FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: The Matildas have Australia’s attention — but what happens next?
The Matildas have made enormous strides over the past month, but football faces a challenge to capitalise on the momentum as the World Cup draws to a close, writes BRENT READ.
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Save for the hour he spent attempting to extricate himself from the Homebush Bay car park the other night, my 11-year-old son had a cracking time watching the Matildas take care of Denmark at the women’s World Cup.
He went with a family friend but we had an inkling he was having a good time when a couple of video messages lobbed on our phones.
Somehow, he managed to get both the Matildas goals. Kid might have a future in the broadcasting game.
Ask him now whether he would get around in a Sam Kerr jersey and the answer is an emphatic yes. He barely knew who she was a month or so ago, although he did recognise her from the cover of the EA Sports game.
Mind you, he’s a fickle type. Midway through the last Premier League season he was a Manchester City fan. Then suddenly one day he decided to jump on board Arsenal with his old man. In hindsight, it wasn’t the smartest choice.
Regardless, he never uttered a word about the Matildas until this tournament began. As for wearing a Sam Kerr jersey, the thought had never entered his head.
Clearly strides have been made in recent weeks. Enormous ones at that. The conundrum for football in this country will be making sure the past month doesn’t leave his head when this tournament is over.
His mind is already consumed with plotting his fantasy team for the upcoming Premier League season, keeping an eye on Arsenal’s transfer movement and willing Penrith to a third consecutive NRL premiership.
There’s only so much sport one kid can fit inside his growing brain. Finding space for the Matildas once this tournament is done and dusted will be difficult.
Hate to be a doomsayer, but I can’t help but sense this tournament has created a false economy for women’s soccer in this country. Those of us with long memories can still recall John Aloisi converting a penalty early 20 years ago that sent the Socceroos to the World Cup, prompting predictions that the sleeping giant was about to be awoken.
You could argue football in this country has gone backwards since then. Which brings us back to today. Yes, enormous strides have been made over the past month, but the sport in this country was coming from a low base in terms of financial and fan support.
There was only one direction it really could go. Kudos needs to be given for doing just that. The Matildas and the governing body have kept up their end of the bargain. They’ve delivered an epic tournament with the home side aiming up.
Keeping the momentum is now the key as the tournament draws to a close, the footy codes reach a crescendo and summer beckons with cricket tours, tennis tournaments and days at the beach.
The deeper the Matildas go in the tournament, the more profound the impact will be. Winning against the might of France on Saturday will help. Then potentially England? Now that would leave a lasting impact.
Those of my vintage can vividly remember watching the Socceroos take England to the cleaners all those years ago when Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka ran riot at Upton Park against an England side led by a bloke named David Beckham.
Another dude named Wayne Rooney made his England debut that day. It was a seminal moment for the code and there are shades of it this week with the Matildas.
In their joint bid document a few years back, Australia and New Zealand vowed to use the World Cup to build the future direction for the game in Australia and New Zealand.
“We will achieve gender equality, making football the sport of choice for women and girls, both on and off the field,” they wrote.
They’re well on their way to achieving that lofty goal. The key will be what comes next, not just against France, hopefully England and then the final.
The true test will be after that as Matildas players head back to the big league in Europe and soccer in this country returns to being a second-tier sport.
Even winning a World Cup may not be enough to change that. The major footy codes are omnipotent. There’s even an arms race in the second tier. Only weeks after the women’s World Cup is over, the rugby union World Cup begins.
Sport never stops and our attention will quickly deviate. Enough of the negativity though. Now is a time to savour the moment. Let’s soak it up. My 11-year-old certainly is.
They’ve grabbed his attention and managed to hold it for the past few weeks. They need to retain it now, although I suspect it might be a tough job.
Arsenal are about to kick off their season, fantasy football is about to begin in earnest, the Panthers are running hot and he can see the finals looming.
As for the 15-year-old who spends half his life in his room, good luck. That might be asking a bit too much.
*******
Had a nasty little calf injury myself once. Annoyed the hell out of me. Gave way over and over again. Every time I thought it was right to come back, the damn thing went on me and I was back to square one.
Nothing quite like doing a calf. Even worse when you’re in the middle of a World Cup and meant to be the star of the whole damn show.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavosson has got it spot on so far and while the country clamours for Sam Kerr to be thrust Into the starting side, the safer bet may be to keep bringing her off the bench.
Keep her up your sleeve for when she is genuinely needed. It’s the old adage of breaking glass in need of emergency.
If the game is still in the balance at halftime against France, take Kerr out of cotton wool. If you hold a slender lead late in the game, stick her on to finish them off.
Kerr doesn’t need to be on from the start because the Matildas are playing just fine without her. She may well be the best player in the world but we haven’t really needed her yet.
Coaches live and die on decisions like the one our old mate Gustavsson faces on Saturday. Win and you’re a legend. Lose and you’re a goat.
Hell of a job being a coach.
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