MACKENZIE ARNOLD'S FAMILY IT'S BEEN AN EMOTIONAL roller-coaster!"

THE HERO GOALKEEPER'S BROTHER SAM IS HER BIGGEST FAN

- Brigid Auchettl

The Matildas’ 2023 World Cup campaign will be forever etched in our memories, thanks in large part to the extremely capable hands of goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.

Stepping between the posts to defend a nail-biting penalty kick decider in the quarterfinal against France, Mackenzie propelled the Aussies into a history-making semifinal against England – and instantly became a national hero.

The feat earned her the nickname ‘Brick Wall’, but to her big brother Sam Arnold she is simply ‘Kenz’. Queensland-based Sam, 34, spent his childhood playing backyard soccer with his younger sister. He watched on anxiously as Mackenzie, 29, stood between victory and defeat in every thrilling Matildas match.

“It’s such a hard position to play mentally, being a goalkeeper,” Sam tells New Idea exclusively. “Being a World Cup, it just adds that extra element of nervousness.

“I’m so proud of her.” Sam, his wife Amy and daughters Peyton, three, and one-year-old Sage, all came to Sydney to cheer on Mackenzie, setting them on what he describes as an “emotional roller-coaster”.