The Matildas finally believe they belong at the pointy end of the Women’s World Cup as they go through their final preparations ahead of facing England for a place in the final.
Australia have experienced an up-and-down journey throughout Tony Gustavsson’s tenure as head coach, which began in September 2020.
But everything is falling into place ahead of Wednesday’s blockbuster semi-final at Stadium Australia – against an England team the Matildas beat in a friendly just four months ago.
“It’s been in the pipeline for the last two years,” midfielder Tameka Yallop said.
“We went through not necessarily a rebuilding stage but an adjustment stage with a new coach.
“But we’ve always had these core players, we’ve always had this talent, and right now everything is coming together and we do feel like we are playing the best football that we’ve ever played together.
“We’ve got so much belief within this team that we do feel we’re right where we belong.”
The Matildas have been in a major semi-final before, falling heartbreakingly short when losing 1-0 to Sweden at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
But this occasion, on home soil, is on another level.
“The Olympics is the Olympics and it’s absolutely amazing,” Yallop said.
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“Then we step away from that and you train for four years as well waiting for this World Cup.
“And in football, the World Cup, it’s the pinnacle. For it to be at home as well, this will probably be the biggest game in all of our careers and all of our lifetime of playing football.
“So this game is on its own little platform.”
The Matildas have taken plenty of heart from their extraordinary 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over France in the quarter-finals, showing a new-found grit.
Saturday’s shoot-out was seven years to the day since Australia’s heartbreaking loss to Brazil in the same manner at the Rio Olympics.
“We’ve always been capable of (reaching the highest levels),” Yallop said.
“We’ve always had the skill set and the talent to do it.
“We’ve just built an amazing environment right now within our team that we all feel so supported and so united in what we’re doing and the journey that we’re on, that there isn’t really any other option.”
Recovery has been a key part of Australia’s success, with several players featuring in every, or almost every, minute of the tournament to date, including midfield duo Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross.
“They do this kind of stuff week in and week out,” Yallop said.
“It is a shorter turnaround, but it’s also – you’ve got all that extra motivation, drive and just that win to play for that means so much more than your club games week in and week out.
“The whole team is capable of running, and we do really focus on recovery as well. That goes a long way.”
Every player bar forward Kyah Simon (knee) hit the track in the southern Sydney suburb of Kogarah on Tuesday morning.
That included vice-captain Steph Catley, who had her right thigh strapped.