CommBank Matildas midfielder Clare Wheeler said that the win against Argentina on Friday evening in Melbourne was an important one as the team continues to build towards the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™.
Speaking to media post-match, Wheeler explained that taking on different styles of opposition was key to the team’s development.
“Argentina are a team not a lot of us have played before,” she said.
“It’s good to experience different styles of play. Credit to the defence. We kept another clean sheet, which is really important.”
She was typically humble when assessing her own performance, expressing that any minutes on the pitch are good minutes.
“I’m just happy to play, honestly,” she said.
“A lot of us are just getting used to playing with other people as well. There are a lot of new faces in camp, and people haven't had a lot of time with each other. I'm just happy to play and build relationships with people.”
Interim Head Coach Tom Sermanni has spoken about how the camp has been an opportunity to bring in new and inexperienced players to learn and grow in the national team environment.
Wheeler said that seeing players like Kahli Johnson make their debut – and in Johnson’s case, score their first goal – invigorated the whole group.
“It [the excitement] goes throughout the whole team - you saw from everyone's reaction when she scored,” Wheeler said.
“She’s been really good this week in camp. She’s come in and she's hit the ground running, and I'm glad that it showed in the game as well, because she really deserved it.
“It’s a testament to the girls coming through that she’s made that step.”
Wheeler now has 29 appearances for the CommBank Matildas. It means that she is beginning to take up a leadership role with the young players around her.
“It’s a different feeling being an older player now,” she reflected.
“You just want to make them [young players] feel comfortable and feel like they can be themselves. They’re here for a reason - you just need to give them the confidence to express themselves.”
She said that she wasn’t sure what the plan was for Monday’s game in Canberra, but that it was all vital preparation for the team.
“Tom [Sermanni] has been pretty vocal that this is a chance for everyone to step up and put their best foot forward for the Asian Cup,” she said.
“Even though we know that the coach isn't set yet for the Asian Cup, we know that they’re probably watching. So we want to do the best we can with whatever minutes we're given. Whatever role I get to play, I'll try and do my best.”
CommBank Matildas v Argentina
Date: Monday, 2 June 2025
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEST
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
