Matildas duo receive WC All Stars honour

Matildas duo Lisa De Vanna and Elise Kellond-Knight have been named in the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star squad.

The pair were standouts as Australia produced their best-ever performance at a World Cup, earning a maiden quarter-final berth in Canada.

De Vanna starred as Australia’s primary attacking weapon up front, while tireless midfielder Kellond-Knight was central to Australia’s stunning round-of-16 upset of Brazil, after which she was named player of the match.

The victory over Brazil was Australia’s first-ever knockout win from a senior team at a soccer World Cup.

The Matildas would ultimately lose 1-0 to Japan in the quarter-final, but not before capturing the imagination of the Australian public.

The squad, announced on Monday, is made up of 23 players who impressed FIFAs Technical Study Group experts during the June tournament.

Also included were five players from the winning US side, with Ballon D’or winner Carli Lloyd and Golden Glove Hope Solo obvious selections, while Germany’s Golden Boot winner Celia Sasic was also named.

Goalkeepers: Nadine Angerer, Karen Bardsley, Hope Solo

Defenders: Saori Ariyoshi, Lucy Bronze, Kadeisha Buchanan, Steph Houghton, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Wendie Renard

Midfielders and forwards: Ramona Bachmann, Lisa De Vanna, Amandine Henry, Elise Kellond-Knight, Eugenie Le Sommer, Carli Lloyd, Anja Mittag, Aya Miyama, Megan Rapinoe, Mizuho Sakaguchi, Celia Sasic, Elodie Thomis, Rumi Utsugi