Following a bitter 2-0 loss last Sunday to North Korea, a fired up Matildas skipper Cheryl Salisbury has called on local fans to raise the roof when the two sides meet again in Coffs Harbour this Sunday in their do-or-die 2008 Olympics qualifier.
"We want to hear the home fans being loud and vocal and really raise the roof... and if you have anything gold at home bring it along!" Salisbury told au.fourfourtwo.com after arriving back in Australia yesterday.
The Australian team must win to keep alive their Beijing qualification hopes alive. Only the winner of the group will progress to the Olympic Games next year.
In North Korea, both goals were scored by DPR captain Ri Kum Suk, coming either side of half time, with the second coming from the penalty spot in the 55th minute.
Salisbury said the defeat was an "isolating" experience that tested the Matildas mentally and physically.
"There were around 40,000 crammed into the stadium so the environment was a challenge that many of the players hadn't experienced before. It was quite an isolating experience and quite tough mentally.
"This was probably one of the toughest matches of my career with the Koreans coming at us a hundred miles an hour and they were quite relentless for much of the match."
The Australian team arrived in Coffs Harbour after a grueling 24 hour trip back from North Korea after being forced to wait two days for the first flight out of Pyongyang after Sunday's match.
"They put a lot of pressure on us especially in the first half when we had little time on the ball," said Salisbury.
"However we are looking forward to reversing the result on Sunday when the environment in the stadium will be quite different playing in front of family, friends and our own supporters.
"It is always a massive boost to the team when we can hear Australian supporters urging us on and we need all the help we can get on Sunday to help us over the line.
"We saw the difference a loud and colourful Aussie support made to the Socceroos when they beat Uruguay in that epic World Cup qualifier," added Salisbury.
Coach Tom Sermanni described the conditions in Pyongyang as "hostile" and said he hoped the local fans could make it equally as intimidating this weekend.
The game will be played at the BCU international stadium in Coffs Harbour, NSW.
The Australian team must win to keep alive their Beijing qualification hopes alive. Only the winner of the group will progress to the Olympic Games next year.
In North Korea, both goals were scored by DPR captain Ri Kum Suk, coming either side of half time, with the second coming from the penalty spot in the 55th minute.
Salisbury said the defeat was an "isolating" experience that tested the Matildas mentally and physically.
"There were around 40,000 crammed into the stadium so the environment was a challenge that many of the players hadn't experienced before. It was quite an isolating experience and quite tough mentally.
"This was probably one of the toughest matches of my career with the Koreans coming at us a hundred miles an hour and they were quite relentless for much of the match."
The Australian team arrived in Coffs Harbour after a grueling 24 hour trip back from North Korea after being forced to wait two days for the first flight out of Pyongyang after Sunday's match.
"They put a lot of pressure on us especially in the first half when we had little time on the ball," said Salisbury.
"However we are looking forward to reversing the result on Sunday when the environment in the stadium will be quite different playing in front of family, friends and our own supporters.
"It is always a massive boost to the team when we can hear Australian supporters urging us on and we need all the help we can get on Sunday to help us over the line.
"We saw the difference a loud and colourful Aussie support made to the Socceroos when they beat Uruguay in that epic World Cup qualifier," added Salisbury.
Coach Tom Sermanni described the conditions in Pyongyang as "hostile" and said he hoped the local fans could make it equally as intimidating this weekend.
The game will be played at the BCU international stadium in Coffs Harbour, NSW.
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