Westfield Matildas superstar striker Lisa De Vanna says the Australian team is serious about becoming world champions in 2019.
Gallery: Westfield Matildas ToN story
The legendary forward was in Newcastle today talking with media ahead of Australia’s clash with Brazil on September 19 at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The two rivals play their first of the two games in Penrith in western Sydney on September 16 barely six weeks after Australia smashed the South Americans 6-1 at the Tournament of Nations in the US in July/August.
And De Vanna, 32, is keen to showcase these games as a “serious” show of strength ahead of the next two years with Australia set to play in an Asian Cup (2018) in Jordan and World Cup 2019 in France.
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“To be here [in Australia] and showcase their performance and continue the momentum from the Tournament of Nations is a great way to show people what we’re about,” she said.
“To come off the success we had. And to have the support from our country and [to play] in front of friends and family.
“You want to go out and show them we’re serious about this. Over the next two years we’re serious about being world champions.
“And there’s no better place [to do that] than at home.”
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“It’s a surreal feeling as it always [seems] to be Brazil that we play in the play off rounds,” added De Vanna.
“But to beat them 6-1 [at the ToN] and Brazil being a football nation – their culture and religion – for us to beat them and score that many goals... for them to come back here it’s going to be a really good atmosphere.
“When you talk about Brazil and for them it’s the same way, it’s always been a love/hate relationship in a sense that it’s always been a heartache or a success story.
“We always seem to play them in big major tournaments.
“Every time I think of playing Brazil I think of either the happiest day of my life or the saddest day of my life."
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“You’d hope so!” added De Vanna.
“I hope they come out in a blaze of glory to prove a point.”
