Every Liberty A-League player on international duty this week

aleagues.com.au looks at all the Liberty A-League players away on international duty during the break.

After two rounds in the 2023-24 Liberty A-League, the competition hits pause for international football.

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From the Matildas in Perth, to the Philippines and Serbia, and a youth-team camp in Melbourne – these are the A-League Women players heading off on international duty.

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Australia

The Matildas kick off their Olympic Games qualifying campaign in Perth as our FIFA Women’s World Cup heroes descend on Western Australia, where Sydney FC’s Cortnee Vine, Brisbane Roar midfielder Tameka Yallop and Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Lydia Williams will be involved.

Australia will face Iran (26 October), the Philippines (29 October) and Chinese Taipei (1 November) in Group A. Assuming the World Cup semi-finalists top it, Tony Gustavsson’s side would then face a home-and-away playoff with one of the other group winners or the best-placed runners-up from across the three groups. The winner of that playoff will qualify for the Olympics.

The Matildas are favourites after their fourth-placed finish at the World Cup on home soil – the best return of all the Asian sides – and will be backed by partisan crowds at HBF Park (games against Iran and Chinese Taipei) and Optus Stadium (for the game against the Philippines, with more than 50,000 tickets sold already).

Vine – who scored the winning penalty in the quarter-final triumph over France – has not missed a minute of Sydney’s start to their Liberty A-League title defence.

Yallop is back in Brisbane following the World Cup and she made her first appearance for the Roar since April 2021 against Sydney FC over the weekend after spending time abroad.

Williams returned to the A-League Women after she left Brighton and Hove Albion in England’s Women’s Super League (WSL) for Victory at the start of the season.

She started in both of their first two games, but was forced from the field in their 2-1 loss to Western United with an injury. All eyes will be on whether she will be able to feature in the upcoming qualifiers.

Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC)
Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar)
Lydia Williams (Melbourne Victory)

Serbia

There are two A-Leagues stars on show for Serbia in the UEFA Nations League.

Canberra United sensation Vesna Milivojevic and Western United midfielder Tyla-Jay Vlajnic – both born in Australia – are in the squad to face Poland in a pair of fixtures on October 28 and November 1 (AEDT).

Milivojevic – with 12 caps to her name – came off the bench in Serbia’s 4-0 rout of Greece last month, while seven-time international Vlajnic started the 2-1 win over Ukraine.

Serbia are top of Group B3, ahead of Poland on goal difference.

Milivojevic has been in red-hot form for Canberra, with her 2022-23 exploits crossing over into the new campaign. Before the loss to Melbourne City, she had scored a brace in each of her previous three matches and a total of seven goals in her last five games.

Vlajnic has started both of Western’s opening two games this term.

Vesna Milivojevic (Canberra United)
Tyla-Jay Vlajnic (Western United)

Philippines

After an historic World Cup and a quarter-final run at the Asian Games, the Philippines kick-off their Olympic Qualifiers in Perth this week.

With Western United boss Mark Torcaso at the helm having replaced Alen Stajcic, the Filipinas are set to come up against Chinese Taipei (October 26), the Matildas (October 29) and Iran (November 1) in Perth.

There are three Liberty A-League players in the squad – Perth Glory duo Jessika Cowart and Quinley Quezada, as well as Western United’s Jaclyn Sawicki.

Cowart has started both of Perth’s games in their unbeaten start to 2023-24 with Quezada twice a substitute, while co-captain Sawicki has been an ever-present in Western’s midfield after two rounds.

Kiara Fontanilla and Kaya Hawkinson were both part of the Central Coast Mariners’ youth side in NPL this season, but are currently not in their Liberty A-League side.

Jessika Cowart (Perth Glory)
Jaclyn Sawicki (Western United)
Quinley Quezada (Perth Glory)

Canada

Olympic gold medallists Canada are scheduled to meet Brazil in a pair of international friendlies.

Montreal and Halifax will stage the fixtures on October 29 and November 1 (AEDT), with Melbourne City goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx the sole Liberty A-League representative.

In the World Cup squad as Canada failed to progress beyond the group phase, the 24-year-old is among the roster again as she eyes her first international cap.

Based on her start to life in the A-Leagues at four-time champions City, a maiden Canada cap could be on the horizon.

Lysianne Proulx (Melbourne City)

China

China will meet Thailand (October 26), North Korea (October 29) and South Korea (November 1) in their Olympic Games qualifiers.

Their squad boasts Central Coast Mariners forward Wurigumula.

She joined Central Coast for the club’s return to the Liberty A-League and last week, the 27-year-old scored in a 2-1 win away to Adelaide United.

It was the Mariners’ first win following a 14-year absence from the competition.

Wurigumula (Central Coast Mariners)

Young Matildas camp

The Young Matildas are setting up base at the newly opened ‘Home of the Matildas’ for a training camp from October 23 to October 31.

A 23-player squad is coming together, with 22 based in the Liberty A-League as coach Leah Blayney prepares for the 2024 AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.