The ‘special’ bond spurring Emily van Egmond and Matildas during road to World Cup

It is just after lunch on a recent afternoon in the southern California beach city of San Diego and Emily van Egmond’s usually hectic life is in unfamiliar territory; the globetrotting Australian midfielder has time to relax.

“I have no plans for the rest of the day,” van Egmond laughed in an interview with CODE Sports.

An empty schedule is rare for van Egmond, who in recent weeks flew more than 30,000km to play four games on two continents. The Newcastle-born and raised 29-year-old jetted to Australia earlier this month for the Matildas’ two pre-World Cup friendlies against Canada, jumped back on a plane to the US and immediately flew to Washington DC to play for her American club team, San Diego Wave FC, against the Washington Spirit.

Van Egmond showed no signs of jet lag while delivering pinpoint assists on two goals – one to the Wave’s star American striker Alex Morgan. The team then flew back to California for an historic win against Los Angeles’ Angel City. The game was played in San Diego’s new Snapdragon Stadium in front of 32,000 fans. The sellout crowd smashed the single-game attendance record for America’s elite National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Van Egmond’s star-studded Wave, which also features Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, sits on top of the NWSL ladder with just a few games left before the playoffs.

Yes, life is good for van Egmond on and off the pitch. When she puts a Matildas jersey on she’s feeding the ball to Australia’s ace, Sam Kerr. When she’s playing for the Wave, she is doing the same for American superstar Morgan.

Winning a World Cup in Australia next year with the Matildas would be a dream come true and van Egmond is a key to what could be a fairytale debut season for the Wave.

The Wave are the NWSL’s latest expansion team and with van Egmond, Morgan and Sheridan leading the way in front of an adoring fan base, the team is on track to claim the title with their first attempt.

“I love playing football for my country and I love playing football for San Diego,” van Egmond said.

“When you are a professional footballer, particularly from Australia, travel is the nature of the beast, but it has been a fun year in San Diego. We’ve been winning, so that definitely helps.”

If there’s a city in the US that could be compared to Newcastle, it is San Diego. It’s a major port city blessed with stunning surf beaches. Like most Novocastrians, van Egmond grew up at the beach with a surfboard and competing with the Nippers.

“I actually don‘t have a surfboard here in San Diego with me, and to be honest I haven’t spent much time at the beach because of the travel required with this league, but one of my ex-teammates (the Matildas’) Laura Alleway lives near me and is a keen surfer and we’ve been meaning to hit the water at some point,” van Egmond said.

“It sounds crazy, but I just haven’t found the time to do it.”

Another great Australian pastime is, of course, drinking coffee. Finding good coffee joints in the US that fit the standards for picky Australians is not the easiest, but van Egmond has found a few gems in San Diego. One is Palmys Cafe, an Australian-owned cafe.

Catching up for coffee to quell the constant jet lag could also be one of the Wave’s secrets for building team chemistry and instant success on the pitch. Most Wave team members live in the same apartment complex.

“That allows us to do things together,” van Egmond said.

“There’s some nice coffee shops within walking distance and other things to do nearby, so it is a great situation for us.”

Van Egmond was born into a football family. Her father, Gary, played for the Socceroos and coached teams including the Matildas and the A-League’s Newcastle Jets. It did not take her long to rise to the top in Australia. Van Egmond was selected in her first Matildas squad at the age of 15 and as a 19-year-old began her globetrotting professional football career by signing with Denmark’s Fortuna Hjørring. She has also had stints with West Ham United in the FA Women’s Super League, FFC Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, the Chicago Red Stars, Seattle Reign and Orlando Pride in the NWSL and at home with the Newcastle Jets.

Next year is a milestone for van Egmond, and not just because of the World Cup; she turns 30 in July. Van Egmond, however, has no plans to retire or slow down her busy schedule.

“I actually haven‘t even thought about it to be honest,” van Egmond replied when asked if next year’s World Cup could be her last game for the Matildas.

“I’m taking everything as it comes and not trying to look too far into the future. I guess, in terms of my career, I will get to a certain point of knowing my limit or whatever it is, but right now we‘re so fortunate and lucky to have a home World Cup and we can’t wait. We had two really great crowd turnouts at the games we just played against Canada in Australia, so our home support will be huge next year at the World Cup. Everyone on the team is just so excited for it.”

The Matildas also have the advantage of players sharing lifelong friendships.

“It is one of the things that makes us special,” she said.

“A lot of us grew up playing together from an early age and here we are today still together. Apart from the great friendships, we also have such quality players playing in top tier clubs around the world. I grew up with Sam Kerr and I’m so happy to see her success, what she brings to the national team and the great things she is doing with her club team Chelsea.”

After clocking up millions of frequent flyer miles and living out of a suitcase while playing for the Matildas and elite clubs around the world, you would think travelling and seeking new adventures were favourite things for van Egmond to do. It’s not the case. Van Egmond is not a natural nomad.

“I‘m actually someone who really likes stability,” she laughed.

“The way my life has worked out, it couldn‘t have been more opposite, but at the end of the day you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and I wouldn’t change anything. Every place I’ve played has served a purpose and helped shape who I am today not only as a footballer, but as a person. I’ve been able to experience different cultures and live independently from such a young age.”