It says a lot about the Matildas’ goalkeeping situation that it took 34 caps for Mackenzie Arnold to believe she was truly deserving of the first-choice custodian’s spot.
And that 34th national team appearance only came in the Matildas’ most recent match – April’s 2-0 win over England in London.
It was also a game played almost 11 years after Arnold’s Matildas debut as a teenager in November 2012 against Chinese Taipei.
Since then, Arnold has been part of the Matildas’ World Cup and Olympic Games squads without establishing herself as a permanent fixture in the starting 11.
Veteran keeper Lydia Williams had always been a hurdle to overcome before the emergence of Teagan Micah suddenly relegated Arnold to being Australia’s third-choice keeper at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson’s constant changing of his starting keepers also didn’t help Arnold’s confidence or belief that she was worthy of a spot in Australia’s best team.
“For the longest time it was just Lydia and me competing, and I felt like I was on the way, and then ‘Teags’ comes in and she’s competing with us too,” West Ham keeper Arnold, now 29, said.
“The order has changed so much that … you’re always trying to figure out ‘where does he (Gustavsson) see me’ and ‘where am I in this pecking order’.
“It does get hard for sure when you’re over-thinking each and every decision he makes. It does get a little bit mentally exhausting.”
However, the uncertainty started to ease at February’s Cup of Nations tournament in Australia.
Despite being with the squad, Micah was unable to play due to lingering effects from concussion, while Williams was a late arrival in camp because of club commitments with Brighton.
“Automatically, I thought ‘he (Gustavsson) has to play me’,” Arnold said in recalling the build-up to the Matildas’ opening match of four-team tournament against Czechia.
The Matildas won 4-0 in Gosford, with the Gold Coast product performing well between the posts.
“I had nothing to lose. I probably was third keeper at that point, so I thought if this was going to be the last game I got until after the World Cup, then so be it, but to do everything I could to at least make myself happy and put in a performance that I was proud of,” she said
“Thankfully, I took my opportunity – in the past I hadn’t done that.
“The girls really got around me and that’s really what pushed me for the next couple of games.”
Arnold has now started in five successive matches for the Matildas, including the memorable win over the Lionesses three months ago.
“That was the first game that I really felt that (goalkeeper’s spot) was my position and that this was my team,” she said.
“I felt like I belonged there, I felt more comfortable, and I was able to just play my game and be myself rather than rather than trying to focus on not making a mistake or not giving (Gustavsson) a reason to take me out of the team.
“It just felt normal and it felt really good.”
However, Arnold is still not sure if she will be starting in the Matildas’ FIFA Women’s World Cup opener against Ireland on Thursday week in Sydney.
“I would like to think so, but we still have another game to go before the first game of the World Cup,” she said ahead of the Matildas’ friendly against France on Friday night in Melbourne.
“I feel like I’ve done all I can recently, and I feel like I’m moving in the right direction, but it comes down to Tony’s decision and that’s something that I have to respect, no matter what.”