2023-08-15 16:10:46
The second semi-final of the 2023 World Cup sees the Australian hostesses and the English European champions opposing each other. Australia is counting on the fervor generated by the Matildas and the return of icon Sam Kerr to win against one of its historic rivals.
An already historic epic, an entire country pushing its team and the return of an absolute football icon… The stars seem perfectly aligned for Australia to continue its brilliant career at the 2023 World Cup… until the final crown? On his way, still stands England, a historic sporting rival, before a possible last duel against Spain.
The fervor of a whole country
Since the start of the home competition, the 12th men and women have fully played their role in encouraging the Matildas. At the Brisbane stadium, 50,000 “Aussies” noisily pushed their team to overcome Les Bleues (0-0 after, 7-6 on pens), once again eliminated at the quarter-final stage of a World Cup.
This quarter-final, won after an endless penalty shootout, was watched by 4.9 million viewers out of the 25 million inhabitants of the island-continent, or one person in five. Figures higher than the 2022 Australian Open tennis final, which saw another local star win, Ashleigh Barty.
Even on the plane, the historic victory was celebrated: a video in which passengers watch the session and exult with joy after Cortnee Vine’s victorious penalty, has made the rounds on social networks.
It is quite simply the most popular sporting event in Australia for more than fifteen years, while waiting for the half on Wednesday or the eventual final against Spain on Sunday which could approach the record set by the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.
But England midfielder Keira Walsh believes that crowd support can be a double-edged sword: “When you have the crowd behind you, it gives you that extra boost. But I also think when you play against them, when you can silencing the crowd is also a very pleasant feeling,” said the FC Barcelona player.
“So there are positives and negatives in both cases, and I have experienced both,” continued the player who won the Euros last year on home soil, in front of more than 87,000 spectators at Wembley for the final.
The weight of history
At Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, star Sam Kerr’s teammates will follow in the footsteps of another national icon, Cathy Freeman, who won gold in the 400m at the 2000 Olympics at the same venue.
“What we have, they don’t have, the support and faith of the fans. And that support will be massive,” coach Tony Gustavsson said on Tuesday.
The Matildas have already written their history by winning in the round of 16 against Denmark: by winning their first match in the World Cup, they broke the curse. From now on, they dream of a first world title, Olympic Games and World Cup combined.
In front of the more than 75,000 fans in yellow expected, the English dream of spoiling the party and of a first World Cup final, they who are playing their third consecutive semi-final, after 2015 and 2019. And thus imagine a Euro double -World Cup.
A sustained rivalry
In addition to the popular craze, these two Commonwealth countries love to hate each other in sport. Sydney’s Stadium Australia also brings back good memories for the English, who won their only Rugby World Cup there, in 2003, in a final against… Australia, with a drop in overtime from Jonny Wilkinson, entered into the legend of his sport.
Wednesday, during this semi-final, “the winning team will write history”, supported the Australian coach.
“There are probably a lot of English people who would like to see us knocked out by England, but I think there are more Australians who would like to see us knocked out England,” said ‘Matildas’ goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.
For the English coach, this rivalry is not so important in football: “I asked the players and the staff and we don’t feel this rivalry so much”, explained Sarina Wiegman on Tuesday, but “more in rugby, cricket or netball”.
“Rivalry, you can have it with any opponent,” England captain Millie Bright insisted on Tuesday, “but we’re here to beat them.”
The return of Sam Kerr?
Last April, the Australians ended a 30-game unbeaten streak for the Lionesses, thanks to a victory (2-0) with a goal from legend Sam Kerr, in a friendly match.
Touched in a calf the day before the start of the World Cup, the Chelsea striker entered the hour mark on Saturday during the quarter-final against France and “succeeded in more minutes than we expected”, explained his coach Tony Gustavsson, at a press conference.
“She recovered well and trained on Tuesday, so she is available. We will meet tonight to decide the best starting 11 and the best finishing 11. There will be tough decisions,” the coach said.
Asked on Tuesday about a possible tenure of Sam Kerr, English coach Sarina Wiegman assured that her team had “a plan”. “She can play and she can start on the bench, that’s the situation.”
For his part, the English coach will have to do without Lauren James, suspended for a bad gesture against Nigeria.
With AFP
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