Women’s World Cup fever reaches a sold-out crescendo as Australia beats France

The Matildas versus France result was neither here nor there. What it really did was highlight how far they’ve come.

The Matildas’ Hayley Raso fights off a challenge from Wendi Renard of France during World Cup warm-up in Melbourne on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images

The Matildas wanted a sense of connection. They wanted to see, feel and hear the fervent support of every young girl, old granny and fair-dinkum bloke getting ­behind their World Cup campaign. They got what they wanted in Melbourne on Friday night.

“It’s important to look at the mental part of the game,” ­Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said before the warm-up match against France.

“To be able to connect with all of the fans. I mean, a sold-out stadium, to check in mentally for this World Cup, it’s not just about football and Xs and Ys. This is emotional. It’s about the legacy these players have already started to create. To connect and unite the nation. To be excited. It’s like a celebration in that sense.”

Captain Sam Kerr sang the ­national anthem, grinned from one ear to the other, clapped the masses and her teammates, ­jumped around in her electric pink boots and said, “Let’s go. Come on.”

The Matildas had more ­energy, more cohesion, more ­attacking intent and departed Marvel Stadium with a spring in their step after a one-nil victory thanks to a Mary Fowler goal. They were the superior team in front of a bumper audience of 50,629 … a record for the ­Matildas. An entertaining team.

You’ve gotta have supreme confidence to wear boots like Kerr’s. She’s not shy about the task ahead. Her every touch of the ball created a roar from the patrons. Only a special athlete has that sort of rock-star aura. She doesn’t get the ball at her feet a heck of a lot as a striker and so if she is in possession, an attacking raid is invariably under way. She didn’t bother the scorers in her first match for a couple of months and yet a few touches were ­golden. Better for the run.

There was niggle and agro. Pushing and shoving. A collective gasp when Kerr was tackled heavily and hit the deck hard.

Ellie Carpenter of the Matildas. Picture: Getty Images

Good luck and break a leg, you thought before the game, but don’t actually go out there and break a leg. She emerged ­unscathed in a 61-minute performance. “It’s been a long time coming,” she said of the Cup. “We’re excited. We’re ready for the moment. We can really feel that the whole country is behind us. We’re super-excited and super-proud to bring this tournament home ... I love competing. I love winning. I think the will to win is the biggest factor.”

The match highlighted how far the Matildas have come. Remember, their blockbuster against Ireland on Thursday night was originally slated for the 45,000-seat Allianz Stadium in Sydney. Only when tickets went on sale did it become evident the Matildas needed a bigger house. All 80,000 tickets have been sold at Homebush.

“It’s going to be the biggest women’s football tournament ever … this is just the beginning,” defender Ellie Carpenter said.

The Matildas were good to Gustavsson’s pre-match words. He promised attacking, in-your-face, high-octane football. They delivered it. Fast and frenetic. Pleasing to the eye.

Kerr’s partner in crime up front, Caitlin Foord, looked ­especially sharp. Kerr cannot win the Cup on her own and with Foord in cahoots, she won’t have to. Of all the connections made on Friday night, theirs was palpable.