SHE was part of the Matildas outfit which won the inaugural Tournament of Nations, then helped them to beat Brazil in a pair of friendlies, but now Ellie Carpenter is chasing success with another team in green and gold.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The former Western NSW Mariners player is still young enough to be a member of the Young Matildas squad which is currently preparing for the under 19 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) semi-finals.
Carpenter’s side will meet DPR Korea on Wednesday in a match which marks the first time a Young Matildas side has reached an AFC knock-out phase since 2006.
The Young Matildas set up that showdown by placing second in their group with two wins and a loss in the Chinese-hosted tournament.
As one of the more experienced members of the Australian side, Carpenter has led by example with strong performances in defence.
She earned special praise from coach Gary van Egmond for her effort’s in the tournament opening 2-0 with over Korea.
“They [experienced senior internationals] were absolutely outstanding and showed great leadership – Ellie in particular, she still has room for improvement but you could see her class,” he said.
That was followed by a 5-1 loss to eventual group winners Japan, but the Young Matildas bounced back on Sunday with a 5-2 victory against Vietnam to advance to the semi-finals.
Japan and China meet in the other semi-final.
