Record-breaking Matildas detail takes Australia by storm: 'Goosebumps'

The Matildas really are the hottest ticket in town. If any further proof was needed, it came in the form of a record crowd on Friday night as the Aussie women's football side warmed up for their home World Cup campaign with an impressive 1-0 friendly victory over European heavyweights, France.

Mary Fowler's second-half strike gave Tony Gustavsson's Aussie side a 1-0 victory over the World No.5 French side in front of a record-breaking home crowd for a Matildas match of 50,629 fans at Marvel Stadium. It eclipsed the previous mark of 36,109, set in a 2021 friendly against USA.

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If that wasn't impressive enough, it came as only 38,030 fans turned out across town at the MCG, to watch the Demons' stirring comeback victory over the Lions. The crowd record for the Matildas is set to be smashed on Thursday, with more than 80,000 fans set to pack out Sydney's Accor Stadium for Australia's opening Women's World Cup group game against the Republic of Ireland.

In incredible scenes at Marvel Stadium on Friday night, supporters filled Marvel Stadium to watch one of the nation's most popular sporting teams go about their business. It was an emphatic demonstration about how far football - and indeed women's sport in Australia - has come in a short space of time.

Aussie sports journalist Neroli Meadows was among many supporters gushing with pride as she shared a photo of the long line of fans waiting to get inside the ground. “This little soccer playing kid who was the only girl in the team is filled with so many emotions right now!!!!!!,” she wrote alongside the crowd photo.

Other Aussie supporters shared images of their own as fans marvelled at the growth of the sport in Australia and the wave of excitement around the Matildas as they aim to deliver the country its first World Cup football trophy. The tournament is expected to have a global TV audience of more than one billion people and has been described by Football Australia CEO James Johnson as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for the country and the sport Down Under. All three of the Matildas' World Cup group games are already sold out.

Matildas duo under minor fitness clouds

Despite the confidence-building win against the might of France, the Matildas have a couple of slight fitness concerns around Tameka Yallop and superstar Sam Kerr. The Aussie captain indicated to the cameras on Friday night that her hamstring issue was nothing too serious, with Kerr seen gesturing for fans to relax after being pictured with an ice pack on the hamstring, having being substituted in the 62nd minute.

"She is one of those that we really wanted to manage minutes on as well," Matildas coach Gustavsson said. "We have trained hard to be prepared physically because the players that came from England, for example, haven't played a game for a long time, so we trained them hard.

"In a closed doors game a week ago, we played 90 minutes for the ones that needed 90 minutes and then we knew they would play maybe 60 today to make sure they had the preservation plan to fly against Ireland - it's all about Ireland. We knew that was risky with tonight's game to do that but we trust the depth in the roster to do it.

"Sam was a pre-planned sub. We talked to her at halftime if she was ready to pull out, but she said another 10 to 15 would be good for her physically for the Ireland game."

Tameka Yallop 'wanted to stay on'

Six days out from Australia's World Cup opener against Ireland, the injury to Yallop appears more of a concern after the veteran appeared to hyper-extend her knee against France, after coming on in the 62nd minute. Barely more than 10 minutes later she was clutching at the left knee in discomfort, before being substituted in the 83rd minute.

"I haven't had time to talk to her (Yallop) except when she stepped off," Gustavsson told reporters after the match. "We had a break so when she was on the park she just wanted to push through and I said, 'bigger picture Meeks, bigger picture' and she said, 'okay, take me off then'.

"She wanted to stay on, so it was me reminding her what this is about. It's the bigger picture. So if this was a World Cup game, I think she would have kept playing. Hopefully by taking her off we saved some recovery time in that and rehab time. I hope it's just a knock and nothing that is torn or tweaked, but I can't comment on that yet."

with agencies

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