Brisbane Roar forward Laini Freier has enjoyed a stellar beginning to her tenure in the Ninja A-League, earning her first call-up to the CommBank Matildas for the SheBelieves Cup, where Australia will face off against the USA, Japan, and Colombia.
Having joined the Roar during the off-season after securing the NPLW QLD Premiership and Championship double with Brisbane City, Freier has been a standout performer in the Ninja A-League this season.
Teaming up with her twin sister Sharn, Freier has netted seven goals in her first ten matches, placing her at the top of the Golden Boot standings and impressing interim Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni enough to earn a spot in the squad.
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Freier will join 22 players in the Matildas squad for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup, taking place in the United States from February 17 to 27, where Australia will battle Japan, the USA, and Colombia.
“We’ve assembled a squad with a clear goal of winning this tournament,” stated Sermanni after the squad announcement.
“While there were challenges with players returning from the European winter breaks and the resumption of leagues in the USA and Scandinavia, these circumstances also presented new opportunities. It’s essential we continue to expose emerging talents to high-level, tournament-style football at an early stage.”
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“Our Technical Staff have been closely monitoring Ninja A-League matches over the summer, ensuring we have a comprehensive view of player form and fitness,” he noted.
Sermanni added: “Competition for selection is always fierce, and we’ve created a squad that mirrors that intensity. It’s crucial to maintain depth and balance as we gear up for the challenges ahead.”
Few players can say they have made history in their debut season in top-tier football, but Freier has certainly achieved that with her new club.
The 23-year-old not only secured a hat-trick in her first start for Brisbane Roar against Newcastle Jets in Round 7 but followed it up with another treble in a dominant 8-2 win over Western United.
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“It’s obviously a dream,” Freier said in January when discussing the possibility of receiving a call-up to the Matildas, speaking to aleagues.com.au.
“That’s something I aspire to achieve. However, my immediate focus is on performing well for the Roar in every game, contributing to the team, and then hopefully, opportunities will arise down the line.”
When asked if she thought there was a chance she’d receive a Matildas call ahead of the SheBelieves Cup campaign, Freier replied, “I don’t think so. I just need to concentrate on my performances and do my best for the girls and see where it leads me.”
“It’s obviously something I desire, and if I were to get the call, I’d be ecstatic. But I honestly have no idea! I don’t possess a lot of experience, so I’m uncertain what criteria they consider when selecting players, but I’d be surprised if I received the call-up.”
Freier’s journey to the Matildas began alongside her sister at Pine Rivers United before they both played pivotal roles in Moreton City Excelsior’s victory in the NPL U15s Premiership in 2016.
Later, they joined Brisbane Roar’s Youth team, where Freier contributed to a successful campaign, helping secure the 2018 NPLW Grand Final with her sister Sharn scoring the decisive goal.
Unfortunately, both sisters faced significant setbacks in 2021 as they both suffered ACL injuries within the same year.
Though they have been a formidable partnership at times for Brisbane Roar this season, Freier will have to wait to play for the national team alongside her sister, as Sharn is sidelined with an ankle injury sustained during Ninja A-League play, paving the way for Laini’s call-up.
However, Freier’s arrival at Brisbane Roar didn’t go as planned initially.
After her impressive season with Brisbane City that saw her lifting two trophies, Freier suffered an ankle injury in the NPLW QLD Grand Final, which delayed her Roar debut until December 15.
“I was pretty gutted when I got injured, knowing I had to wait a while, but I followed all the advice I was given to recover as quickly as possible,” she explained to aleagues.com.au.
“Having signed with the Roar, our team reached the Grand Final in the Queensland NPL. In the 90th minute, I rolled my ankle and felt it pop, thinking ‘I’ll be fine.’”
“But after the scans, I discovered I had ruptured two ligaments, and I was sidelined for three months.”
Fast forward four years, and the Freier family may soon have two members who can proudly call themselves Matildas by the end of February.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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