Katrina Gorry makes sad admission about Matildas future as daughter steals the show
The 31-year-old has hinted that the Paris Olympics will be her farewell.
Matildas veteran Katrina Gorry has hinted that the Olympics will be her last international tournament for Australia. The 31-year-old was at her creative best on Wednesday night as the Matildas thrashed Uzbekistan 10-0 to seal their place at the Paris Olympics in July.
The dominant display came after the Matildas won the first leg 3-0 in Uzbekistan. Attention will now turn to Australia's Olympics campaign, with coach Tony Gustavsson facing the difficult task of trimming the squad from 22 to 18.
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And with an ageing squad and plenty of veterans heading to Paris, it looms as somewhat of a last hurrah for many of the players. Gorry, who played at the Rio Olympics in 2016 but missed the Tokyo Games in 2021 because she was pregnant with daughter Harper, implied that Paris could be her farewell.
"It’s sad, obviously being the last major tournament for some of us, but I think it could be a pretty special one," she said. "To go out with a bang would be pretty amazing for all of us.
“I don’t think it will really sink in until we start preparing for the Olympics. It’s such a special occasion and it’s so nice to be on home soil to celebrate with the rest of Australia because they’re what brought us here and the amount of support we’ve had in the last year has been absolutely incredible.
“All these things drive you and ignite something in you as an athlete. We always want to win. We can compete against the best. I think we’ve shown that at the World Cup and in the last couple of years. It doesn’t matter who we play, we’re always going to show up."
Gorry's daughter Harper stole the show in the press conference, speaking on the mic at one stage and refusing to leave when it was Alanna Kennedy's turn to front the media. In a cute touch, the Matildas players who are parents were also given smaller t-shirts to give to their kids as well as the ones all the players received for qualifying for the Olympics.
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Speaking to the media after the match, Gustavsson said he didn't want to think about trimming his squad for the Olympics just yet. "I don't want to cut any one of these amazing players and human beings," he said. "So, I'll park that for tonight and pick it up later in April or May, when I start having to do selection. Today, I just enjoy this night with the staff and the players. "
One player who appears a certainty is veteran striker Michelle Heyman, who scored four goals on Wednesday night and five across the two legs. The 35-year-old was recalled to the national team for the first time in six years to replace the injured Sam Kerr, and certainly made the most of her opportunity.
"Considering what she's done on the training ground, what she's done before she came in, coming off the bench last game," Gustavsson said about Heyman. "So happy for her, but also, she shows how world class (a) finisher she is. I love her mentality, no nerves, no nothing. She spreads a lot of energy in the group. "
But the coach admitted he needed to see her step up in more games against quality opposition - starting with the friendly against Mexico in Texas on April 10. "Can she bring the pressing intensity and the game on the field when you have less time and space? That's the question mark for her," he said.
"And that's why I'm so happy with the Mexico game and also hopefully some really quality games in June to prep. Those camps are going to be used as development camps and go back to that process again and get one day better."
with AAP
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