Don't Play
Replay Replay Video Icon
Player help icon
Video settings
Video will begin in 5 seconds.
Return to video
Please Log into update your video settings
More video
Recommended Replay video
Return to video
Video settings
Please Log into update your video settings
Plays of the Week
From tight corners to trick shots, these are the most exciting, silly and downright crazy plays in the sport world this week.
PT2M13S 620 349Matildas coach Alen Stajcic remains confident of leading the first Australian football team to a medal at the Olympic Games despite receiving a tough draw for the 2016 Games in Brazil.
The Matildas were drawn in the only group boasting three of the top 10 ranked nations in women's football, being drawn in Group F with Germany, Canada and Zimbabwe.
The World Cup quarter-finalists are the first Australian football team to qualify for the Olympic Games since 2008.
Made it: The Matildas players celebrate after qualifying for the Rio Olympics. Photo: Getty Images
While receiving a difficult draw on paper, Stajcic is buoyed by a schedule that avoids the hot, humid and remote city of Manaus, deep in the Brazilian Amazon.
Advertisement
Logistically kind but competitively difficult, Stajcic highlighted their opening clash against Canada as one of the most important to their chances earning a medal.
"Canada is a very strong team, very similar to America, very physical, very athletic, a lot of height up front and a well organised team with John Herdman as coach," Stajcic said.
"They'll be coming in with a lot of confidence especially after [winning bronze in] London 2012."
Australia will then face the world's No.2 ranked Germany, a side yet to add an Olympic gold medal to their two World Cup titles and six European championships.
Australia's last group opponents, Zimbabwe, are somewhat of an unknown quantity but Stajcic says the schedule will provide the coaching staff enough opportunity to evaluate them.
"The fact they've ousted teams like Nigeria and Cameroon who I thought were exceptional at the World Cup shows they've got something. The tricky part for us is that they're an unknown quantity so we've certainly got to learn as much about them as we go along," Stajcic said.
Their chances of winning a medal received a major boost after being granted additional funding by the Australian Institute of Sport which will provide the team with five additional training camps in May and June.
The first camp will begin on May 1 comprised solely of domestic based players with Stajcic preferring that those playing abroad remain match fit in professional environments.
"They're getting good training at the moment and getting fitter and fitter and getting match time which is probably what I want more of our players to be doing," he said.
"We've got some matches in May, June and then they'll join the team, hopefully we'll all get together on July the first which will give us a month and two days full-time together which is precious time together as a national team."
The first camp will be comprised of 16 domestic based players, allowing Stajcic an opportunity to assess players who missed out on recent squads.