Cooney-Cross in World Cup rehearsal

TORQUAY football product Kyra Cooney-Cross has cemented a spot in Australia’s squad this month ahead of the home FIFA World Cup that kicks off in July.

The former Surf Coast Secondary College student earned a spot in the national side’s 25-player squad for the Cup of Nations, which starts in New South Wales tonight (February 16).

Australia’s tournament opens with Thursday night’s fixture against Czech Republic in Gosford, with matches to come against the world’s seventh-ranked side Spain in Sydney on Sunday (February 19) and facing Jamaica in Newcastle on Wednesday (February 22).

It comes after the midfielder, who turned 21 this month, established herself as a regular in coach Tony Gustavsson’s national team in the back half of last year.

Cooney-Cross featured in each of Australia’s six friendlies from September to November, including five starts, and notched two assists.

The selection also follows her first season in Europe with Stockholm club Hammarby after a switch from Melbourne Victory in March last year.

Cooney-Cross made her first start for the Swedish side following the league’s summer break in August and featured in every match from then on, recording 12 appearances and a goal on the way to the club’s fifth-placed finish.

The Cup of Nations is the last competitive competition for the Matildas before the team embarks on its campaign to win the world game’s most prestigious prize on home soil.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup takes place across Australia and New Zealand from July 20-August 20.