Chloe Lincoln was en route to the airport with three of her Western United teammates when she received news of her very first CommBank Matildas call-up.
The Young Matildas goalkeeper could hardly believe what she was reading as the email landed in her inbox, but it was no misprint: the teenager had earned a place in the 23-player Matildas squad set to take on Switzerland and Germany later this month.
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It was an email that turned an ordinary car ride with teammates into an unforgettable moment in time for a teenage goalkeeper who could become a capped senior international at the age of 19.
“I got the email when I was in the car on the way to the airport for (Western’s) Mildura game,” said Lincoln.
“I was with Grace (Maher), Kahli (Johnson) and Zimms (Catherine Zimmerman). I just was like: ‘Oh my god’, and just totally freaked out. I was a bit teary. Even speaking to mum and dad on the phone it was pretty emotional.
“This is what you dream of for so long, this is the pinnacle for everyone. This is where we want to be. I just couldn’t believe it, and felt pretty lucky I was surrounded by some good people and the girls were so nice about it.
“It was a pretty crazy moment, to be honest.”
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A senior international call-up has continued a busy year for Lincoln, who won a bronze medal with the Young Matilda at the 2024 AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup and also represented her nation at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in September.
At club level, Lincoln has moved from Canberra United to Western United but her preparations for the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season are on hold as the Matildas face Switzerland (October 26) and Germany (October 29) in this month’s two-game friendly series in Europe.
Lincoln has joined Mackenzie Arnold and Jada Whyman in a three-player goalkeeping union selected by interim Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni for this month’s camp.
“I’ve looked up to those girls since I was little and first starting out in goalkeeping, especially Lyds (Lydia Williams), and more recently Mackenzie Arnold,” Lincoln said.
“I can’t put into words how excited I am to go in there and just learn as much as I can from the experience they have, the way they train, the way they are off the pitch. It feels surreal that i’ll be there with them.
“I don’t know if anything prepares you for the senior environment… it’s such a new thing but I feel as though I’ve been very lucky to get some of that exposure to what a camp is like.
“I don’t really know what to expect, to be honest. Hopefully, that experience will help me, whether in the national teams or the A-League. I’m hoping I can draw on those experiences as much as possible.”
After granting Lincoln her very first call-up to the Matildas setup, interim head coach Sermanni said it was a pivotal selection choice due to the specialist nature of the goalkeeping position and the necessity to expose young players to the rigours of senior international football at the earliest opportunity.
“Chloe is a goalkeeper we think has enormous potential,” Sermanni said.
“She has the experience of playing in youth World Cups, she has the experience of playing in the A-League Women competition, so she’s had a little bit of experience.
“But it’s important for young players, particularly if you get a chance in a critical area like goalkeeping, if you get a chance to bring in a young goalkeeper it’s very important to do that to give them an idea of what the environment is like and see how they adapt to that environment.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how she goes in amongst goalkeepers of that level she’s coming in amongst.”
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Match schedule
Switzerland v CommBank Matildas
Date: Friday, 25 October 2024 (local) / Saturday, 26 October (AEDT)
Kick-off: 8.00pm CET (local) / 5.00am (AEDT)
Venue: Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich
Broadcast: Paramount+
Germany v CommBank Matildas
Date: Monday, 28 October 2024 (local) / Tuesday, 29 October (AEDT)
Kick-off: 6.10pm CET (local) / 4.10am (AEDT)
Venue: Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg
Broadcast: Paramount+
