Women’s World Cup 2023: Former Matildas’ messages ahead of Ireland opener
Matildas’ alumni, including Sydney 2000 Olympics captain Alison Foreman, have been called on to ease the pressure on Australia’s World Cup squad.
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Ellie Carpenter thrives on pressure but the pressure of this home World Cup is so great she can’t even comprehend it – not even after talking to the Matildas who played at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Carpenter, speaking as an Rebel sport ambassador, said the Matildas have had discussions with a number of former Australian women's’ players who donned the green and gold from 1970-2000.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics was a historic moment for women’s football – it was the second time it was included in the program, the first time the Matildas had qualified.
The Matildas lost 3-0 to Germany, drew 1-1 with Sweden and lost 2-1 to Brazil.
It wasn’t enough to progress past the group stage.
Alison Forman captained the Matildas’ for the historic tournament.
“It was amazing,” Forman said.
“I don’t think there’s anything better than representing your country at any time or any sports level. But playing at the Olympics and being captain at the same time was just amazing.”
Forman debuted for the Matildas in 1989 and represented Australia 95 times in her 13-year-career.
She said the Sydney Olympics were the turning point though.
“It was when the perspective of the Matildas’ started to change. People started to realise we could actually play football and people wanted to watch us play.”
The increased interest and a home crowd increased the pressure.
“There was pressure to not just participate but to get results,” Forman said.
Forman, who is currently in Denmark, wasn’t able to jump on the calls with the Matildas’ squad due to the time difference but said her No.1 piece of advice to the current squad would be to “simply enjoy the game”.
“If you enjoy the game everything else will just follow,” Forman said.
“I know they are going to have nerves. I know they’re going to be excited but at the end of the day it’s just a game of football. Just go on the park, do what you’ve trained for and enjoy it because the more relaxed and the more you enjoy the atmosphere the more successful they will be.”
Forman acknowledged it was easier said than done – especially in front of a home crowd with the expectation of results.
“I tried at (the Olympics) to be relaxed,” Forman said. “I wasn’t the kind of player that got really nervous.
“I seriously believe if you remember your roots and why you actually started playing football and why you love playing football then you will be relaxed with it.
“They are going to be successful. I think we have an amazing team and we have a really good opportunity to do well in this World Cup.”
Across the three Olympic Games 85,000 people watched the Matildas – which at the time was a record.
Interest in the Matildas opening World Cup game with Ireland was so great FIFA switched the match from Sydney Football Stadium to Stadium Australia – meaning the match will be played in front of more than 80,000 people.
Carpenter said no one in any Matildas team had experienced playing in front of that many people before.
“For me, as a professional athlete I thrive off the pressure,” Carpenter said.
“It’s so cool that we get to experience that. No one has experienced a home World Cup before in this team.
“We have people tell us what it is like if they’d played at the Olympics in 2000 at home but I feel like it’s so hard to actually replicate that until we’re out there and you can’t really prepare for it in any way because no one has experienced that.”
Carpenter said the former Matildas shared a range of experiences but it was the memories of the women who played at the Sydney 2000 Olympics that stuck with her the most.
“They explained their story and their history and it was amazing to hear and they just kept saying that the Olympics in 2000 walking out into the stadium was amazing and that they got goosebumps,” Carpenter said.
“They said they were going to cry watching us walk out there and I feel like it’s kind of deja vu for them seeing us, as they did it 23 years ago – it’s kind of gone full circle.”
It is a very big circle when you consider Carpenter said there would have been just 100 people in the crowd the first time she saw the Matildas’ play as a 12-year-old.
“A couple of years later, I was in a team and we started to get 5000, 10,000. Our first sell out was at Penrith and it was 25,000 and we like ‘wow’,” Carpenter said.
“I still remember that game, it was one of the best games of my career, I was like 16 or 17 and I was just thinking ‘this is amazing’.
“In less than two weeks we are going to be walking out in front of 80,000 people, it is crazy, it gives me goosebumps just talking about it.”
In-form Fowler a ‘real star in the future’
With the likes of Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord in top form football prodigy Mary Fowler is going to be battling for minutes this World Cup – but Manchester City teammate Laura Coombs has her pegged as a “star”.
Fans got a taste of what Fowler can do in the send-off match against France when she made a perfectly timed run and slotted a ball past the keeper to score the Matildas only goal of the game.
THE BREAKTHROUGH 🔥
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) July 14, 2023
Mary Fowler blows the roof off Marvel Stadium with the game's opening goal!
🎥: @10FootballAU
#AUSvFRA#Matildaspic.twitter.com/hPLeDls3cx
It was something Kerr, Foord, Hayley Raso and Cortnee Vine had all tried to do in the first half and failed.
Coombs, talking at the Lionesses camp at the Sunshine Coast, plays alongside Fowler, Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley at Manchester City.
“I love them, and I know what they do on a day-to-day basis. They are such good athletes, they are really strong and technical as well,” Coombs said.
Fowler, 20, has struggled for minutes in her first WSL season, due to the high quality players at the club.
“She has got so much potential, she’s both footed, she’s so strong, fast, technical. If she can keep building I think she’s going to be a real star in the future.”
Coombs had much fewer words about super striker Kerr.
“She is Sam Kerr, she only needs one opportunity, that’s all I’ll say on her,” Coombs said.
The World Cup is extra special for Coombs, who had been out of the Lionesses squad since 2017.
“It’s amazing, I’ve enjoyed every minute and I just think the training sessions and the highs and lows I’ve had in my career have all been worth it,” the 32-year-old said.
“You work your whole career for moments like this and now I’m here I really want to grab it with two hands and make the most of the experience.”
Depending on how the pieces fall England and Australia could face off in the Round of 16.
Last time the two sides met, in a pre-Cup friendly, Australia walked away winners 2-0 – ending England’s 30 game unbeaten streak.
“They have a really strong solid play,” Coombs said of the Matildas.
“They’re really clever counter attack and they’ve got pace all over their team, we are most possession based so our styles sort of clash a little bit, it’s always a really good game.
“The last game we played against them we definitely didn’t play our best game but they made the most of every opportunity.”
England’s first game of the World Cup is against Haiti on July 22 in Brisbane.
Originally published as Women’s World Cup 2023: Former Matildas’ messages ahead of Ireland opener
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