlikely to start in France, the injection of Gorry at the right moment in games could well prove the difference between victory and defeat in the knockout stages.

Amy Harrison

Like Luik, the presence of Harrison in Milicic’s squad is one of the better stories accompanying this group to France.

At just 23 years old, Harrison has already bounced back from two serious ACL injuries in her career to secure her first chance at appearing at a World Cup.

A W-League Champion with Sydney FC in 2018-19 and a teammate of Logarzo at Washington Spirit in the NSWL, Harrison brings versatility – crucial in the knockout nature of a World Cup – with her to France; capable of playing as both a wingback and in the midfield.

MATILDAS AT THE WORLD CUP

Sunday, June 9: Matildas v Italy, 9pm (SBS)
Friday, June 14: Matildas v Brazil, 2am (SBS)
Wednesday, June 19: Matildas v Jamaica, 5am (SBS)

-with AAP

The post Meet the Matildas: Midfielders drive World Cup hopes appeared first on The New Daily.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/football/2019/06/02/meet-the-matildas-midfielders-drive-world-cup-bid/

GAME DAY! Get along to Pluim Park and support our Academy Men & Women as they take on St George FC.

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