Milestone woman Tameka Yallop can't wait to face the USWNT

The Commonwealth Bank Matildas are returning to Australia for two clashes against the US Women’s National Team in New South Wales.

There are plenty of reasons for fans and players alike to be excited about these upcoming games, as midfielder Tameka Yallop explains.

“I’m so excited to be coming back home again. I love playing on home soil and I’m not mad about leaving the cold weather here in London for some nice Aussie sun,” she said.

It’s set to be a big international break for Yallop and the Commonwealth Bank Matildas. The USWNT are still the number one ranked team in the world. The bronze medal game between Australia and the United States which ended 4-3 suggests a goal fest is not off the cards.

There is also a push to break the current attendance record for a Commonwealth Bank Matildas game which was set back at the 2000 Olympics. To top it all off, Yallop is set to become the fifth woman this year to reach a century of caps for the national team.

“I mean, to have 33,000 fans at our match would be unreal and for it to be on my 100th cap, that’s the sort of thing you dream about,” Yallop said.

Seeing family and friends has become a luxury for the Commonwealth Bank Matildas. For many players, they have not seen their loved ones in months. Others were able to only offer a wave from the stands during last month’s games against Brazil.

“The best part is definitely the atmosphere that our Matildas family, friends and fans create. It really does lift us on the pitch and pushes us to want to play the best football.”

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Yallop hasn’t been able to see her wife, Kirsty, and daughter, Harley, in months now due to her club commitments in London with West Ham and the restrictions around travel created by the pandemic.

It has forced Yallop to dig into her reserves of resilience.

“The world has definitely changed a lot over the last couple of years and so has my life with my little girl coming into the world. I’d be lying if I said it was easy, there have been many ups and downs and plenty of emotions but I think all you can do is feel them and ride them out, you can’t shut them out," she shared.

“I’m still in a hard place right now being away from my family but I know there are a lot of people in my situation and all I can do is look forward to seeing them again, hopefully very soon!”

Yallop is very familiar with playing the USWNT and making history. She was the player who scored the goal which helped the Commonwealth Bank Matildas record their first – and currently only – win over the two-time reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champions.

“I think the most enjoyable aspect of playing the US is that you always know that it’s going to be a tough match and you’ll be pushed to perform at your peak if you want to walk away with a result.”

With another major tournament just around the corner, this kind of test is even more important.

“We obviously always go into a game wanting to win but I think for us as a team at the moment we also want to win playing our style of football and really cement individual roles within the team and how we work best as a collective.”

Match details

Commonwealth Bank Matildas v U.S. Women’s National Team
Saturday, 27 November 2021
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Kick-Off: 3.00pm (AEDT)
Broadcast: Live and free on 10 and simulcast on 10 Play
Ticketing: www.ticketek.com.au

Commonwealth Bank Matildas v U.S. Women’s National Team
Tuesday, 30 November 2021
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Kick-Off: 8.05pm (AEDT)
Broadcast: Live and free on Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Play
Ticketing: www.ticketmaster.com.au