Football
AAP 8y

Australian women's football team arrive in Rio ready to fight for glory

The magnitude of the Olympic campaign that awaits them is beginning to dawn on the Australian women's football team as they settle into their Sao Paulo camp.

After a week of training at Fortaleza in Brazil's north-east, which ended in a 3-1 friendly loss to Brazil, the Matildas arrived in Sao Paulo and were greeted at the airport by Olympic staff.

"Getting into the airport and seeing all the people there with the bright beautiful clothing, saying 'Rio Olympics' -- that really set in," defender Laura Alleway said.

"It was devastating, not qualifying last time around ... it has been a long time coming.

"Once we play our first game, that is when it is really going to start to hit us, that we're at the Olympics.

"It's indescribable really, how exciting it is."

The Matildas, ranked fifth in the world, start their Olympic tournament against Canada on August 3 before matches against Germany and Zimbabwe.

"We actually have real competition for starting 11 spots," Alleway said.

"We're putting our best foot forward to hopefully come away with a medal.

"On our day, we can beat anyone.

"The competition between the top teams in the world is really hard ... but we're in it to win it.

"But small steps, Canada first and we'll just deal with it as it comes."

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