Matildas dreams burn hot as A-League Women finals start
Fringe Matildas pair Emily Gielnik and Chloe Berryhill are ready to attack the A-League Women finals, knowing full well that red-hot form can help put players back in the national team frame.
Melbourne Victory striker Gielnik has silverware in her sights and hopes a Matildas berth can soon follow, after being overlooked for recent windows despite scoring 12 goals.
"It's no secret ... I still truly believe I can be back there and that I belong there, and I'll keep proving that to myself week after week," Gielnik said.
"Being a part of finals, it's another opportunity for coaches to see your potential and see how well you're playing."
Western United skipper Berryhill (nee Logarzo) has been intermittently with the Matildas in recent years amid injuries.
"National team's always in the back of your mind. But ... it's not at the forefront of mine," she said.
"Mine's to (play) finals, mine's to play for Western, and whatever happens through there, and if it ends up being in the national team, that'll be great."
Neither Gielnik nor Berryhill have their clubs locked in for next season, with both intending to make decisions after finals.
But Gielnik won't be waiting to hear the opinion of the yet-to-be-appointed next Matildas coach, widely expected to be Lyon boss Joe Montemurro.
"That's a dangerous game, because I think sometimes if you do too much of what another coach wants you to do, you'll play less like yourself, and there's just too much of that unnecessary expectation and pressure," she said.
"I've done that in the past, been a people pleaser, and done what I thought coaches want me to do. and it's backfired for me.
"I've got to go back to the drawing board, trust my gut, find the right place that's going to be perfect for me, and just hit the ground running with that."
Premiers Melbourne City and second-placed Victory are through to the semi-finals and have the week off, while Adelaide host Western United and Central Coast host Canberra United on Sunday.
Gielnik was rested for second-placed Victory's final game of the season, a dead rubber against Brisbane Roar.
"My body just needed a little bit of a deload, but I'm feeling rejuvenated, fresh, ready to go," she said.
If Western beat Adelaide at Coopers Stadium, they will have to beat City across two legs to make the grand final.
"For us, getting straight into it is a positive," Berryhill said.
"I think this is the year that we have the team, and we've been inconsistent all year.
"And for us, it's just about coming right at the end of the season."
Melbourne City steamrolled Perth 5-1 last week to claim the premiership and seal an unbeaten season.
"It's always hard to have a week off when everyone else is playing, but we have a lot of confidence after that last game," defender Taylor Otto said.
"At training, we're working on all the little things now and just trying to keep that confidence up and keep that energy up, which I think we'll be able to do."
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