Tillies' debut caps remarkable month

Above: Laini Freier making her debut for the Matildas. Picture Mike Christy - Football Australia

Redcliffe-born Laini Freier, who played junior and senior football in Moreton Bay, has followed her twin sister and become a Matilda.

Laini - 24 minutes older than sister Sharn - came on late yesterday in Australia's 2-1 defeat by the world number one USA in the SheBelieves Cup.

Playing the last nine minutes in Arizona, she mirrored Sharn’s debut as the 228th Matilda as a late substitute against Mexico in Texas 10 months ago.

Laini told Channel 10 Sport after the game she already had a "big message" from Sharn, who was her "number one fan".

In the message Sharn, who is recovering from injury, said she was "damn proud" of Laini winning her first cap.

"You know why? Because you deserve it," Sharn wrote, "you are breaking records and not even realising how big it is.

"You just played football for your country ... because you are an unreal player. One day soon I hope we will be playing for the national team together."

Midfielder Laini became the 236^th Matilda less than three years after playing for state-level Moreton Bay United (now Moreton City Excelsior).

Remarkably, Laini made her Women's A-League debut for Brisbane Roar in December and has scored seven goals in 11 games - including the competition's first back-to-back hat-tricks!

The 23-year-old Freier twins grew up in Pine Rivers, went to Pine Rivers State High School and started at Pine Rivers United before joining Moreton Bay United.

After her debut 'Tillies Interim Head Coach Tom Sermanni said: “We need to introduce players into this environment.

“To come straight from the A-League Women, to playing the US in an arena like this, it can be quite daunting.

“So, it’s good to get those players on the field and give them a taste of international football.”

It capped a remarkable month for Laini who received her Matildas call-up within hours of signing a contract extension with Brisbane Roar.

“It has happened pretty quickly. It (playing for Australia) has always been a dream of mine,” Laini told Channel 10 after her selection.

“I called my Mum and she was crying. Called (twin sister) Sharn before (her) surgery and she was so proud.

“She’s always had my back, always believed in me. I honestly don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for Sharn.”

Sharn, whose career started in Moreton Bay region, will leave Roar at the end of the A-League season in April or May.

Now a regular for the Tillies', Sharn is joining German Bundesliga giants VfL Wolfsberg in a club record deal for Roar.

As juniors, Laini and Sharn won the NPL Under 15 premiership in 2016 with Moreton Bay United, joined The Gap and Roar, but in 2021 returned to Moreton Bay as seniors.

Both suffered ACL injuries, within weeks of each other and were out for more than a year, before returning and then going to Brisbane City.