Matildas ride the high – but the real Women’s World Cup is just beginning
The Matildas took it easy the day after their dream 4-0 win over Canada. Life is about to get tougher.
The Matildas are a jolly bench, eh?
Their goal celebrations are stacks on the mill. When Steph Catley slotted home her penalty against Canada in Melbourne, she took off like she wanted to run a lap of Swanston Street.
They’re a joy to watch and that’s partly why their World Cup matches are filling stadiums, attracting four-million-plus TV viewers and making one little girl paint a loveheart banner that read MATILDAS FOREVER.
It’s not just what they do as footballers, it’s how they do it.
Tuesday was dedicated to rest and relaxation for the team, grabbing a cuppa and getting back to the Brisbane base, revelling for just one day in the dynamite 4-0 defeat of Canada that surpassed even the wildest expectations of those gathered in lounge rooms, pubs and AAMI Park grandstands.
They stretched aching, triumphant legs in the morning, lucky to take a sip of cappuccino without getting handshakes, thumbs-ups, good-lucks and go-get-ems from the public.
One toddler high-fived by Sam Kerr won’t remember it in later life – but here’s a clipping for your scrapbook, kid.
Their next match is at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Monday. Canada coach Bev Priestman was full of praise for the Australians, predicting at least a semi-final berth. “Thing is, they play with that level of belief,” she said. “These moments define them. They’re going to be riding a massive high. They were brave and they went for it and changed things. Australia is a top, top side.
“There’s nothing stopping them pushing through this because they should be probably in the top four of a World Cup.”
It was all fun and games the day after they played a heck of a game, but here’s the fact of the matter. The real part of the Cup hasn’t even started.
The Matildas were great against Canada but if they’re fair dinkum about winning the tournament, they have to be great again and again and again and again. Four sudden-death matches in 13 days stand between the Australians and the trophy.
And the opposition will only get stronger. Every fixture from now presents the same tense scenario. Win and you’re in, lose and you’re out.
The Matildas’ goal celebrations, including Catley’s, keep spilling over the sideline to embrace Kerr. Clearly, she’s the side’s spiritual leader even when she’s not the physical one.
Coach Tony Gustavsson said the injured captain implored her mates to beat Canada and reach the next phase of the tournament so she had more time to recover from her calf injury.
“Part of the reason why I think they were so united and performed the way they did,” Gustavsson said, “was what Sam said to the team: ‘Make sure you win without me so I can get another week to train and recover and get healthy.’ The team responded … You could see that conviction and commitment from the players so that Sam gets another week of training.”
Kerr has been in tremendously good spirits despite missing the first three matches of a tournament she’s awaited for years.
“I’m not the first person to get injured and I won’t be the last” she told FIFA.com.
“It’s just something I’ve had to deal with … You have to be there for the team. This is a team sport, not an individual sport.”
Although she would have taken the field against Canada if the situation was urgent, it never came to that.
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