Matildas’ joyous return a sellout

IT’S the homecoming that Matildas coach Alen Stajcic believes his team deserves.

It might only be a two-game friendly series but Stajcic wants to maintain Australia’s winning streak in front of packed stadiums.

The high-flying Matildas take on Brazil in Penrith this afternoon and again in Newcastle on Tuesday night.

The often overlooked national women’s team has won a place in the spotlight in recent years with runs to the quarterfinals at the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

And early last month they claimed silverware at the Tournament of Nations in the US, knocking off the world No.1 hosts, and Japan and Brazil.

The Australian public has responded with a sellout at the 17,000-seat Pepper Stadium — and Stajcic is delighted.

“It’s a great reward for the playing group,” he said.

“A lot of them have had to overcome a lot of adversity that comes with being a female footballer in this country. It’s given them all a great boost and lifted their spirits.

“It’s a great testament to how they’re performing on the field and how they carry themselves off the field. They all can’t wait to get out there and hear the roar.”

The series also continues a strong rivalry between Australia and Brazil. The Matildas knocked Brazil out of the 2015 World Cup, before Brazil returned the favour at its home Olympics.

The Matildas then ran rampant with a 6-1 success over the Brazilians, but Stajcic is expecting a strong response.