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Four Roar players get Westfield Matildas nod for Olympic qualifiers

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Four Brisbane Roar players have been named in a Westfield Matildas squad that later this month will bid to qualifying for the Rio Olympic Games in August.

Defender Clare Polkinghorne, midfielder Tameka Butt and Katrina Gorry and forward Emily Gielnik were included in aĀ 20-player squad announced today by Westfield Matildas Head Coach Alen Stajcic.

Polkinghorne has been named co-captain with Melbourne City’s Lisa De Vanna.

Gielnik is among five players who were selected inĀ this squad afterĀ not being part of the Westfield MatildasĀ that reached the quarter-finals of last yearā€™s FIFA Womenā€™s World Cup. The others are Caitlin Cooper, Chloe Logarzo, Aivi Luik and goalkeeper Casey Dumont.

ā€œEmily Gielnik had a good W-League season and has been impressive when she has come into camp adding a good bit of pace and power to our front line,ā€ Stajcic said.

Clare Polkinghorne

Polkinghorne will be looking to add to her 80 international caps (five goals). Butt has 52 caps (seven goals); Gorry has 38 caps (11 goals) and Gielnik has seven caps.

The Australiaā€™s national womenā€™s team has not featured in the Olympic Games since 2004.

The squad will depart on Monday morning for the qualifying tournament in Osaka, Japan from 29 February to 9 March.

The Westfield Matildas will play five matches in 10 days with the top two nations at the end of the round robin format booking a place at Rio 2016.

Their opponents are Japan, DPR Korea, China P.R., Korea Republic and Vietnam.

Tameka Butt

ā€œOur physical preparation needs to be at a high level and our players need to be capable of backing up every second day,ā€ Stajcic said.

ā€œIt is the same for every team competing so we need a squad full of fit players and players who can carry a high workload.

“By game four or five it will be a war of attrition and come down to a bit of luck with injuries, but certainly the teams that are more resilient will give themselves a better chance to qualify.”

German-based duo Elise Kellond-Knight and Emily van Egmond will join the squad in Osaka after their clubs in the Womenā€™s Bundesliga play their first matches of the season this weekend.

Katrina Gorry

ā€œThey are tracking well and working hard over there, and with the high level of Germanyā€™s fitness and training regime Iā€™m confident theyā€™ll come into the squad fit and ready to go,ā€ Stajcic said.

The Westfield Matildasā€™ first match of the qualifiers is a blockbuster against FIFA Womenā€™s World Cup 2015 Finalists Japan on 29 February.

All the Westfield Matildas’ matches at the tournament will be screened live on 7mate. starting on February 29.

Emily Gielnik

The Westfield Matildas squad is: (with jersey numbers): 1 Lydia Williams gk (Canberra United); 2 Larissa Crummer (Melbourne City); 3 Caitlin Cooper (Western Sydney); 4 Clare Polkinghorne (Brisbane Roar); 5 Laura Alleway (Melbourne City); 6 Chloe Logarzo (Newcastle Jets); 7 Stephanie Catley (Melbourne City); 8 Elise Kellond-Knight (Potsdam FC, Germany); 9 Caitlin Foord (Perth Glory); 10 Emily van Egmond (FFC Frankfurt, Germany); 11 Lisa De Vanna (Melbourne City); 12 Casey Dumont gk; 13 Tameka Butt (Brisbane Roar); 14 Alanna Kennedy (Sydney FC); 15 Emily Gielnik (Brisbane Roar); 16 Michelle Heyman (Canberra United); 17 Kyah Simon (Sydney FC); 18 Mackenzie Arnold gk (Perth Glory); 19 Katrina Gorry (Brisbane Roar); 20 Aivi Luik (Melbourne City).

The Westfield Matildas’ match schedule is: Westfield Matildas v Japan (Monday, 29 February, Kincho Stadium, Osaka, 8.35pm KO Qld time); Westfield Matildas v Vietnam (Wednesday, 2 March, Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka, 5.35pm KO Qld time); Korea Republic v Westfield Matildas (Friday, 4 March, Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka, 8.35pm KO Qld time); DPR Korea v Westfield Matildas (Monday, 7 March, Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka, 8.35pm KO Qld time); Westfield Matildas v China P.R. (Wednesday, 9 March, Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka, 8.35pm KO Qld time). All matches LIVE on 7mate.