Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams to retire from international soccer after Paris Olympics

MELBOURNE: Australia’s long-serving goalkeeper Lydia Williams will retire from international soccer after the Paris Olympics, drawing the curtain on a career in women’s football that has spanned nearly 20 years. The 35-year-old Indigenous Australian will bow out after more than 100 international appearances and five World Cups with the “Matildas”.

“This team is truly special, and I am proud of what it stands for, what it represents for a whole generation of women and girls,” she said in a statement on Friday.

“It’s just getting started and I can’t wait to cheer on the team from the sidelines when the next chapter of my life begins.”

Though Mackenzie Arnold has become Australia’s first-choice keeper, Williams will hope to play a meaningful part in the squad’s bid for a maiden medal in Olympic soccer at the July 26-Aug. 11 Games.

Australia, semifinalists at its home Women’s World Cup last year, is drawn with Germany, Zambia and the United States in the group phase. Agencies

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