11:49
The Irish, themselves known for their physical style of play, caused a scandal when they pulled out of the pre-season game against Colombia about a week ago because the opponents were being too tough. Against France there was a 0-3 defeat against France before that a 3-2 win against Zambia.
11:47
While the opening ceremony for the Australian fans is already underway in Sydney, in which, similar to New Zealand, the indigenous peoples play a major role, we take a look at the form of the two teams. Australia’s record this year reads splendidly, only a 0-1 defeat against Scotland stands out negatively in the friendlies. Most recently, the Matildas gained a lot of self-confidence for the home World Cup against the European champions from England (2-0) and the strong French team (1-0).
11:42
The Australians will probably set the tone in terms of play, while Ireland will try to counteract them with their usual physical style of play. A key point for the Irish is Katie McCabe, the Arsenal player who wears the captain’s armband and embodies the tough streak of the Irish.
11:39
Sam Kerr was already one of the top scorers at the last World Cup with five goals, this year the Australian could improve again. Since joining Chelsea in 2019, she has scored an impressive 59 goals in 70 competitive games, has been top scorer twice and has always been English champion with the Londoners. You need to keep the Irish at bay especially today.
11:33
The only meeting between the two teams dates back to autumn 2021, just a few weeks after Australia’s strong showing at the Tokyo Olympics, where the Matildas ultimately failed to reward themselves with a medal in fourth place. The Irish team surprisingly won the friendly game in Dublin, Ireland, 3-2, although this shouldn’t serve as a yardstick for today’s duel.
11:27
Many of the players know each other from the English Women’s Super League. In both the Australian and Irish squads, English Premier League players make up the largest block.
11:25
For both teams it is one of the biggest, if not the biggest game in their history. This is especially true for Australia due to the home role and the current backdrop and atmosphere in their own country – the stadium in Sydney has been sold out for weeks. For the Irish, on the other hand, it is the first World Cup tournament ever, they qualified very narrowly with a 1-0 playoff win against Scotland. At their first appearance on the big stage, the Irish want to cause surprises.
11:12
After the New Zealanders caused the first upset in the opening game of the World Cup against Norway, the Australians want to ensure the second win for the hosts. In contrast to the New Zealand victory, a success for the Matildas, as the Australian team is called, would be expected, but they go into the game as clear favorites.
11:01
Good day and welcome to the second game of the Women’s World Cup! Hosts Australia welcome Ireland to the capital, Sydney, starting at 12pm CEST at the Allianz Stadium.