After losing to the Tigers of England in the Women’s World Cup semi-final, Australia’s Matilda’s are “disappointed” to be out of the final but are confident of a victory over a nation, after a stellar performance throughout the series.
On Wednesday, England beat the co-hosts 3-1 in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup to deny them a first World Cup final on home soil, but Australia head coach Toni Gustavson said it was the Matildas’ For it is “just the beginning”.
“I hate to lose but it’s bigger than 90 minutes of football,” he said.
The Matildas captivated Australia to make it to the last four for the first time, winning the support of people across the country and performing in front of their record-breaking home crowd, reports the BBC.
Wednesday’s semifinal was the most-watched event on national television since at least 2001, averaging more than 7 million viewers, while bars and pop-up viewing sites abounded across the country.
Moreover, the fierce competition between the rivals did not disappoint the spectators, with moments of agony and joy, including Sam Kerr’s stunning equalizer in the 63rd minute.
“Ker’s goal was crazy and showed the world what Australian footballers are capable of. The reaction in the pub last night was electric,” Sydney-based fan Rochelle Mallett told the BBC.
“Australians now know the names of the Matildas — not just Sam Kerr but Mackenzie Arnold, Caitlin Ford. We’re so proud of them all. They’ve really united us.”
Meanwhile, the raw loss to the rival was bittersweet for many others.
“Putting English muffins in my toaster and toasting them repeatedly until they fall apart,” Australian radio presenter Matt Bevan wrote online.
The Matildas have bounced back from their best performance at the World Cup, exiting the quarter-finals on three separate occasions, and will aim for a third-place finish when they take on three-time bronze medalists Sweden on Saturday. Have to do.
“I feel like as a team, we have a lot of belief and a lot of confidence as a group,” added Swede Gustavsson. “No matter what’s happened outside, no matter who we’ve come up against, we’ve been able to solve every challenge. Every game we’ve faced I have been successful, and come out on top.
“At the moment we are not happy to be in the semi-finals, we are disappointed not to be in the final. We want to go one step further – we all have a dream.”
In addition, Australia experienced record attendances throughout the series, just as England won their first major trophy on home soil with the Euros, and went further than many might have imagined. be
Australia’s last-four lead was the talk of the week, with the team’s exploits appearing on both the front and back pages of newspapers across the country as supporters celebrated “Matildas Mania”.
Australia can now reap the rewards of domestic competition, boosting their confidence to compete on the international stage and inspiring a new generation of players.
“I’m glad people believe we can win this tournament,” Gustavson said.
“We felt that belief, we’ve had that belief internally for a long time. Maybe we’re not as advanced, or as big players or as many resources, but we have something more in this team. It is special.
“I don’t think it’s too early [to think about winning the World Cup], but I also think it’s the start of something. We’re making the most of the resources we have right now. Capital Kari’s returns are great but let’s invest more and become real contenders.”
Legendary Australian striker Sam Kerr echoed his manager’s sentiments by describing the results as “disappointing” but added that she would still reflect on an impressive campaign in other ways.
“I have to think about all the things that the team has done, and I’ve done, to get where we are now and to inspire a nation,” Kerr added. “I can only speak for the Matildas but we need funding for our development, we need funding for our grassroots.”
Gustavsson added that the result was “bigger than 90 minutes of football”, as the Matildas managed to attract more fans to women’s football in the last four weeks.
“We are very disappointed that we lost, but hopefully we won a few more,” he said. “We have won the heart and passion for this sport in this country.”
