STORY: Australia announce 23-player squad for home Women's World Cup
DATELINE: July 5, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:21
LOCATION: Canberra
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Australian national team in training
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TONY GUSTAVSSON, Head coach of Australia women's national team
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SAM KERR, Captain of Australia women's national team
4. various of the Australian national team at training base

STORYLINE:

Co-hosts Australia have announced their final 23-player squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson on Monday revealed the list of players he will take to the World Cup after cutting six from a provisional squad announced in June.

Veteran forward Kyah Simon was among the surprise inclusions, making the final 23 despite tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in October.

The 32-year-old, who missed the 2019 World Cup, has not played a competitive game since the injury.

Gustavsson selected 15 players who were part of the 2019 campaign, with seven more in line to make their World Cup debuts.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TONY GUSTAVSSON, Head coach of Australia women's national team
"When we step out on that field and that opening game against Ireland, the 23 players that are on the game roster is represented by 224 players. Every single tackle, every goal celebration, every potential adversity we face out there, we're gonna be a team of 224 players."

Australia will be led at the tournament by superstar striker and captain Sam Kerr, who has scored a national record 63 goals for the national team.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SAM KERR, Captain of Australia women's national team
"Every time I talk about it, I get kind of emotional, because I can't believe in, 20 days' time or whatever, it is that, we're gonna be hosting a women's world cup. When I started playing for the Matildas, I could have never dreamed of this. So I'm very honored, I'm very excited and just want to get started."

Clare Polkinghorne is the most experienced player in the squad with 156 caps, and is one of two players selected for their fifth World Cup.

Australia will play France in a send-off warm-up game in Melbourne on July 14 before opening their World Cup campaign against the Republic of Ireland on July 20.

The Matildas kept in good form in recent games, with victories against top 10-ranked opponents England, Spain and Sweden.

The 2023 World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand between July 20-August 20.

Only the top two teams from eight groups will enter the round of 16, as this is the first time that women's football's biggest tournament will expand to a 32-team format.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Canberra.
(XHTV)