ORLANDO, Fla. – (July 5, 2016) – Orlando Pride defenders Steph Catley and Laura Alleway have been named to Australia’s 18-player roster that will head to Rio to compete in its first Olympics since 2004. It is the first Olympic call-up for both players, after the pair helped lead the Matildas to the AFC Olympic Qualifying Championship in March.
Catley, 22, earned her debut with Australia under the tutelage of current Pride head coach Tom Sermanni. After making her first appearance in 2012, Catley has totaled 49 international caps and has scored two goals for her country.
The Olympic call will force Catley to miss her first matches of the Pride season, as she has played every minute of all 11 games thus far. In April, the left back made history, becoming the first player to score for the Orlando Pride during the Club’s 2-1 defeat at Portland in its inaugural game.
Alleway, 26, has totaled 44 caps for the Matildas with two goals on her resume, and also earned her first cap under Sermanni. A native of Melbourne, she appeared in all five of Australia’s matches during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Alleway has made nine appearances, eight of them starts, in NWSL play for a total of 701 minutes.
Prior to joining the Pride, both Catley and Alleway were members of the Westfield W-League’s expansion side Melbourne City, which went undefeated in its first year en route to the 2015-16 title.
Australia begins Olympic play on August 3, facing Pride teammate Josée Bélanger and Canada at 2 p.m. ET in São Paulo.
Complete Australia Olympic Roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Mackenzie Arnold, Lydia Williams
DEFENDERS: Laura Alleway, Ellie Carpenter, Stephanie Catley, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Polkinghorne
MIDFIELDERS: Tameka Butt, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Elise Kellond-Knight, Chloe Logarzo, Emily van Egmond
FORWARDS: Larissa Crummer, Lisa De Vanna, Michelle Heyman, Samantha Kerr, Kyah Simon
