The mood was convivial on the stroll through Sydney Olympic Park in the build-up to one of the most significant matches to be played on Australian soil; children flitted through the growing crowd, the excitement intensifying ahead of the Women’s World Cup opener.
Legacy and the enduring impact of Australia’s co-hosting of the finals had been a frequent theme the day before the meeting with the Republic of Ireland as Matildas coach Tony Gustavvson and Sam Kerr faced the media, with one eye looking towards the future.
“To come to the stadium and have the realisation that we really have brought the Women’s World Cup to Australia is a really good moment for all of us,” Kerr said in the pre-match press conference.
“For years to come this will be talked about – hopefully decades to come. You can see the impact it’s already had on grassroots with young girls coming to our games, and young boys too. Hopefully with the success of the tournament, it only gets bigger and better.
“You saw what’s happened in England with the Euros, so hopefully we can replicate that. What this tournament can do for Australia and football in Australia, we can’t imagine right now.”
Twenty-four hours later, however, the bombshell and guaranteed mood killer of the captain’s injury-enforced absence was dropped on an unsuspecting public.
News of Kerr’s withdrawal with a calf strain dominated the hour leading up to kick-off, the realisation that the talismanic forward was out for at least two games reverberating around the sold-out stadium.
Many among the more than 75,000 fans present – from those excitable kids through to supporters of a significantly older vintage – had journeyed to Homebush with the striker’s name written large on their shirts, anticipating another chapter in their hero’s stellar career.
But Kerr, like those in the stands, was left to experience the game as a spectator and the cloud of her absence hung over Stadium Australia long after the final whistle sounded.
The overcast skies that rolled in with the news of Kerr’s unavailability dampened the mood among Australian fans, a collective rarely known for creating the most fervent atmosphere, for much of the game.
A booming rendition of Fat Boy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ reverberated around the PA system but it struggled to rouse many within the crowd, even when they were encouraged to go ‘Beyond Greatness’ by the slick presentation on the gargantuan video screens.
When the teams entered the field after an evocative Welcome to Country and a feeble attempt by the stadium emcee to spark a Mexican Wave that mercifully fizzled out, the mood lifted.
The shrill chorus that greeted the players was high on the octave range as it swept around the ground, the Irish fans adding considerable gusto to the reception for the participants and the national anthems.
Soon after kick-off it was the visiting fans – despite being hugely outnumbered – who sound-tracked the early exchanges, the distinctive tones of The Fields of Athenry echoing from the buoyant green cluster gathered on the lower tier.
Their vocal efforts were the highlight of an opening quarter governed by the Matildas’ nerves as Gustavvson’s players struggled to overcome both the occasion and the absence of the team’s talisman.
Frustration filled the air, the anticipation unfulfilled by the time of the interval despite a marginal improvement by the hosts.
Thankfully Australia’s energetic start to the second half provided an antidote to that tepid opening 45 minutes, and the crowd responded accordingly.
The roar that met referee Elisa Alves pointing to the spot when Hayley Raso was bundled over by Marissa Sheva was only surpassed when Steph Cately stroked her penalty into the top corner. Relief as much as jubilation informed the Australian celebrations.
Awake at last, the home crowd came to the fore as time ran out. With victory in sight, the Matildas were forced to repel Irish efforts to claim a point from a game in which they had shown their determination and resolve. The home supporters more than played their part.
“I just want to say one more thing,” said Gustavvson as he closed his post-match comments to the media. “That from the 75th minute when we were under the gun, we had 75,000 behind us, to carry us through those final 15 minutes. That was massive.
“I’ve said it takes 23 in ’23, but that was the 24th player in the stands helping us win tonight. So thanks fans.”
Crowds impact results and the Matildas benefitted from that final, rousing roar. Perhaps that realisation can be among the long-term benefits Australia’s football crowds – so often tepid and timid – gain from what promises to be a game-changing Women’s World Cup.
Listen to The Asian Game Podcast LIVE from Stadium Australia as we review Australia’s 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland
