Avaani Prakash is soaking it all in as the Western United star lives the dream at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup with the Young Matildas.
The Western United youngster delivered a fantastic 20-minute cameo off the bench in the tournament opener against host nation Colombia on Sunday.
Injecting energy and flair into midfield, Prakash had a would-be assist chalked off by VAR and made an excellent impact on Australia’s play in possession.
That impact was building long before kick-off, though, with Prakash telling Football Australia Media just how pumped she was amidst the raucous atmosphere in Bogota.
“It was amazing, the experience – I can’t even put it into words,” she said.
“When we walked onto the field in front of a sold out stadium, it was amazing. When we were going for the warm-up, the crowd – it was just so loud. I thought they were cheering for us, but I didn’t realise the Colombians were right next to us walking out to warm-up as well.
“It was very, very loud, but I think it really helped because the adrenaline brought momentum into the game, so it was very good.”
That special moment brought about Prakash’s debut at a FIFA World Cup tournament, and she had the backing of her family there to make it a night to remember.
“Seeing them there in our little crowd of Australian fans, it was so good. After the game when I saw them, it was amazing to have them next to me when I was doing all of it,” she said.
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Any Western United fans watching the game would have been extremely familiar with Prakash’s ambition and ability on the ball.
As soon as she came on, the 17-year-old was presenting as an option for her teammates at every opportunity and constantly looking to play the ball forward as Australia chased a goal in the game.
That commitment and competitive edge was driving Prakash when she crossed the white line, with only one thought on her mind.
“All I was thinking was just ‘get on the ball, we need to win this game’. That was all I was thinking when I was going in, but the moment I touched the ball I knew what to do so it was good,” she said.
It wasn’t to be in the end for Leah Blayney’s side but there is plenty more football to be played with two group stage matches remaining.
Once the dust settled on the result and the players got into their recovery the next day, Prakash said all eyes immediately turned to Wednesday morning’s contest with Mexico.
“We’ve got together as a team and we’re really focusing on this next game because we want the three points, we want to get out of the group stage and we want to do well in this tournament,” she said.
“Mexico are a very good side and it’s going to be a hard game. We need to look to keep the ball a bit more and create more attacking opportunities going forward.”
The past year has seen Prakash plant her foot firmly on the accelerator. After signing her first professional deal with Western United, Prakash made 14 Liberty A-League Women appearances and has been a regular feature in the Young Matildas squad in 2024.
With an incredibly bright future ahead, Prakash said that environment and opportunities she has been given at Western United have set her up for the future.
“It’s been a big 12 months, there’s been ups and there’s been downs but it’s been good,” she said.
“When I got to Western, I think that was a great experience for me to see what it’s like in a professional environment and I loved Western – the coaches, the staff and most importantly my team – they really helped me grow as a person on and off the pitch.
“I think just being around older girls in that environment really taught me how to be more professional – what to expect when I come into games, mentally what I need to prepare for. I think that’s helped me in international football.”
Prakash and the Young Matildas – including fellow Western United stars Chloe Lincoln, Kahli Johnson and Sasha Grove – will dust themselves off in search of three points against Mexico.
A win in that fixture would set up a final group game against Cameroon in which Australia could secure a place in the knockout stages.
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