Five Young Matildas to watch at the U20 Women’s World Cup

The Young Matildas are deep into preparation to take on the world in Colombia at the FIFA Under 20’s Women’s World Cup, having directly qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2006.

Following a group stage elimination in 2022 after Australia was selected to participate by the AFC despite not having qualified for the tournament after North Korea withdrew, the Australians will be hoping to advance out of the group.

With the top two in each of the six groups, plus four of the best third place teams, there will be plenty of opportunity to secure a place in the Round of 16.

Ahead of the tournament, Round Ball Australia takes a look at five Australians who you should keep an extra eye on throughout the tournament.

Sasha Grove

One of the up and coming superstars of Australian football, expect Sasha Grove feature heavily for the Young Matildas.

A versatile full-back who can play on both the left and right side of the field, Grove plays with a footballing IQ well beyond her years.

Her pin-point passing accuracy and crucial tackling ability make her instrumental to the backline.

If needed, she can also play further up the pitch, but with the amount of talent in Leah Blayney’s squad, that should not be necessary for the former Canberra United player.

A strong AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup and her performances at Canberra helped earn her a move to Western United to challenge herself in her development, where she’ll link up with…

Avaani Prakash

A player who has been making a name for herself on reputation alone since she was a 10-year-old amongst footballing circles in New South Wales as part of the Skill Acquisition Program (SAP), Avaani Prakash is one to watch for the future.

Western score their first goal at their new ground!@wufcofficial equalise as Avaani Prakash pokes it home to score in her first ever @aleaguewomen start#WUNvNEW is live on Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/w9k9RGsg6p

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) March 17, 2024

At just 17 years old, she can already control a midfield, which she has done for Bulls FC Academy in the NPL Women’s NSW competition over the last couple of seasons, and she became part of Western United’s squad last season, signing her first A-League Women contract with the club.

Whilst she was originally not selected by Blayney, an injury to Emilia Murray saw her receive a call-up, and it will be a chance for Prakash to showcase herself on the global stage.

Expect her to start on the bench and make an impact as a substitute later in games where her skill set will provide the side with some midfield creativity and potential dominance to turn tight games back in favour of the Aussies.

Amber Luchtmeijer

After keeping the Blacktown Spartans in NPL Women’s NSW with a final day showcase in 2023, scoring two goals in that game, Luchtmeijer made the move to Bulls FC Academy for 2024.

A breakout season for the 17-year-old saw her score a goal a game in the 23 match season, winning the NPL Women’s NSW Golden Boot for 2024, proving that she did indeed have the answer in front of goals for Bulls FC.

It was a season long performance that earned her a contract with Sydney FC for the upcoming A-League Women season and a surprise call-up for the Young Matildas at the World Cup.

Unstoppable Luchtmeijer 😎⚽

Fresh from signing for @SydneyFC in next season's Liberty A-League Women's season, Amber Luchtmeijer has shown no signs of slowing down scoring this deft chip in Bulls FC Academy's (@mfcbulls) victory over the Illawarra Stingrays. pic.twitter.com/Q04YhDWEUE

— NPL New South Wales (@NPLNSW) July 21, 2024

With quality finishers hard to come by in football, Luchtmeijer has that skill in spades.

Whilst she can drop back and play a deeper role if required at the top of midfield, she does her best work as a striking option.

Like Prakash, expect her to come off the bench and be a late-game changer, but she could also be in the starting line-up throughout the tournament if required.

Kahli Johnson

Part of Western United’s inaugural squad in 2022/23, Johnson dealt with injury concerns in the 2023/24 season, playing just 12 games (starting six) for Western United, scoring three goals.

As a winger, she uses her skillset to dart in behind opposition defences, setting up a lot of plays for her teammates, but she also is not afraid to have a shot at goal when the opportunity presents itself.

Having both started and come off the bench under Leah Blayney’s tenure, Johnson provides some great flexibility against the range of opponents the Young Matildas will come up against.

🗣️ "Every single time I see my name on the back of that jersey, and I’m able to put that on and step onto that field, it’s an amazing feeling,"

Kahli Johnson talks about the honour and privilege of being selected to represent Australia at the #U20WWC. #GoAustralia…

— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) August 27, 2024

Ella Buchanan

Buchanan signed her first A-League Women contract last season with the Western Sydney Wanderers, as an injury replacement for Bethany Gordon, making her debut in Round 17.

Her strong stint as an injury-replacement player and continuing that form for NWS Spirit in the NPL Women’s NSW helped earn her a call-up for the World Cup, as well as a two-year deal with the Wanderers.

She plays quite strongly on the ball, is able to make key tackles, and distributes the ball incredibly well, knowing when the right time to go forward is, but also when passing it back centrally or to the keeper is the best option.

Being able to play as both a midfielder and a defender, versatility is a key attribute for the 19-year-old, particularly in mid-game situations where she could come in off the bench in either role, or when starting shift between positions and roles as required.