Tameka Yallop expressed that the opportunity to play on the Gold Coast is “overwhelmingly exciting” after it was announced this morning that the CommBank Matildas would take on Brazil in Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the November/December window.
“I’m obviously super excited,” the Queenslander said.
“I remember back to when Tom Sermanni was our Head Coach and I first made the team. We used to have camps on the Gold Coast all the time, and I honestly thought it was the best. We’ve never played a game there, so this is just overwhelmingly exciting.”
The match on the Gold Coast is another CommBank Matildas game that will be played outside of a capital city after it was revealed that Geelong would host a game against Chinese Taipei later in the window.
“To have games accessible and on TV is really important,” she explained, “but I think that face-to-face experience is even better.
“The fact that we can get around to as many cities and towns as possible, whether they’re miniature stadiums or big stadiums, I think it’s really important.”
The last time that the CommBank Matildas played in Queensland was during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane played host to one of the most memorable moments in Australian sporting history when Australia defeated France on penalties in the quarter-final.
“It’s so crazy to think back on it, it was a whirlwind,” Yallop recalled.
“I think the amount of emotion I felt in that 10-minute period was enough for my whole lifetime. It was just so intense, and something that’s so memorable. It’s such a surreal feeling.”
A bronze commemorative mural depicting the moment was unveiled alongside the announcement of the upcoming games.
“Having my family here, and seeing Harley [Yallop's daughter] see it, she’s kind of like – oh yeah, that’s normal,” she explained.
“Everybody dreams of being gold medallists and lifting trophies and that’s only half of the journey. For the FIFA Women's World Cup, we had the whole of Australia on our journey. That was just something that we’d never experienced before.
It’s what the tribute is meant to remind people of, to continually bring us together.”
The upcoming games against Brazil and Chinese Taipei are an opportunity for the team to reset after Paris 2024™.
“There’s plenty we can take from the Olympics,” Yallop reflected.
“It’s still given us that edge and that drive to move forward and look forward to the Asian Cup in 2026. That’s definitely what we’re focused on, and we'll have a new coach coming in as well, so there’s a lot happening, but we’re excited for the journey.”
In the meantime, Yallop is excited to welcome back Tom Sermanni as the interim Head Coach.
“He’s one of the first coaches that ever instilled the Never Say Die attitude,” she said.
“We’ve been able to carry that through, and it’s fitting for him to come back.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 INTERNATIONALS
CommBank Matildas v Brazil
Date: Thursday, 28 November 2024
Kick-off: 8:00pm local / 9:00pm AEDT
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold, 10Play & Paramount+
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
CommBank Matildas v Brazil
Date: Sunday, 1 December 2024
Kick-off: 6:35pm local / 7:35pm AEDT
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold, 10Play & Paramount+
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
CommBank Matildas v Chinese Taipei
Date: Wednesday, 4 December 2024
Kick-off: 8.00pm AEDT
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold, 10Play & Paramount+
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
CommBank Matildas v Chinese Taipei
Date: Saturday, 7 December 2024
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEDT
Venue: GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold, 10Play & Paramount+
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets