Bittersweet finale to incredible tournament for Aussie fans as England schooled by masters of the dark arts
Spain and England put on a show on Sunday night for the World Cup final that put their semi-final victories into perspective. These were…
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Author of Unashamed Football Novels, football writer, part-time blogger, Sydney FC member, Geordie boot boy, over 45s player, park football referee, football dad. Member of the Meadowbank Ultras.
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Yes. They were so relaxed in possession too. If this is their team without a host of superstars who refused to play for the national team under Jorge Vilda, imagine how good they would have been with all those players. And that penalty save; I wonder why that wasn’t called back for a retake? Special World Cup final rules? They took so long to work out whether it was a penalty in the first place, how could they have collectively missed it?
Bittersweet finale to incredible tournament for Aussie fans as England schooled by masters of the dark arts
This could be the catalyst for a lot of people to enter the addictive realm of football tourism. We’ll not get it back here in a lifetime, but the world is our oyster. Imagine doing a World Cup, following the Matildas or the Socceroos, in another country. It’s bloody amazing!
Bittersweet finale to incredible tournament for Aussie fans as England schooled by masters of the dark arts
Not sure you’d ever get any of that at a Socceroos / Matildas game. Everything has to pass the pub test first.
Australia, do we want active football fans, or not?
Are you going as a neutral on Sunday? There seems to be little love for Spain due to their coaching dramas, but they are great to watch. England should surely be favourites!
Australia, do we want active football fans, or not?
The songs are easy to join in with. It’s just that Australians are hard-wired to be self-conscious when singing. That needs a bit of re-wiring, and being in a pack makes it easier to break through the shyness. It works at A-League level, should be easier to do at national level.
Australia, do we want active football fans, or not?
Stadium Australia’s configuration does make the noise disappear into the void when you’re at the front, but I had a different position on the Western side and could hear them all game. Compare that to Commbank Stadium or Allianz Stadium, where the singing and chanting is captured in the stadium, and even with 50% less people, the atmosphere is so much better.
Controversial opinion, but the “oi oi oi” chant seemed to work; there were several going at once from all different parts of the stadium. I’m definitely not advocating it though!
Australia, do we want active football fans, or not?
I wouldn’t call it attention seeking. It’s simply a desire to make an atmosphere and be part of the occasion. Like dancing at a concert or roaring a horse home at the races. Unfortunately ticket-holders for FIFA events getno choice on where they sit, apart from category 1,2 or 3 – just ask those who got in early for top category tickets and got shafted up the back in the 600s.
And yes, more communication with fans would be a good thing!
Australia, do we want active football fans, or not?
The pressure on the Lionesses comes from their zealous media. The persistence with a narrative (such as the traditional sporting rivalry between Australia and England) until the journalists hear what they want is manic. I experienced the same thing in Qatar where the England players were asked the same thing repeatedly in different ways as the media tried to create a story out of nothing. I feel sorry for the players who have to be on guard at all times, it really is tough.
Hopefully the pressure gets to England. The Matildas have that special something, a devilish glint in their eye and they are prepared for what is a massive opportunity to create more history in their home World Cup. What a marvellous occasion this will be, whatever happens.
Tony Gustavsson talks underdogs, mind games and the 'single moments' the Matildas need against the English
Stepping into murky waters, BT. There are some uncomfortable truths out there, and I’m sure they will eventually be told.
After making Matildas history, is Gustavsson really a master tactician?
Yes it will. That start to the second half of extra time on Saturday, when the Matildas went straight at the French defence, was a statement of intent. I like that. Understand when you are on top, and take advantage.
After making Matildas history, is Gustavsson really a master tactician?
It will take more than a quarter-final success to convince many others. He certainly has his players peaking at just the right time. Time to believe again this Wednesday night.
After making Matildas history, is Gustavsson really a master tactician?
Oh! Anything you’d like to share?
After making Matildas history, is Gustavsson really a master tactician?
That’s wonderful. Surely the sport of football, and especially the women’s game, will have some new followers as a result of this world cup. Even if the Matildas fall short, we’ve all seen enough of the other countries in the last eight to get invested and enjoy the spectacle. Hope you get the maximum out of the final week, and that we’re talking about our home World Cup for years to come.
Among the noise, the Matildas understand they need to grab this once in a lifetime opportunity
Love your positivity! So, if the Matildas bow out at the quarter final stage against a top quality European opposition, do we regard this as a success, or will this be labelled as a failure? I can’t help thinking that we’re in the ‘anything’s a bonus’ stage now, and any wins from now onwards will be just incredible.
Among the noise, the Matildas understand they need to grab this once in a lifetime opportunity
This was a brilliant team performance from Australia, and with Sam Kerr and Cortnee Vine coming on as “game changers” we showed we have depth from the bench too. Saturday cannot come quickly enough!
Foord Fiesta! Caitlin and Raso fire Matildas into quarter finals as Kerr makes long-awaited return
That is so true. The strip clubs seem keen to attract the crowd their way, so why not the local A-League club? And whoever owns that house next to the Caxton Hotel, I love your vibe on game day. There always seems to be a party there. Enjoy the England v Nigeria game – I had contingency tickets for that fixture just in case Australia finished second in the group and they were snapped up in seconds when I put them on resale. Should be a momentous game with a lot of England fans in attendance.
The Women's World Cup has been dazzling - and Infantino may be on to something
On behalf of the code of football I apologise to the code of rugby for having traces of line-markings. As long as you promise never to do it again, we’ll call it quits eh?
The Women's World Cup has been dazzling - and Infantino may be on to something
I’ve been at a few games recently where, at the end of the game, a guy comes on with a hose contraption and blasts away the line markings as the goalposts are dismantled and any trace of football is sanitised. Admittedly that was after a single game and two weeks of football is probably going to leave traces.
The Women's World Cup has been dazzling - and Infantino may be on to something
Having an extra country in there would be exciting, and it makes sense as there are so many games to fit in. 48 teams at the next World Cup in USA/Mexico/Canada is going to mean 104 games instead of the 64 games at Qatar. That’s a lot of football. And yes, why not Japan? A big nation in football terms and a great place to visit. Although it may pay to have a country in a different time zone, so we could have 24 hours of football every day for a month. Now there’s a prospect. Australia/NZ/Chile!
The Women's World Cup has been dazzling - and Infantino may be on to something
Isn’t it great that we can follow the action from afar as our Aussies ply their trade in the UK. I did get BeIn Sports for a month arlier in the year as my team (Newcastle – forgive me) were in the cup final and I could see a lot of other leagues on there. The only problem is time – there’s so much football it’s hard to fit it all in. Even during the Women’s World Cup, going to so many games, with associated travel, pre- and post-game I’ve still not caught up with all the other games. And don’t forget the girls in the WSL and elsewhere – Sarah Hunter to Paris FC, Mackenzie Hawkesby and Charlie Rule to Brighton. The golden generation is here!
The Women's World Cup has been dazzling - and Infantino may be on to something
Love it! If your sentiments are that of the nation, we’re on the right track. Yearning for more after only one rest day, we’re going to be struggling with two rest days in a row coming up. Time to sign up for an A-League women’s membership to keep the momentum going. I’m so happy that the World Cup has been embraced by our sport-loving nation.
The Women's World Cup has been dazzling - and Infantino may be on to something
What I’m suggesting is that the options are 1. Trust Tony and 2. Do not trust Tony. Either way, it’s not going to change anything, and if we show a little belief it will rub off on those around us. What prize do you you get for saying “I told you so” in this instance, if it all goes belly up on Monday night? Is it just to lessen the disappointment?
Dear Tony Gustavsson: are the Matildas succeeding thanks to you, or in spite of you?
With some expert guidance of course
An emotional mess in Melbourne: How AAMI Park faithful helped Matildas over the line
Yep, that was a direct comment from Mini Gorry.
An emotional mess in Melbourne: How AAMI Park faithful helped Matildas over the line
I’d also forgotten about the moment Earps took a free kick in additional time fully 20 yards further up the field from where the infringement was. Referee just didn’t seem to care. Yet, the officials were so picky about where the throw-ins happened from. This was such a good game, I think I needto watch the full replay to see what else I missed.
Bittersweet finale to incredible tournament for Aussie fans as England schooled by masters of the dark arts