Sydney wins Matildas FIFA World Cup opener after football fans create history in USA match

Sydney sports fans has been rewarded for turning out in record numbers to support the Australian women’s soccer team with a major coup for the city and Matildas.

In a major coup for Sydney and NSW soccer fans, the rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium has been awarded the right to host the Matildas FIFA World Cup opener and Stadium Australia the final of the major women’s tournament.

Australia will host 35 of the 64 matches, including the Sydney final and the Matildas opener of the tournament being contested by 32 nations in 2023.

Sydney has been rewarded for fans turning out in record numbers to support the Matildas in the recent series against the USA.

At Stadium Australia - one of the venues being used during the World Cup - a mighty 36,109 fans watched the Matildas play the US in the biggest crowd ever to assemble for an Australian women’s match.

Australian fans during the recent Matildas v US match at Stadium Australia on November 27.

FIFA on Thursday unveiled the 64-fixture match schedule for the World Cup which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand

The Matildas will kick off their World Cup bid in 2023 at Sydney Football Stadium on July 20 with the final of the tournament a month later to be played at the same venue.

Australia hosts a further six group stage games in Sydney, five in Perth and Brisbane as well as four in Melbourne and Adelaide.

The round of 16 games will take place from August 5-8, and Stadium Australia will host at this stage of the event.

The semi finals will be played at Stadium Australia and Eden Park in New Zealand, with the winners of those games going through to the final, which will also be played at Stadium Australia on August 20.

Matildas star Sam Kerr is a fan favourite.

MATILDAS FANS CREATE FOOTBALL HISTORY AS SYDNEY TEEN DEBUTS

November: Western Sydney has produced yet another Matilda with a third local teenager making her debut for the Australian in the women’s football side this year.

Jessika Nash has joined an elite group as a Matilda with fellow Sydney football youngsters Courtney Nevins, 19, and Brylee Henry, 19, making their debuts in 2021.

Australian fans cheers during game one of the series International Friendly series between the Australia Matildas and the USA. Pic: Matt King/Getty Images

Henry pulled on the Australian jersey just a month ago against Brazil while Nevins debuted in Europe against Denmark.

While the 3-0 score line went against Australia, Sydney teenager Jessika Nash got to play in front of the biggest crowd to ever turn out to a Matildas match despite shocking weather in Sydney in the lead-up to the game.

Jessika Nash started the match for the Matildas. Pic: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

Nash, who played her junior football with the Doonside Hawks and the Blacktown Spartans, is the second Sydney teenager in a month to be sent out for Australia in an international after Werrington Downs youngster Henry played against Brazil last month in Sydney.

Margaret Purce and Courtney Nevin battle for the ball. Pic: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

A Hills Sports high school student, Nash, who now plays with the powerhouse Sydney FC club, has been playing the game since she was four.

She also played at the junior FIFA women’s World Cup and the 2019 AFC youth championships

Fans cheer on the Matildas at Stadium Australia.

Australian fans looking concerned in the match against the US.

The US dominated Saturday’s match against the Matildas, scoring in the opening 24

seconds as a record crowd of 36,109 watched don.

Nash and fellow teenager Courtney and Evan were both started in the match against the world No. 1 Americans.

Jessika Nash, third from left, with her new teammates.

Passionate Australian fans at the game.

The match against the US at Stadium Australia was being used as a “dress rehearsal” for the 2023 women’s World Cup final.

A boxing kangaroo in the record crowd in Sydney.

The crowd was dominated by green and gold - and plenty of young fans.

The previous best crowd for a Matildas match was the 33,000 who watch Australia play Sweden during the Sydney Olympics back in 2000.

The Matildas next outing is at McDonald’s Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Tuesday night.

MATILDAS SQUAD: Goalkeepers:Mackenzie Arnold, Teagan Micah, Lydia Williams

Defenders: Angela Beard, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Charlotte Grant, Alanna Kennedy, Jessika Nash, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne, Karly Roestbakken

Midfielders: Kyra Cooney-Cross, Emily van Egmond, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop

Forwards: Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Emily Gielnik, Bryleeh Henry, Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Charlize Rule, Remy Siemsen, Kyah Simon

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Originally published as Sydney wins Matildas FIFA World Cup opener after football fans create history in USA match