World game their goal

By Russell Bennett
HILLS teenagers Megan Thompson and Cordelia Crosbie are soccer stars in the making.
The two girls recently represented the Victorian under-15 team in the Football Federation of Australia Girls National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour.
The Victorian side came agonisingly close to taking out the Group B competition but fell short, to South Australia, on goal difference.
Both Megan, 15, and Cordelia, 14, are members of the exclusive National Training Centre (NTC) program, run by the Football Federation of Victoria and designed to encourage and foster the state’s brightest young talent with the goal of launching their professional careers.
The under-15 side regularly competes against junior boys teams, a ploy designed to sharpen the girls’ focus, intensity and skills.
Megan, from Monbulk, said the best part about the program was the intense training.
“That’s the difference (between NTC and club level),” she said. “We’re part of the program to improve our skills so we really train hard. I love it.
“In fact, whenever I’m not training, I really do miss it.”
Megan said she couldn’t remember when she first fell in love with the game of soccer. “But I used to play against the Grade 5 and 6 kids in primary school when I was in prep,” she said.
“I don’t think I ever beat them, but I loved the challenge.”
Megan, originally from the UK, said her goal was to play professional soccer, both as a goalkeeper for Australia and an overseas club in either the United States or England.
And her dream may come true.
Tom Sermanni, the coach of the Australian women’s soccer team, the Matildas, was at the Coffs Harbour youth tournament.
“The result of that (tournament) was actually pretty disappointing,” Megan said.
“We were told we’d won our group, but on a countback we lost to South Australia because they’d scored 18 goals and conceded seven. We scored 13 and conceded two.”
Cordelia, 14, a versatile goal scorer from Belgrave South, said it was a privilege to be a part of the team that competed in New South Wales.
“Even being part of the NTC program is an honour,” she said. “About 20 girls make it out of thousands who try.”
Cordelia said the best part of the program was the camaraderie among the playing group.
“The sense of achievement from winning together is huge,” she said.
Like Megan, Cordelia’s dream is to represent Australian.
“And the NTC program is great for that,” she says.
“It’s all about setting us up to play four our country.”
Craig White, head coach of the Croydon City Arrows under-16 A girls team, said coaching the girls was a pleasure, when they were there.
“It’s fantastic to have both of them in the side but we don’t see them much,” he said. “They’re normally playing in the NTC program.”
“They’re really special.”