Central Coast Mariners midfielder Isabel Gomez is letting her performances on the pitch speak volumes as she puts together a stellar season in Gosford. Given her current form, could this Ninja A-League sensation be in line for another call-up to the CommBank Matildas?
At just 22 years of age, Gomez received her first national team selection for a friendly series against Brazil and Chinese Taipei in late 2024. However, a knee injury shortly after her inaugural call-up meant she had to watch from the sidelines as the Matildas wrapped up the year with the four-match series.
After a 12-week recovery period, Gomez made her return to Ninja A-League action in mid-February and has since featured in five matches for the Mariners, quickly finding her scoring shoes once more.
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Having netted two goals in her first four outings this season, Gomez added another two to her tally in the five matches since her return, including a brilliant strike in Central Coast’s 2-0 victory over Wellington Phoenix in Round 20.
This week on Dub Zone, A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri and Sydney FC icon Teresa Polias discussed the young midfielder’s transformation into a goal scorer, suggesting it shouldn’t come as a surprise. They also speculated whether she was an unfortunate exclusion from interim head coach Tom Sermanni’s 23-player squad announced on Monday.
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“She’s just come back from a lengthy injury, and we were saying she’ll need to ease back into it for the Mariners,” Polias commented.
“Now she’s back to playing close to full matches and rediscovering her best form. It’s crucial for the Mariners to build their future around her—they should hold on to her at all costs.”
Pellizzeri countered: “They’ve secured her on a two-year deal, which covers next season, making it the perfect opportunity for the Mariners to consider a transfer fee. The only thing missing is that international cap.”
“I think having the Matildas connection would certainly make it easier to market Izzy Gomez overseas.”
Despite five Ninja A-League players being included in Sermanni’s 23-player selection, there was no place for Gomez, despite her coming up in a larger 36-player squad for her first call-up, a roster expansion due to the scheduling of the November/December window clashing with European league fixtures.
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Even with the current squad limited to 23 players, both Polias and Pellizzeri viewed Gomez’s exclusion as a significant oversight by interim coach Sermanni.
“In my view, she was the most notable omission from the latest squad,” Pellizzeri asserted.
“If her form warranted a call-up to the Matildas back then, she has only improved since. Her underlying performance metrics last season suggested she was the league’s best-kept secret leading into this campaign, and anyone analysing the data wouldn’t be surprised at her current form.”
Polias added: “It’s a tactical masterstroke by Em Husband to push Izzy Gomez further up the pitch, given her natural goal-scoring abilities—it’s a glaring oversight for the Matildas.”
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