Final countdown for Tillies' trio
Cortnee Vine, Teagan Micah and Sharn Freier are within touching distance of flying the flag for Moreton Bay at the Paris Olympic Games.
The former Moreton Bay residents are the Matildas’ 23-player squad for two final warm-up matches, against Asian champions China on May 31 and June 3.
Head coach Tony Gustavsson will then name the final 18 who will jet to France for the Olympic football competition from July 25 to August 10.
Former Mango Hill resident Vine, a forward who played at Peninsula Power, is now with A-League Women's champions Sydney and has 27 caps for Australia, scoring three goals.
Goalkeeper Micah, an ex-Redcliffe State High School student, started playing in Brisbane, went to the US and is now at Liverpool. She has 17 caps and like Vine, she is among the favourites for the Olympics.
Freier, who was born in Redcliffe and went to Pine Rivers State High School, only won her first Matildas cap in April and is making a late bid for Paris.
However, the striker’s form with Brisbane Roar was excellent, finishing last season’s A-League with three goals, five assists and in the top three for chances created.
That led to the ex-Pine Rivers United and Moreton Bay United (now Moreton City Excelsior) player being called-up for the ‘Tillies friendly against Mexico, where she made her debut as a late substitute.
All three are now preparing for the matches against China on May 31 at the Adelaide Oval and on June 3 at Accor Stadium, Sydney.
The Matildas’ final squad for the Olympics will be named early next month after these games.
“I think everyone can do the math here and understand that obviously the Olympic roster will be based mostly out of those that are in this upcoming May/June camp,” coach Tony Gustavsson said.
“The squad we have named for this upcoming series against China is based on performances for their respective clubs and in our national team environment.
“Some players are selected on past performances, in tournaments and in previous camps, while others are chosen for their current strong form.
“With the Olympics approaching, selection is about looking at the overall picture spanning four years of performance and assembling the best team possible.
“We have looked at providing cover in each of the different positions and ensuring the player profile for those positions enhances the squad overall.”
Both games start at 8.10pm AEST and will be shown on Channel 10, 10 Bold (PER), 10 Play and Paramount+.