Fan favourite in dark over Matildas future

Melbourne Victory star Alex Chidiac says her national team situation “is a weird one” but she’s happy just to be playing consistently at club level after a rollercoaster five years.

The attacking midfielder does not know where she sits in the Matildas’ pecking order after she was dropped from the squad for February’s Olympic qualifiers.

But Chidiac, 25, says she had improved markedly thanks to consistent minutes for Victory during the A-League Women season, as she looks forward to next month’s exhibition match against an Arsenal women’s side boasting a trio of Matildas stars.

Chidiac will play for the A-League All-Stars in the headline match against Australian Gunners Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross at Marvel Stadium on May 24.

She said it was exciting for the women’s match to be given top billing in a double-header with the men’s all-star side taking on a visiting Newcastle United.

“It’s going to be really cool to be around that sort of atmosphere for such a big game, and to see the fans – I’ve seen them for the Matildas but I’ve not seen them, I guess for the A-League, show out like this,” she said.

Chidiac said the match would be an important opportunity to push the A-League to the legions of fans who adopted the Matildas during an exhilarating home World Cup campaign.

“I’ve been saying it all along – literally you’re watching players that will become Matildas, so come out to our games,” she said.

“You have more access to us now than you do to the Matildas, so come out and meet these players, meet these people and get to see your favourite players make the team.

“I got to see that with the A-League Men when I was younger, I got to see some of my favourite players make the Socceroos and get really excited about that too, so hopefully we’re starting that trend in the women’s game.”

Chidiac said she was relaxed about her national team situation but was secure in the belief her move back Victory after an 18-month stint at Racing Louisville had been the right one to make.

A lack of playing time in the US before a difficult loan spell at Mexican club Tigres had put pressure on her place in the Matildas squad after she was used sparingly off the bench by coach Tony Gustavsson during the World Cup.

“Ask them, I don’t know, honestly. It’s a weird one – I guess I don’t really know, and everyone keeps asking me,” she said about her Matildas prospects.

“Personally I’m kind of really happy where I’m at football-wise. My goal at the start of this season was just to get back playing consistently again, because that’s been an issue throughout my whole career.

“I was able to achieve that. I wanted to work on my defensive game, I was able to achieve that as well.

“If that’s good enough for the national team, then great … if not, I can’t really control it. The goal was definitely to make the World Cup squad, and obviously everybody wants to be part of an Olympic squad, but so many of those things are completely out of my control, and I just want to be playing football consistently.”