Sam Kerr made Australia dream of reaching the World Cup final. If only briefly. The superstar scored one of the finest goals of the tournament in the semi-final against England (1-3), but Kerr commented: “It’s a beautiful goal that means nothing.”
The images flickering across the giant scoreboard at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium reflect the roller coaster ride of emotions Australia’s flagship footballer is going through: Sam Kerr expresses frustration after the 0-1 draw. Sam Kerr raises his clenched fist into the night sky after equalizing. After falling behind again, she stands there, expressionless on her face and her mouth open, taking a deep breath. Then the striker threw her hands over her head as she missed the huge chance to equalize. And finally: Sam Kerr after the loss – head down, hands on knees.
After the semi-final between the hosts and England, which the European champions won 3-1, the majority of the more than 75,000 spectators suffered with the great hopeful, who almost exploded the stadium with her goal to make it 1-1. When the goal was shown on the scoreboard in replay, the fans cheered again.
“It was an incredible goal,” said England coach Sarina Wiegman. “It was so incredibly loud in the stadium when she scored. After that, the game could have changed,” described an English fan. But the duel didn’t change. And so Kerr summed up: “The game was closer than the 3-1 says. I scored a nice goal, but unfortunately it doesn’t mean anything anymore.”
After bitter defeat, pride prevails
Of course that’s not true. The “Matildas” managed to get Australia excited about football. A country in which there is actually no room for any other sport besides rugby, cricket and Australian football – and tennis once a year. Not at all for women’s football.
“We were unlucky tonight but I think we have something to be proud of,” said Kerr’s strike partner Mary Fowler. Cortnee Vine, who converted the decisive penalty against France in the quarter-finals, said: “We put our hearts and souls on this pitch and the crowd has been amazing. Hopefully we’ve gained some new fans in Australia now. “
There shouldn’t really be any doubt about that – the hype that the “Matildas” unleashed was too big. The fans got intoxicated by their players. “The atmosphere is why you go to these games,” explained Cassey from Sydney, while some small fans were still crying on the stadium forecourt. The older ones, on the other hand, saw more than defeat. “We are so proud of our ‘Matildas’ and what they have achieved, not just for football but for women’s sport as a whole,” said Erica, who came to the game with her football-loving daughter.
Entertainer Gustavsson: “Game over”
Coach Tony Gustavsson had to walk a particularly tightrope. The entertainer of an entire nation had already encouraged the audience to make a deafening noise at the end of the national anthem. After the defeat, he quickly acted as a sober analyst: “We had chances to equalize in the 83rd, 84th and 85th minutes. And in the 86th minute it was 3-1 and the ‘game over’.”
But the team and fans appreciate the Swede not least because of his emotions. He was very sad after this defeat: “But I hope we won something else – the hearts and the passion for this sport.” The lost semi-final shouldn’t mean the end of something: “It has to be the beginning.”
Will the “Matildas” get bronze after the shock?
The World Cup isn’t quite over for the hosts either. On Saturday (10 a.m., live on Erste and on sportschau.de) Sweden, who lost to Spain in the other semi-final, will be fighting for third place. Even if everyone is “emotional” now, the team doesn’t really have time for that, says the coach. “It’s a very sudden turnaround. We have to play a bronze medal game. We have to be ready for that,” Gustavsson demanded before the match against his compatriots, apparently hitting the right note with his players once again.
That’s a very sudden turnaround. We have to complete a bronze medal game. We have to be ready for that.
“We have to keep our heads up. We’re still playing for third place here,” said Vine, and Fowler added, “We have to get over this loss as soon as possible. For that we should forget about the semi-finals.”
Captain Kerr hopes the fans will once again cheer her team forward. And the bronze medal could help her wish come true: “This tournament was incredible. The country gave us great support. Hopefully that will be remembered for a long time.”