Australia launched its World Cup at home in jubilation and fervor

It is a collective cry of joy that resounded in the Sydney night. At the final whistle of the match between Australia and Ireland, the eleven players on the lawn and the tens of thousands of supporters massed in the bays all let their joy burst. THE Matildas started their World Cup in the best of ways, Thursday July 20, by winning against Ireland in front of a record crowd (75,784 spectators) and a great atmosphere, for a historic evening.

Three hours before kick-off, under the setting sun, while the doors were not yet open, the first supporters had begun to invest the forecourt of Stadium Australia, located in the huge Olympic Park in Sydney. Like Josh, who follows the Matildas for ten years. “It’s historic, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. It’s going to be great to have so many people”he savored.

Throughout the evening, it was a yellow wave made up of jerseys, jackets and also plaids to protect against the cold (10 degrees at kick-off), which surrounded the enclosure. Not necessarily large gatherings, but many small groups ready to raise their voices and sing, in front of the cameras, the Irish fans, or the compatriots.

“Incredible to have 75,000 people to push behind us”

No bad news, neither the announcement of the injury of Sam Kerr, withdrawal for the first two meetings of his own, nor the mention of the shootout the same morning in Auckland, which hosted the opening match at the New Zealand co-host, could cool the heat in the hearts. Among all the supporters crossed around Stadium Australia, the same speech: a drama “terrible”a “thinking of families”but “no worries” and a focus on “the positive to come”.

In the spans, the public aussie was heard with big olas, at the entrance of the players and at the kickoff. “Probably the most amazing moment was when the national anthem started, it was amazing to see so many Aussies come together.”entrusted in the mixed zone the striker Cortnee Vine. If it was not so noisy throughout the meeting, the public was ready to celebrate the recoveries and the demonstrations of force of its players. Stadium Australia exploded for the first time after obtaining the penalty, converted by evening captain Steph Catley (51st). The Arsenal player made no mistake about it and took the whole group to celebrate the goal at the foot of the side stand.

It ignited a second time at the announcement of the evening crowd. And for a final recovery once the match was over, after the last ten minutes where the Australians were cornered and in apnea. “It was amazing to have 75,000 people pushing behind us, especially in those tough last minutes.”recognized the Australian coach, Tony Gustavsson, in a press conference, thanking the supporters. “I always said it was an adventure at 23, but tonight the public was the 24th player with us.”

A change of stadium to meet the demand for attendance

Everything had been done to maintain the fever around the entry into the running of the Matildas. At the end of January, Fifa announced that the first match on Australian soil, initially scheduled for the Sydney Football Stadium (42,500 seats) would finally be played at Stadium Australia, hitherto scheduled for finals matches, in order to meet demand for tickets. “It shows the confidence we have in the team to draw a huge crowd for the first game on Australian soil.”had then reacted James Johnson, the president of Football Australia.

Six months later, the huge crowd numbered 75,784 spectators, enough to break the attendance record for a match of the Matildas home established last week against Les Bleues (50,629 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne). “It’s a big moment for Australian women’s football, when you think back to the years when hardly anyone came, it’s crazy to see everyone tonight”appreciated in advance Cassai, surrounded by her friends around the stadium. “We all played football, we fought for tickets and to be there tonight, to live this moment live.”

A discipline not always in the spotlight

The event is all the more significant as women’s football, and football in general, sometimes struggles to exist in the galaxy of the most popular sports in Australia. “It’s almost a niche. National teams and clubs have always struggled to build and maintain fan bases, loyal supporters”, decrypts Angela Christian-Wilkes, writer specializing in Australian women’s football. Moreover, in the evening crowd, rugby and AFL club shirts rubbed shoulders with Kerr and Carpenter flocked tunics.

If it is the most practiced sport in the country, according to the latest data from the Australian Sports Commission AusPlay (more than a million players, including 500,000 licensees in 2021 according to the Australian Federation), it is not surrounded by the same enthusiasm and the same passion as cricket, rugby, or even “footy”, Australian football. “The fact that 80,000 people want to see a football match, men or women for that matter, shows that there is interest, a demand”explains Angela Christian-Wilkes.

Additional proof, if needed, the three group games of the Matildas are already sold out. And given the atmosphere and the emotion at the end of the meeting, the state of grace has enough to last a few more weeks, at least.