For veteran Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams, her final match on home soil on Monday night was an emotional celebration, culminating in a surprise presentation from tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
Honouring her 19-year career, the Noongar football player was presented with a special Booka (skin cloak) made by Lea Taylor, which featured symbolic images depicting Williams’ sporting achievements and her ancestry.
Speaking after the second and final friendly against China, Williams described the moment as “probably…[what] tipped me over emotion wise”.
“I don’t know if it was game recognising game,” Williams said. “To receive that from such an icon – a legend of tennis – is just absolutely, really humbling. An Indigenous woman that’s represented the country and her culture and done so much.”
The Matildas beat China 2-0, with Williams returning to join the squad after an absence during April’s FIFA International Window. She announced her retirement last month, after making a total of 103 appearances for the international team, and playing for club footballs in the US, Sweden, England and France.
Speaking before the game, coach Tony Gustavsson described Williams, who is the longest-serving Matildas, as “not just a world-class footballer”, but “a world-class human being as well. Her impact on this team speaks for itself – the amount of caps, what she’s done for the game and the team.”
At 36, Williams has participated in five FIFA Women’s World Cups, six AFC Women’s Asian Cup (including a gold and two silvers) and two Olympic Games. Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, she told a press conference before the game on Monday that her final game in Sydney was “a closing of the circle.”
“You don’t really get much time as an athlete to have hindsight, you have to move on from tournament to tournament from, club season to, to club season. And over the last few months, I’ve been able to have that recollection and reflection on my career and yeah, it’s definitely gonna be really emotional.”
“I’ve always been for the team and for the girls and I’m just really excited to share one more final moment with them on the pitch.”
The Matildas played at Accor Stadium in front of 76,798 fans, beating China with two goals — the first from Clare Wheeler off a free kick by skipper Steph Catley, the second from Hayley Raso. Evidently, the team made good on coach Gustavsson’s remark before the game that they would enter it “much more energised and more powerful, more attacking minded, more aggressive than we were in the last game”, referring to the match on Friday which saw them draw 1-1 against China.
Less than a hundred days out from the Olympic Games, Gustavsson said he is focusing the team of what is required to win.
“We want to use this camp to summarise everything, go back to what we did in the World Cup and the core things we did there, and then add the layers we worked on – and see if we can get a complete summary of where we’re at,” he said.
“Also get some answers – where are we, and what do we need to keep working on come the Olympics? Everything from our physical status to our playbook and playing style, and to test ourselves now against the Asian Champions, China.”
Drawn in Group B for the Olympics, the Matildas (ranked 12th) will go up against the US (ranked 4th), Germany (ranked 5th) and Zambia.
The final 18 squad will be based on the current group of 23, and will be announced later today.
“I think everyone can do the math here and understand that obviously the Olympic roster will be based mostly out of those that are in this upcoming May/June camp,” Gustavsson said.
“However, we also have some players in Katrina (Gorry) and Aivi (Luik) unavailable for selection for this window but most likely will be physically available to be part of an Olympic roster. This window will be a tough one for me and my staff in terms of evaluating players, where they are, and then the final selection process for Paris.”
“This team fights for what they believe in,” Williams said on Monday, adding that the legacy of her team lies not just with the players but also its fans. “The Matildas as a whole – it’s not just one player, it’s not just one staff member, it’s not just one organisation, it’s everything,” she said. “We’ve seen that throughout the years that it’s okay to fight for things and to have that support.”
“I want that culture and environment to continue, and I think it will. The girls have fire in them. We’ve brought in people to lead the team in a positive way to really kind of make sure that it is about results and the team and the culture.”
Reflecting on her long-career, Williams said she was glad she and her peers were role models to young women with sporting ambitions.
“We’re all the same as when we first started,” she said. “No one’s really changed.”
“We’ve known each other since we were 16. We were those kids trying to look up for a role model and all of a sudden, we’ve become that role model. So it’s a little bit of a pinch me moment, I think, for all of us – but throughout it all, we’ve all remained true to who we are and what we believe in.”
Asked about the greatest lesson she has learned in her sporting career, Williams noted the importance of adaptability.
“You need to evolve in the sport and you need to find a way to still make it your passion, even if performance changes,” she said.
“The sport gets faster, someone younger comes in, you need to be able to evolve with the times to make sure that it’s still your passion. Because at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing. You started playing because you love the game and you have to continue to love it, even if your role might change.”
“We do have quite an experienced [squad] and longevity in the team. It’s just a credit to what we’ve been through, the support we’ve had throughout our whole careers to where we are now to finally, everything feeling their peak and really kind of embracing the hard work that we’ve done in so many previous years.”
Williams has been inspiring young children both on and off the field. In 2019, she authored a children’s book, Saved! which follows the story of an Aboriginal girl growing up in the deserts of Western Australia who loves football. Of course, it’s based on herself.
“There are not many children’s books out there that have a young girl achieving her goals,” Williams said at the book’s launch.
“I feel like I had a really important and unique story to tell, and the only way it really could be told was through a kids book. It’s exciting to see that there’s a girl out there achieving her dreams and doing what she loves. Your journey is your journey, and your story is your story. It’s important to accept and be proud of where you’ve come from and what you’ve achieved.”