The odds may be firmly against her side, but the US-born midfielder is looking forward to both the challenge posed by Australia’s fully professional squad, and the opportunity to rub shoulders with world-renowned striker Sam Kerr in Thailand’s final AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Group B match on Monday.

The Steel Roses, who beat Thailand 6-1 in their opening match on Friday, are in action against Chinese Taipei, with both China and Australia to advance with a match to spare with wins on Matchday Three.

With the difficulties faced in the final days of their pre-tournament preparation now well-documented, Jia Xiuquan’s side blew two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup participants Thailand away, scoring four goals before the interval on the way to a dominant victory.

The 28-year-old made a significant impact in her international return, supplying the assist for the first of Cailtin Foord’s three goals and showing a level of form and fitness which has eluded her for much of the last two years.

it was Simon’s first appearance under head coach Ante Milicic, with the Melbourne City star thrilled to play her part in an important win.

Unable to train and confined to their Brisbane hotel for an extended period as a result of health precautions, the Steel Roses showed they have an iron will, producing four first-half goals to claim a commanding victory a little over 24 hours after arriving in Sydney.

With three points emphatically secured, Jia revealed his satisfaction at his team’s ability to overcome their trying circumstances.

A Caitlin Foord hat-trick helped the Matildas avoid any slip ups on a sodden Campbelltown Stadium pitch, but Milicic seized on a handful of sloppy defensive moments, including one which saw Chinese Taipei striker Lee Hsiu-chin hit the woodwork, as something for his star-studded side to work on.

In their first competitive match since the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 – where long balls over the back four caused regular problems for Milicic’s side – the Australian boss said the issue remains a long-term concern.

It may have been a belated start to their bid to reach Tokyo 2020, but the Steel Roses wasted no time in stamping their authority on Group B, as the seven-time Asian champions piled on four first-half goals to put themselves out of sight early in the contest.

Li Ying and Tang Jiali scored two goals apiece, with Zhang Xin and Wang Shanshan also getting on the scoresheet as China took a significant step towards next month’s final play-off round, while Thailand are on the brink of elimination after successive defeats.