whew, what a game!

[tielan]

I hate penalty shootouts with the fire of a thousand suns.

AUSvFRA - great play both ways, shots on goal, beautifully blocked (both sides). It would have been a fantastic game to watch in person, it was spectacular enough on the screen!

Anyway, 0-0 at end of normal time, 15 mins each way of extra time and again 0-0, then 10 penalty shots. TEN. Longest penalty shootout in world cup history, I think.

Penalty shots: Australia 7, France 6.

We're through!

And I have a ticket to Wednesday's game (and Matildas gear). It's gonna be BIG.

Amusing, though: bible study is on Wednesday nights. The leaders whose house we have the group at sent a message a few minute after Australia was through. "You are all invited to come watch Australia's game on the big screen at our place from 8pm. Group prayer from 7:30pm in lead up. Priorities! ;)"

I've already found two friends who are going with their families. I'm going to make contact, tag along on the trip in with them, maybe on the way back. It's a bit chaotic trying to get back. And if the Matildas win against *checks scores* England, it's gonna be SO WILD.

I'm glad I gave up the tickets for the ENGvCOL game tonight. I need sleep.

Although I also worked out why I was so tired. I had my period on Sunday - full bloody mess that it's become. And I've been exhausted since then. This morning, I caught sight of my iron tablets.

MY IRON TABLETS.

Idiot.

--

One of the commentaries about the Women's World Cup is just how fast the stars of the Matildas have risen in the eyes of the public - particularly the male public.

Matildas jerseys are outselling the Socceroos jerseys by 2:1, and it's not just women buying them. Little boys are asking if there are "boy Matildas". Grown men are holding watch parties with their male friends - and announcing it on twitter. There are videos of pubs and clubs full of guys whooping and hollering and cheering at the Matilda's win on screen.

We went from having "that one star player making it in the European clubs" to a constellation of Aussies signed up, who are now the starting line-up that went up against Canada, Denmark, and now France, and which a lot of people can now name.

Yeah, SkyNews (the Aussie version of Fox News) and other conservative anti-woke proponents are hoping for the Matildas to lose, but your average person in the street is keen. And unlike the men of our sporting codes, these sportspeople don't have chequered histories of using their fame and strength and social power to physically and emotionally abuse...

Anyway, here's hoping that there's better professional and promotional support for women's sports in Australia after this.

I'm tagging this all under 'hockey' because I can't be bothered changing it to "sportsball".

Comments

[wpadmirer]

Very cool that people are following and supporting the women's team! I love it.

[tielan]

At least in Australia. Although I hear the Matildas made the New York Times news for their win to get into the semis!

[adafrog]

I hope women's sports improves with this. We got some benefit when the USA did well last time, but they still had to make a stink to get paid as much as the men.

[tielan]

There'll always be a stink to get paid as much as the men. *grr*

[rmc28]

Penalty shots are THE WORST. I was running around trying to sort out complicated travel stuff and just had the game playing on my tablet and kept passing it and seeing THEY'RE STILL GOING OMG. (And then we were on trains all the way through England-Colombia and the internet was so poor I stopped trying to watch it and just listened to BBC Sounds).

Oh my goodness I am so happy you have tickets to the Wednesday game. I'm on hols and my in-laws arrive tomorrow, but there's a sports bar here, and at least some of my in-laws are football-mad (mostly men's football but it'll do). My spouse is happy to listen to my enthusing, but not actually interested, and my children are actively uninterested.

[rmc28]

Oh, and social commentary: it's been really striking to me how many of the players at the WWC have been names I recognise from the Barclays WSL, or are mentioned as playing in the French league, or the Spanish league, or the NWSL. Having multiple professional leagues is clearly doing amazing things for international women's football. (And also I really hope some of the players who haven't yet secured pro contracts but have done wonders for their teams this tournament start securing them.)

[tielan]

Yeah, I heard that interest in sponsorships and promotions for Matildas players have significantly increased in the last few months. Agents are getting all kinds of inquiries.

I think the player who kicked the final shot - the one that got us into the semis - hasn't been signed up by one of the European leagues yet, so here's hoping for her!

[facethestrange]

"Anyway, 0-0 at end of normal time, 15 mins each way of extra time and again 0-0, then 10 penalty shots. TEN. Longest penalty shootout in world cup history, I think.

Penalty shots: Australia 7, France 6."

Holy crap, that SO CLOSE. (And SO nerve-wracking to watch when you're actually rooting for one team, lol.)

It's amazing that Australian people are so excited about the women's team! ♡ Have fun at the semi-finals! :D