Canberra United’s squad will be bolstered for this weekend’s crunch Westfield W-League fixture with Newcastle Jets by the return of midfielder Emily Van Egmond from international duty.
Canberra United-s squad will be bolstered for this weekend-s crunch Westfield W-League fixture with Newcastle Jets by the return of midfielder Emily Van Egmond from international duty.
Van Egmond has the missed the last three rounds while representing Australia at the AFC U-16 Women-s Championship in Thailand but returns to the squad in preparation for the trip to face her former club at Energy Australia Stadium on Sunday.
It will be a strange feeling for Van Egmond to be running out against the club at which she began her Westfield W-League career, but one that the energetic midfielder is clearly relishing the prospect of.
“I-m kind of looking forward to [playing against Newcastle] and hopefully we can come away with the win,” Van Egmond said.
“I still know the majority of the players in the team. They have a lot of new players but the ones that are remaining I-ve stayed close with so it should be good to see them again.”
The Jets are winless heading into Round Eight of the competition but Van Egmond is cautious of her former team mates.
“Newcastle has that never die attitude and they-ll always put up a good fight. We can-t get too [confident],” Van Egmond continued.
“I don-t have much of an insight into how Newcastle are going to play this weekend [though] with a new coach on board.”
Despite being part of the under-16 squad that finished fourth at the AFC Championships, Van Egmond is by no means certain of a start on the weekend.
“It would be nice [to get a start] because it would be good to play against my former club,” Van Egmond said.
“I-m looking forward to getting settled into the team as we aim for a spot in the semi finals.”
“Ray Junna is a really good coach and I-ve learnt a fair few things of him already this year in the time I-ve been here so it-s been great.”
“He-s given me a better understanding of the game and how it-s played.”
Meanwhile goalkeeper Lydia Williams is optimistic ahead of the Newcastle Jets encounter. Williams, who kept her second clean sheet of the season last weekend, is encouraged by the continual improvement shown by United as the season has progressed.
“As the season has gone on we-ve worked better as a team and now the season and possible finals are in our hands so we just have to perform in every game,” Williams commented.
“Canberra teams are pretty passionate about sports, especially being the only national league soccer team, I think it-s pretty important that we continue throughout the game to the final whistle.”
“The next three games are going to be the hardest ones of the season because we have to win them all.”
Canberra United travel north to take on the Newcastle Jets in Round Eight of the Westfield W-League to kick off a double header at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday, kick off at 2.15pm, with tickets available through Ticketek.
