Westfield Matildas bound for Sweden to continue Games preparations

Australia’s preparations for Tokyo have been strengthened with the announcement they will take on Sweden on 16 June 2021 at Kalmar Arena, Kalmar. 

The reigning Rio Games silver medalists and FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ bronze medalists, Sweden will be another strong opponent for the Westfield Matildas as they sharpen their focus leading into the Women’s Football Tournament. 

“Since learning of our opponents for the Games, we have quickly shifted our attention to ensuring we are best equipped for the matches ahead,” said Westfield Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson. 

April provided us with a lot of insights from the matches against Germany and the Netherlands. Ranked fifth in the world, in Sweden we have another top team that will challenge us with a different style and tactical setup.” 

“We are grateful for ����Ӱ��’s strong commitment to securing the right types of opponents as we work to utilise the time we have available to get the team together.”   

����Ӱ�� Chief Executive Officer, James Johnson, stated that the team has the full backing of the football community as they enter an important phase in their Games preparation.  

“It’s been a huge couple of months for women’s football in Australia as we continue to address the findings from the Women’s Performance Gap study and bring to life our new strategic agenda,” Johnson said. 

“Last month we saw the return of the Westfield Matildas to international match action against two ‘top 10’ nations after almost 400 days.  We have also welcomed significant new commercial partners for women’s football and grassroots and received significant backing from the Federal Government at last week’s Federal Budget to support the high performance pillar of our Legacy ’23 plan.  And just over the weekend, we announced the Home of the Matildas at La Trobe University, in Melbourne, alongside the Victorian Government and Football Victoria.” 

“It’s vital we provide Tony, Mel and the team the best platform for success and that includes providing them with opportunities to play against world class opponents,” he said. 

The Games are a fantastic opportunity for all Australians to come together and support the Matildas and we are investing to ensure they are ready come that first match against New Zealand.”  

The Westfield Matildas have been drawn in Group G alongside Sweden, New Zealand and United States.  Australia will open their campaign against Trans Tasman rivals New Zealand on 21 July. 

“Our concentration will be on continuing to build on our foundations and equipping the team to perform in Tokyo and the next phase is exciting as we will have a full squad come together,” said Gustavsson.  “This is the type of experience we need to be ready for July so we will embrace it.” 

Australia and Sweden’s last meeting was at the 2017 Algarve Cup where the Swedes narrowly claimed victory. 

Match Details

Sweden v Westfield Matildas
Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Venue: Kalmar Arena, Kalmar
Kick Off: 02:45 (AEST)
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports, Kayo, ABC and My Football Live app

Please note that all dates & times listed are AEST. Kick-off in Sweden is on Tuesday, 15 June 2021 at 6:45pm local time.