Hayley Raso and Mary Fowler will both get the chance to play against their own club teammates when they compete against England on Tuesday. The match is taking place at Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, starting from 7:45 in the evening. You can listen to Sports News Center radio 5 sports extra or on Sports News Center Sounds for live coverage, or follow live text updates on the Sports News Center website and app.
Hayley Raso and Mary Fowler from Australia warned their friends from England at Manchester City that they need to prepare for the chilly weather when they go to the World Cup in July. Hayley and Mary have been asked a lot of questions by Manchester City’s English players because this year, Australia and New Zealand are holding the World Cup.
The girls have been curious about what the Australia and New Zealand trip is like. Raso, who has lived in England for three years and used to play for Everton, told Sport News Center that they all think it’s going to be sunny and warm during the summer, but then Fowler added that it actually gets really cold in wintertime over there! So they might be surprised by how chilly it will be.
This Tuesday, Australia will be playing against England in a friendly match which is the first time they are meeting since 2018. In addition, members of the Australia squad have already encountered England players before at the Olympic quarter-finals two years ago where Great Britain got defeated by them.
Players from both teams such as Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Alex Greenwood used to play together for their club teams as well. People like Sam Kerr (the striker) lead this team that is filled with Super League talent. Both Hayley Raso and Georgia Fowler want to show their skills during this World Cup which is being hosted partly in Australia.
“We’re super excited for the World Cup! It’s totally awesome because the best football players of all will be right here in our country with all of us supporting them. Everyone has been talking a lot about Australia, so it’ll be great to see all the teams and athletes out there representing us!” said Raso. – Australians following paths of Kerr and Foord
Mary Fowler’s Dream of Playing in the WSL Comes True!
Last summer Mary Fowler, who is 20-years old, joined Manchester City in a agreement that will last for four years. She moved to City from Montpellier and she’s not the only Australian playing in the Women’s Soccer League (WSL). Her friends included Chelsea’s Kerr, Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord and West Ham’s Mackenzie Arnold too.
Fowler said it felt comforting knowing there were people around her who already knew what to expect. This made her transition much easier as she was able to easily adjust and fit into the team.
I always had a dream of playing in England, because I think the English football league is one of the best for women’s football. And that’s what made me decide to make a big move by signing a four-year deal with Manchester City; before that I’d been regularly playing at Montpellier and scored five goals in fifteen games there.
In England, Fowler has only been able to play nine games as a substitute for Gareth Taylor in the WSL this season – but she wants to get better before the World Cup. She said that Mr. Taylor wanted her to take her time getting used to the team and enjoy herself while playing.
When I first came here, I didn’t play the same way that I do now. It was really difficult to join the team, but my progress has been good. Now I’m working hard to keep improving.
Hayley Raso’s Emotional Journey From Injury to Representing Australia in a World Cup at Home
In 2018, Hayley Raso had a really bad accident during a match and she hurt her back.
Next Tuesday, Australia has a friendly match in London against the European champions. This match will let them check if they are ready for their World Cup that starts only after three months.
Australia is ranked 10th in the world, but sadly they never made it past the quarter-finals of any matches yet. But Fowler is still hopeful that bringing the World Cup to Australia could boost female soccer development there.
She said that boys and girls here in England were really getting into football thanks to the Euros. It will be great for all of us when the best teams and players come to Australia right near our doorstep.
It will be an extra special summer for Raso, who almost quit playing due to a bad back injury she got in 2018. Back then, she could never have imagined representing her country in a World Cup at home.
“That time of my life was really hard to go through. Both mentally and physically it was draining,” said Raso.
“After I recovered, I managed to play for the national team again and that’s when I understood how much it meant to me, what I had been missing out on and what would happen if I ever quit.
It made me realize a lot of things. Now every day, I try to make the best of it since everything can be taken away in a blink.”
– Australia’s World Cup opener moved to 83,500 stadium
