Australia confirm 21-Player Final Squad for FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™

Head coach Leah Blayney has named the 21 players who will represent Australia at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™.   

The squad has been finalised following the completion of the Young Matildas pre-tournament training camp in Mexico City which included a training match against Club Universidad Nacional Femenil and closed door international friendly against the Mexico U20 Women’s National Team.   

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Australia’s final squad features a strong A-League Women’s presence with 17 players recording match minutes during the 2021/22 season.  The 21 players represent six Member Federations with all players born on or after January 1, 2002.   

Blayney has been able to call upon the majority of the group who have featured throughout the Young Matildas preparation that has seen members of the squad participate in April and June’s internationals against New Zealand, the AFF Women’s Championships 2022 in July and a host of training camps.   

Speaking of the squad selection, Blayney said: “As we anticipated when we named the extended squad, selecting the final 21 players has been made extremely difficult due to the quality of play and application displayed by the playing group.” 

“While it is a young final squad that we have selected, it is a talented squad with a mix of high technical ability, ever-increasing tactical maturity and the heart and desire that are indicative of Australian teams.  This is a squad that has the opportunity to demonstrate their quality on the global stage.” 

“Over the course of our preparations we have called in over 85 players and every player called in has assisted us in getting to this moment and made my task challenging.  I want to thank each player that has represented the U20s since 2020 as they have played a vital part in our road to Costa Rica.”  

“Having been on this journey together since March, this is a unified squad of players and staff who are committed and enthusiastic about representing our nation to the best of their ability.  There is a togetherness that will be invaluable for us in this tournament against some world-class nations in our group.”   

The Young Matildas will feature in the sixteen-nation FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup™ for the first time since 2006 and have been drawn into Group A with Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain.  The top two finishers in each of the four groups will advance to the knockout stages, commencing on 20 August 2022. 

The Young Matildas playing against Mexico's U20 WNT in a closed-door international. (Photo: Ann Odong/Football Australia)
The Young Matildas playing against Mexico's U20 WNT in a closed-door international. (Photo: Ann Odong/Football Australia)

Australia will open their tournament against hosts Costa Rica at the Estadio Nacional, San Jose on Thursday, 11 August at 12.00 pm AEST.  Captaining the side during the tournament will be Western Sydney Wanderers’ Sheridan Gallagher, with the 20-year-old acknowledged for her performances on the pitch and leadership off the pitch.  

“Sheridan is one of our most hardworking players,” Blayney said. “In terms of how she conducts herself around the group, she is extremely supportive of all the players and the girls know that.  That is who you want in your corner when things are difficult.” 

“The other part of Sheridan Gallagher is that she never takes a backward step and that is the epitome of us as a team.”   

With the World Cup squad finalised, Australia will now depart for Costa Rica on 1 August with a final tune-up against Colombia on 5 August.    

All of Australia’s matches for the tournament will be shown live, free and in HD on SBS and SBS On Demand with a full studio broadcast.   

AUSTRALIA U-20 WNT | FINAL SQUAD | FIFA U20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP COSTA RICA 2022™ 

Name 

Position 

Club 

Junior Club / Member Fed 

Sally JAMES   

Goalkeeper   

Blacktown Spartans 

Majura FC / Capital Football   

Charlize RULE 

Forward  

Sydney Olympic FC 

Queens Park / Football NSW 

Naomi CHINNAMA  

Defender  

Blacktown Spartans on loan from Melbourne City FC 

NTC Victoria / Football Victoria  

Ella TONKIN  

Defender  

Northern Tigers 

Raiders FC / Football SA  

Jamilla RANKIN  

Defender  

Blacktown Spartans 

Eureka FC / Northern NSW Football  

Sarah HUNTER  

Midfielder  

APIA Leichhardt on loan from Sydney FC 

Northbridge FC / Football NSW  

Bryleeh HENRY 

Forward 

Blacktown Spartans 

Penrith FC / Football NSW 

Hana LOWRY  

Midfielder  

Blacktown Spartans on loan from Perth Glory 

Cockburn City SC / Football West 

Cushla RUE  

Forward  

Sydney University FC 

Western Mariners/ Football NSW   

10 

Daniela GALIC  

Midfielder  

Football NSW Institute 

Lidcombe Waratahs / Football NSW  

11 

Kahli JOHNSON 

Forward 

Manly United FC 

Manly United/ Football NSW 

12 

Miranda TEMPLEMAN 

Goalkeeper  

FV Emerging Matildas 

Melville City FC / Football West 

13 

Jynaya DOS SANTOS  

Forward  

Football NSW Institute 

Shellharbour Junior Football Club / Football NSW  

14 

Paige ZOIS  

Midfielder  

Bulleen Lions on loan from Melbourne Victory 

Northcote FC / Football Victoria  

15 

Alexia APOSTOLAKIS  

Defender  

Football NSW Institute 

Forest Rangers/ Football NSW  

16 

Jessika NASH  

Defender  

Blacktown Spartans 

Doonside Hawks / Football NSW  

17 

Sheridan GALLAGHER  

Forward  

Illawarra Stingrays 

Illawarra Stingrays / Football NSW  

18 

Chloe LINCOLN  

Goalkeeper  

Canberra United Academy 

The Armidale School / Capital Football  

19 

Greta KRASZULA 

Midfielder / Defender 

VCU Athletics 

NWS Koalas / Football NSW 

20 

Kirsty FENTON 

Defender 

NWS Koalas 

Toronto Awaba / Northern NSW Football 

21 

Abbey LEMON  

Forward  

Blacktown Spartans 

Blacktown Spartans / Football NSW