CommBank Matildas midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross has had a breakout season for Arsenal in the WSL, starting regularly while consistently creating chances and assists.
She is hoping to bring that club form into the CommBank Matildas during the SheBelieves Cup against Japan, USA and Colombia.
She waxed lyrical about her club environment at Arsenal, where she has grown into a first-choice player after joining in January 2024.
“When I first went to Arsenal, it was tough, having to move over and get used to so many things,” she said.
“Now that I’m more comfortable and I know what the Arsenal staff want for me and the players want for me, it just makes things so much easier.
“I’m just growing, making the most of every moment and taking everything in. I’m so lucky to be playing at this club with these girls.”
She explained that while club and international football are different, the lessons she is learning at club level are brought into every CommBank Matildas camp.
“The knowledge that I’ve gotten from other [Arsenal] players, I can bring into here and maybe help Mini [Katrina Gorry] or even the younger players coming in,” she said.
“Obviously Mini is very experienced as well, and I still learn from her all the time - she’s a great player to play with. There’s also so many other experienced players as well.”
Cooney-Cross scored her first international goal against Germany in October on the same day that she brought up the milestone of 50 international appearances.
It is not often that a player of her age – she only recently celebrated her 23rd birthday – has so much experience at international level. It is something that she is keenly aware of as she continues to grow and learn.
She has a clear idea of how she wants to develop as a player.
“Hopefully many more [goals] to come,” the midfielder smiled.
“I want to start adding [goals]. As a six, there’s not many players in that position that do score and assist a lot, and I would like to start adding those kinds of things to my game.”
Japan, USA and Colombia are all extremely strong opponents and will provide a tough challenge for the group at the SheBelieves Cup.
Cooney-Cross said that it would be a fantastic learning opportunity for the entire squad.
“The whole tournament in general is going to be a learning experience,” she said.
“Playing against three top teams, it’s going to be a really tough tournament. But I also think it’s going to be really good for us, and no matter how we go at the tournament, I think we’ll learn a lot from it.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | SHEBELIEVES CUP | 17 – 27 FEBRUARY 2025
Japan v CommBank Matildas
Date: Thursday, 20 February 2025 (local) / Friday, 21 February (AEDT)
Kick-off: 4.03pm CT (local) / 9.03am (AEDT)
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium, Houston (TX)
Broadcast: Paramount+
Tickets: ussoccer.com/shebelieves/cup
United States v CommBank Matildas
Date: Sunday, 23 February 2025 (local) / Monday, 24 February (AEDT)
Kick-off: 3.05pm MST (local) / 9.05am (AEDT)
Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale (AZ)
Broadcast: Paramount+
Tickets: ussoccer.com/shebelieves/cup
CommBank Matildas v Colombia
Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2025 (local) / Thursday, 27 February (AEDT)
Kick-off: 4.37pm PST (local) / 11.37am (AEDT)
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego (CA)
Broadcast: Paramount+
Tickets: ussoccer.com/shebelieves/cup