Arsenal Women’s Caitlin Foord feels Matilda’s “deserve something” at Paris Olympics 2024

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·18 June 2024

Arsenal Women’s Caitlin Foord feels Matilda’s “deserve something” at Paris Olympics 2024

The Matildas camp at this summer’s Olympics in Paris (set for July 26 to August 11) will have Arsenal Women heavily represented. Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, and Steph Catley will be part of the Australian Matildas squad. To see our trio shine, the Matildas should be one of the teams you watch.

The Matildas did not make the podium last time out at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, coming fourth behind the United States (bronze), Sweden (silver), and Canada (gold). Caitlin Foord claims they don’t want to depart empty-handed. They’ll take it game by game, but she wants to make the podium. She’s sure that as a group, they’re terrific and that it’s now or never if they want to win anything, saying:

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“Every athlete going to the Olympics wants to obviously win silverware,” Caitlin explained.

“We have such a good group and I think we do deserve something to show for it as well. It almost feels like this is our kind of last opportunity with this group, with the core players. So yeah, it’s definitely going to be a driver.

“The last Olympics sticks pretty firm in my head, being so close and falling short. It’s about taking it one game at a time but yeah, of course it’s [winning a medal] in the back of your mind.”

It would be fantastic for Cooney-Cross, Catley, and Foord to travel to Paris, run the show, and return to Arsenal as gold medalists. That will only fuel their desire to help Arsenal have a successful league run next season. Next season is a do-or-die situation for Arsenal Women too; they just need to win something.

While on international duty at the end of May, Foord appeared to sustain an injury during a friendly against China, with head coach Tony Gustavsson saying at the time “I’m a bit concerned,” . It appears that the injury was not significant, as Caitlin gives an update:

“And to pick up a little niggle now, it probably makes sense to put it down to a few things. I think my body’s just ready for a bit of rest. Just relaxing, going home, seeing family, before we get stuck into it over there, just switch off for a little bit.”

“We’re so used to having a schedule, so for me not to have that will be nice and no structure, maybe a day on the couch and that’s what it is. I don’t really have any plans, just going to take it day by day.”

Arsenal Women’s Steph Catley will captain the Matilda’s at the Olympic games, and she is also determined to definitely “win something” at this year’s tournament after having come close in the previous 2 Olympic games.

The other countries that have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 are Spain (Laia Codina, USA (Emily Fox) & Canada (Cloe Lacasse) – we expect their teams (including more Gunners) to be announced soon.

It’s a shame that England’s Lionesses failed to qualify but are you still looking forward to the Olympics Gooners? Do you think Australia have a chance?

Michelle M

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Do you want to read more about the Arsenal Women’s Team? Click here….