Illawarra duo Sheridan Gallagher and Jynaya Dos Santos are in line to light up on one of football's biggest stage, the FIFA Under-20s Women's World Cup.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Illawarra Stingrays forward Gallagher and Shellharbour's Dos Santos were on Monday confirmed as part of the Young Matildas' 23-player squad to travel to Mexico on Wednesday for a 10-day pre-tournament camp. The stint will include a closed-door match against Mexico next week.
Nine shadow players - including Stingrays defender Hayley Taylor-Young - will continue training with their respective clubs. The final 21-player squad to represent the Aussies will be picked in late July before travelling to Costa Rica on August 1 ahead of the Cup, which kicks off nine days later.
Read more: Stingrays come from behind to beat Spartans
"While 23 players will initially travel to Mexico for a pre-tournament camp, it doesn't mean those named as shadow players won't be considered for selection in the final squad for the FIFA Under-20s Women's World Cup," Young Matildas head coach Leah Blayney said.
"With significant interruptions caused by the pandemic impacting our pathway, by design we want to fast-track the development of our best emerging footballers on the international stage, and this tournament presents the perfect opportunity to meet that objective, as we have one eye on the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027.
"Due to strong competition for spots amongst the group, it will be a real challenge to select the final 21, but by intent, the squad will likely be the youngest at this year's tournament.
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Sign up for breaking news emails below.
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
