OUT of nowhere, the Ballarat Eureka Strikers are preparing to host one of the best female soccer teams in Australia.
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The Strikers will meet the newly formed W-League side Melbourne City at Morshead Park on Saturday, in a practice match just two weeks before the start of City’s season.
And if meeting a national league team wasn’t exciting enough, there is every chance they will come up against a hand full of Australian representatives.
Although it is the new team in the national competition, the Melbourne City squad is littered with stars, with four members of this year’s Matilidas World Cup squad.
The star-studded squad includes defenders Laura Alleway (36 caps) and Steph Catley (37 caps), midfielder Larissa Crummer (six caps) and striker and Matilda’s co-captain Lisa De Vanna (104 caps).
It also contains goalkeeper Brianna Davey who has been capped eight times for Australia, the newly capped midfielder Alex Cidiac, and New Zealand international Rebekah Stott (42 caps).
It will be great for the girls, to come up against players like this is huge."
- Strikers coach Rick Romein
Coach Rick Romein said the offer to host Melbourne City came late last week and was taken with both hands by the club.
This came despite the fact they finished their championship-winning season weeks ago.
In fact, it was only Tuesday night they hit the training track again.
“It will be great for the girls, to come up against players like this is huge,” he said.
“We’re not expecting miracles, we know they are going to be extremely strong.
“It has sort of come out of the blue but the girls can’t wait.”
With seven fully-fledged international players the match is going to provide Ballarat with a massive challenge; but for the Strikers the game is about an unbelievable experience rather than results.
The match gives rising stars such as Natalie Barbara and Claire Demuth an opportunity to pit themselves against elite players.
The Eureka Strikers will be without best and fairest winner Tessa Curtain (travel), Jordan Ivey (university games) and Millie Martin.
The game also provides an opportunity for the wider football community to watch international stars in action, with Melbourne City committing that players would make themselves available for autographs. The match will be played at 11am on Saturday at Morshead Park.
The Strikers fell short of the magical double crown this year, going down in the grand final of the FFV women’s state league one.
However, they were able to claim their first ever championship by finishing on top of the league.
