WWC Day 26 - Women's football making the rules in Australia
Time is just a construct because I definitely don't know what day it is
In this issue:
A nation stands still
Women’s football setting the standards in Australia
Eagle eyed subscribers might have realised the last issue which said Day 20 was actually Day 24….but such is the whirlwind of a World Cup, jet lag and a cold that I lost all sense of time when I headed across to the other side of the world. So this is in fact Day 26 of the World Cup and we are entering the final week of action.
We had some stellar quarter final matches, some extra time drama and some high, high penalty shootout antics.
Australia’s 20-pen shootout win against France was the longest shootout in World Cup history, men’s or women’s. The shootout went on and on and it felt like no one was going to actually go and get it done. Mackenzie Arnold saved four penalties and missed one, we were at the point of nearly going around penalty takers again.
There was so much on the line in that shootout. Australia needed to win to really cement a moment for this tournament. History tells us that the home nation will really capture people’s hearts if they do well. People love winners and they love the story. England had it with their Euros win last summer, and if a team can do it with all the drama of a penalty shootout, that is even more thrilling for a home audience.
In case anyone isn’t as chronically online as me and may have missed this video of people watching the shootout on a plane, then check it out because it is truly incredible content.
I watched the penalties outside Stadium Australia in the Sydney Olympic Park and there was probably around 20-40,000 people there all decked out in yellow supporting the Matilda’s. It was amazing.
The penalty shootout had Australia on the edge of their seat, so much so that it was the most watched sporting event in the country since Cathy Freeman won the 400m in Sydney. If anyone knows how Australian’s view Freeman and her legendary status in society and culture then you will know that is HUGE. An average audience of over 4 million Australians watched the shootout, one of the biggest viewing figure numbers for 20 years.
The whole narrative for this tournament has been about turning Australia into a “football country” and it has been a little tedious to be honest. But it did get me thinking with all the clips and recording breaking viewing figures that is a very unique opportunity for Australia for the women’s game to set and define the football trends.
Men’s football has had its moments. When the Socceroos have made it to men’s World Cups the country has taken notice and engaged, but the Australian men’s team has never gone beyond the round of 16 of a tournament. The timezones have also always been a bit fiddly.
The fact that this Matilda’s team are winning, have done it after suffering a defeat earlier in the tournament and battled through one of the most captivating, dramatic and heartbreaking events like a penalty shootouts is prime to lock in audiences. It brings people on the rollercoaster ride and the magic that is football.
It got me thinking about the amazing opportunity this team and women’s football has in Australia. It’s already one of the fastest growing sports for women and girls, but domestically both games have been in the shadow of Aussie rules, rugby league and rugby union, and has actively not been supported with its growth. That has dramatically impacted how the A-League has grown, for both men’s and women’s.
Historically, women’s domestic leagues have struggled to pull in fans while international women’s teams have sold out huge stadiums. That trend has changed in the past few years and the game is in a much healthier place. But it’s interesting that in Australia this is a ground zero for football as a whole and therefore the women’s game is leading the way, setting the tempo and drawing in the fan interest.
That doesn’t mean there’s a utopia on the way, let’s not be silly. This game is still existing in a patriarchal society with gendered sporting structures. But it’s very interesting and exciting to have women’s football setting the agenda. We’ve seen that with how the sport has grown in America and maybe was slightly shifted with the commercialisation and power of MLS.
Keep your eyes peeled on the legacy of this World Cup because it could be a classic.