In a stunning coup for Illawarra football, the Matildas are set to play at WIN Stadium next week in their final warm-up match before travelling to Japan for the last round of Rio 2016 qualifying.
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The Australian women’s national team will line-up against a mixed Illawarra Stingrays and Wollongong Wolves side at the beach-side venue on Friday, February 19.
It will take place just two days before the 22-player squad, which features Illawarra’s Michelle Heyman and Caitlin Cooper, head to Japan to compete in the AFC’s Women's Olympic Final Qualifying Round.
Australia are set to face-off against Japan, DPR Korea, Korea Republic, Vietnam and China at the 10-day tournament.
The tournament will be played in a round robin format where the top-two countries claim a place at the Rio Olympic Games.
Friday’s match in Wollongong will be the Matildas’ last opportunity to apply the finishing touches to their preparation.
New Stingrays coach Earle Canvin said the fixture was a sensational opportunity for Illawarra’s football supporters.
"It’s a great opportunity for the Stingrays to show our and the region's support for the Westfield Matildas,” he said.
“We have two current players involved in Caitlin Cooper and Michelle Heyman and hopefully a returning Caitlin Foord would give our region three players in the squad."
The Matildas captured the nation’s attention with a stunning run to the quarter final stage at last year’s FIFA World Cup.
It will be the first the Australian team has played at WIN Stadium since they defeated China 2-0 on November 24, 2013.
Canvin played a leading hand in helping set-up the match.
The first year boss contacted Matildas coach Alen Stajcic earlier this year and floated the idea of playing a game to help the national team build match sharpness before the tournament.
Matildas stars Kyah Simon, Alanna Kennedy, Lisa De Vanna, Stephanie Catley and Lydia Williams are all expected to travel with the team.
Entry to the game will be free.