CommBank Matildas defender Charli Grant said that the goal within the group is to continue building after positive signs in their performance against the United States.
Grant was speaking to Football Australia Media after arriving in San Diego for the third and final game of the SheBelieves Cup.
“It’s definitely been a tough two games, but after lots of recovery, we are ready to go for the next game,” she said.
“It [the game against USA] was all about finding ourselves again, having that never-say-die attitude. I feel like we really showed that a lot more in the US game.
“We definitely want to keep building upon that going into the Colombia game.”
The Tottenham Hotspur player has had limited minutes this season at club level. However, that did not prevent some spirited performances in national team colours during this tournament.
“I’m loving being given the opportunity [to play],” she said.
“I’ve been working really hard in club land to be ready for this opportunity, so I’m just trying to make the most of every opportunity I’m given.
“It’s been a really challenging year or so, not being given many minutes, but I think it’s all about staying positive and focusing on what you can control. I feel like I’ve done that really well, and I’ve had a great support system around me.
“It’s all about finding myself again. I really wanted to be ruthless out there, but also I’ve been working a lot on being composed on the ball and being patient in my build-up. I feel like I’ve improved a lot on that.”
All three games at the SheBelieves Cup present different challenges for the CommBank Matildas to overcome. Japan were an incredibly technical team who were strong with the ball at their feet, while the USA were powerful and quick in transition. Colombia will be a different test altogether.
Grant said that the key to the final match of the tournament is for the team to play their own game and focus on continuing to improve.
“I think we’ve done really well to step up from our loss against Japan and find the fight in us again,” she said.
“Going into the Colombia game, we just want to build on that, play our style of game, and not change depending on the opponents.
“But it is great for us to play against three different styles to help us improve as a team.”
Regardless of result on Thursday morning (AEDT), Grant said that the SheBelieves Cup has been a vital tournament for the team.
“What we’ve learned is that we play at our best when we’re ruthless, when we’re high pressing,” she reflected.
“It’s really important that we keep believing in ourselves and believing in the process.”
CommBank Matildas v Colombia
Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2025 (local) / Thursday, 27 February (AEDT)
Kick-off: 4.37 pm PST (local) / 11.37 am (AEDT)
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego (CA)
Broadcast: Paramount+
Tickets: ussoccer.com/shebelieves/cup
