By CNN
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From this week, soccer fans will be able to buy Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s Nike jersey, more than six months after she wore the purple top at the Women’s World Cup.
The jersey will be available to buy via the Football Australia online store from Tuesday, the governing body said in a statement on Monday, and through retailers from Wednesday.
Arnold kept a tournament-high four clean sheets during the Matildas’ run to the semifinals of last year’s Women’s World Cup, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
In the country’s quarterfinal victory against France, the 30-year-old saved three penalties during the shootout as Australia reached the semifinals for the first time.
“The support we as goalkeepers have felt from our fans over the last year has been absolutely incredible,” Arnold said.
“It means so much to me that we’ll head into another huge year for our team, and our sport, knowing that our families, friends and fans will be backing us all the way, and wearing our jerseys with pride.”
The sale of goalkeeper jerseys has been a point of controversy in women’s soccer, ever since Nike did not put the uniform on general sale during last year’s World Cup.
That prompted England shot-stopper Mary Earps to campaign vociferously for the sportswear company to release the women’s goalkeeper jerseys ahead of the tournament.
In August, Nike acknowledged that it “didn’t serve those fans who wished to show their passion and support to the squad’s goalkeepers,” according to Reuters, and subsequently made the goalkeeper jerseys of four teams – England, US, France and the Netherlands – available for sale.
In a statement on the Football Australia website, Ashley Reade, Nike’s Pacific vice president and general manager, said: “With this release, our first-ever replica goalkeeper jersey for an Australian football team, we look forward to seeing Aussie fans continue to show their support for the entire Matildas’ squad in another huge year for sport.”
The jerseys will cost 125 Australian dollars (about $82) in adult sizes and 100 Australian dollars (about $66) in youth sizes.
The Matildas’ next game is an Olympic qualifying match against Uzbekistan in Melbourne on Wednesday. Australia is the favorite of the two teams to reach this year’s Games in Paris having won 3-0 in the first leg.
