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Still coming down from the high of Saturday's
dramatic victory over France, the two experienced internationals
were quick to scotch the idea that facing England on Wednesday
for a place in the final held special significance.
"I think it's just another game," said goalkeeper Williams.
"At the end of the day we know how to shift focus to
representing and performing. It's a significant game, obviously
we are in the semi-finals, but it's just another opponent for
us."
While Williams watched on as fellow keeper MacKenzie Arnold
starred in Saturday's shootout thriller that triggered 'Matildas
Mania' across Australia, midfielder Yallop came into the match
as a substitute and buried the seventh penalty.
"The feeling in the group is really high at the moment and we
definitely enjoyed every second of that match, in front of that
crowd, and of course in front of everyone watching in Australia
and beyond the borders as well," she said.
"But we also want to repeat that feeling, so we are focusing on
the next game."
Yallop, who has played more than 100 times for her country,
started in midfield when the Matildas beat European champions
England 2-0 in London in April but said she did not think that
match would mean much on Wednesday.
"That was a friendly game," she said. "And yes, we can take
something out of it. But at the same time, we're into the
knockout games in a World Cup so it's a completely different
game."
What the sellout crowd at Stadium Australia can expect, Yallop
said, was that the Matildas would fight for every second of
however long the game lasted to put their country into a first
global soccer final.
"That's part of our jersey," she said. "When you put it on, you
really do sort of emulate that never-say-die attitude and that's
something that's instilled with us from a young age.
"I think you've got to have that edge before you even put the
Matildas jersey on. I think that's definitely something that
Australia gets behind, and it's something that we take great
pride in."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by)
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