CommBank Matildas Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold spoke to the media from London after her selection in the squad for the upcoming Cup of Nations tournament.
She spoke about her performances for West Ham, and the positive impact of the extended winter break over Christmas.
“It was really good to come out after the Christmas break and get straight back into it,” she said.
“It allowed us to come back in, fully refreshed and ready to go.”
Most recently, Arnold’s side held Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord’s Arsenal to a 0-0 draw in a match crucial to the title race. Arnold picked up the Player of the Match for her performance.
“It felt good, to be honest!” she exclaimed.
“Credit to the team, it was a really important point that we came away with, and personally I was happy with my performance as well.”
It was perhaps the work on the mental side of her game that gave her the edge against one of the best-attacking forces in the league.
“Goalkeeping is very mental, definitely compared to other positions on the field,” she explained.
“Sometimes 10 – 15 minutes can pass without touching the ball, and you have to stay in the game. That’s something that I’ve definitely been working on.
“Hopefully that’s been paying off lately.”
Arnold will be one of 13 CommBank Matildas flying in from the WSL for the Cup of Nations next week. While she and her teammates are used to hectic schedules, the Cup of Nations provides a unique opportunity to mimic the format of the World Cup together as a squad.
“The Cup of Nations is going to be very important for us,” she said.
“Especially the format, playing every two-three days – which is what the World Cup is going to offer.
“Having different opponents as well, that’s something that we don’t get to play against every day. It’s very good preparation for us for the World Cup and hopefully, we can take advantage of that.”
After missing the previous CommBank Matildas camp with a calf injury, Arnold is looking forward to seeing her teammates and continuing final preparations for the World Cup.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back into camp, back with the team, and working towards the World Cup in these crucial games,” she said.
“We don’t have that many games left now to be together and work on our game plan.
“I’m really looking forward to it – we’ll see what happens!”
2023 CUP OF NATIONS – MATCH SCHEDULE
Match Day One
Date: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Venue: Industree Group Stadium, Gosford, NSW
Match One: Spain v Jamaica – 4.10 pm kick-off AEDT. Broadcast on Paramount+
Match Two: CommBank Matildas v Czechia – 7.10 pm kick-off AEDT. Broadcast on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+
Tickets: Buy tickets!
Match Day Two
Date: Sunday, 19 February 2023
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Match One: Jamaica v Czechia – 2.50 pm AEDT. Broadcast on Paramount+
Match Two: CommBank Matildas v Spain – 6.00 pm AEDT. Broadcast on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+
Tickets: Buy tickets!
Match Day Three
Date: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, NSW
Match One: Czechia v Spain – 2.30 pm kick-off AEDT. Broadcast on Paramount+
Match Two: CommBank Matildas v Jamaica – 7.10 pm kick-off AEDT. Broadcast on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+
Tickets: Buy tickets!