CommBank Matildas midfielder Tameka Yallop praised the way that the team’s inexperienced players applied themselves during the November/December window.
She was speaking to the media after earning Player of the Match honours in Australia’s 6-0 defeat of Chinese Taipei on Saturday evening.
“Everyone stepped up really well, especially in this second game against Chinese Taipei,” Yallop said.
“I don’t think we took a backwards step, and that’s really important with young ones coming in, to watch them back up.
“Today, we were able to control the ball a lot more and find little pockets of space, looking to create a fair bit and trying to face forward. I think pretty much everyone did well with that tonight.”
She put her positive performances in the window down to consistency for both club and country.
“We’ve got a great environment, both in the national team and with club,” she explained.
Someone who she plays with at both levels is Sharn Freier. Freier has impressed over this series, scoring her first two goals in ‘A’ internationals in consecutive matches against Chinese Taipei.
“I don’t know how to describe her,” joked Yallop.
“I think you just have to watch her play. You never really know what she is going to pull out of the hat, which is why it’s so exciting to watch her play.
“For both club and the national team, she’s doing really well.”
It’s been almost eighteen months since the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ transformed support for the CommBank Matildas in this country.
Yallop was asked to reflect on how the country got behind the team during 2024.
“As a player, it’s absolutely amazing,” she said.
“It’s been amazing for football here in Australia, not just for the women’s game, but for the men’s game as well. And then on a broader spectrum, women’s sport in Australia has benefited from it as well.
“We’re getting a lot more die-hard fans, and that’s absolutely amazing to see. It only pushes us to play better, and to want to get better as well.”
Next year is an “off” year when it comes to major tournaments. Yallop explained that every game was vital as they look to build to the AFC Asian Cup 2026™ on home soil.
“I think there’s a lot of other things to focus on,” she said.
“You’ve still got the main focus of 2026 but for us, we would also like to improve our rankings as well.
“Every game is really important to us, just gelling and increasing our depth and consistency.”
