Goalkeeper Brianna Davey tours Angers and gives us a look at her preparation ahead of the Matildas match against France.
We arrived in France a couple of days ago - it-s amazing! We've ventured around the city centre of our temporary home, Angers and it-s such a lovely city. We saw much of Angers historical architecture, including the oldest wooden house still standing and the Angers Castle made for King Rene back in 1230.
Whilst in town Steph Catley and I went hunting for a fabled French coffee. We found a little cafe we thought would be suitable so went in and ordered a mocha. The waiter nodded and told us to sit down and then ten minutes later came back with a tiny little cup filled with a dark brown, almost black liquid.
Not impressed Steph and I took a sip and nearly got knocked out by out how strong it was. It was definitely not a mocha - it was the cup of death (a coffee shot). I-m definitely not ordering coffee in France ever again!
I've heard our game tomorrow will have quite a crowd. Our liaison here told us that the last game they had around 15-thousand people in attendance. This makes me super excited. The atmosphere of a big crowd always gives me goosebumps and an adrenaline rush, even though I know almost every single person there will be cheering for the home side.
Before a match I like to make sure I get a good night sleep of at least eight hours. Throughout the day I like to relax, going for a walk in the morning and making sure I am eating nutritious foods. I don't have that many superstitions but one thing I never do is swap my shirt at half time. Sometimes our gear man Rob has a fresh shirt for us to change into at half-time, but I have a superstition that if I swap mine something bad will happen. So I always try to stay in my starting strip.
During matches I like to constantly talk in order to maintain my concentration and keep my mind on the job. This is how I stay involved with the outfield players. I also find it helps them to be aware of things they may not see. So although I don't have the ball very often, I am most definitely involved for the whole game.
I can-t wait for our upcoming clash against France. It will be a great test for our squad playing against one of the top teams in Europe. Hopefully I can keep a clean sheet and we win the final match of what has been a memorable and educational tour.