Go Matildas

[lazzadesilva]

I know that this is a sacrilegious comment on a football site but I’m loving the ride with the Matildas at the Women’s World Cup. They look awesome

[Dark Beanie]

Nil all in regular time, going extra time.
They will need Jamie Elliott nerves of steel.

[What'sinaname]

Suck it cheese eating surrender monkeys

[Jezza]

Well done, Matildas.

Semi Final on Wednesday night either against England or Colombia.

[KenH]

Absolutely a magnificent effort

[Jezza]

We're playing England.

[lazzadesilva]

Wow, they are really more than any superlative I can think of. I never cease to be amazed by their ferocious will to work hard for each other and do the team things that produce results. Their nerves of steel in the penalty shootout were mind boggling and they fully deserved to win. Bring on the Poms next Wednesday and Go Matildas!!

[Dark Beanie]

Well doen to the Matildas on reaching the semis of the World Cup. Previous best was the quarter finals.

England had a relatively easy qtr final game against the lower ranked Colombians - a bit rough at times and their 1st goal was a but lucky but no extra time played.
They will be without one of their best players, Lauren James, who was suspended for 2 games for standing on a Nigerian opponent. But they have a very good manager in Sarina Wiegman and have been able to rotate and rest players in the lead up games.

Matildas are a bit banged up and will have to rely on Sam Kerr being over her calf strain. And they will need to settle quickly as they always seem to have the jitters in the first 15-20 minutes of the game.

[stui magpie]

Why is everyone going insane over the Matildas? I don't get it. The hype is off the charts.

Let's face it, Soccer is a minor sport in Australia, the A League gets bugger all media.

It can't just be that it's a female team, the Netball Team won the world cup just recently and got F all recognition, the Womens Cricket team won the Ashes, again, and got F all recognition.


I tried watching some of the game on Saturday, lasted 5 minutes. I'd rather watch grass grow than soccer. Put it back on 7 hoping to watch the news and ended up watching the penalty shootout with zero emotional engagement.

Is it just the underdog thing? Australian team, not rated against the powerful overseas teams, does well and captures the collective imagination and attention? We get similar but less hype when the Mens soccer team plays in a world cup, but then normal programming resumes and no one cares about the sport for another 4 years.

[What'sinaname]

^ Because it comes around only every 4 years, and it's being televised at Prime Time.

If we host the mens WC, we'd see even more hysteria.

[Dark Beanie]

Similar to the hype around Cathy Freeman at the Sydney Olympics.

I don't mind watching top flight soccer (but then again I watch most sports) and happy to support a national team. Hubby played soccer until his late 20s and follows the game here and overseas.

It's also a bit of the sheep effect, people on the wagon because everyone else is. And the media can see clicks and views because the team is doing well. For Channel 7 all their christmas have come at one when you consider they only paid $5 mil for the rights.

It is being pumped up by anybody remotely associated with soccer as they want the exposure to push for more funding and facilities for the sport but the reality is once the World cup is finished, people will move on to something else.

What I do find annoying, is that people use this as a platform to say one sport is better than another, is more deserving of funding and/or support.
All sports have their good and bad points and if everyone liked the same thing then things woudl be pretty boring but if this gets kids or adults out particpating in physical activity it is good.

[shawthing]

The media have to talk something up. What I've seen in this semi final so far is England took the knee before the start of the game (booooo). Seriously keep politics out of the sport. The only people I see discriminated against in our society are not who the Woke crowd think they are - never been a better time to be a minority - ever! England then started with some rugged if not illegal fouls against the Matildas. The Matildas are playing soft and not pressing enough. Lack the obvious skills. Sam Kerr completely a non-event. So far it looks like pedigree will see England through to the final.

That might stop some of the media hype.

But don't worry guys, our sport is safe. You only have to watch 10 minutes of this stuff and you start falling asleep. Once the nationalist pride stops what has the sport got to offer? But they'll get a big fat cheque from the government for promoting women's sport no doubt.

[think positive]

Roarrrrrr!!

[lazzadesilva]

Yeah to continue being unpopular here, I’m a sports nut, love most professional ball sports and don’t mind top quality soccer. But I can understand opposing views. However I have always said that Aussie Rules is the best sport in the world.

[lazzadesilva]

The media have to talk something up. What I've seen in this semi final so far is England took the knee before the start of the game (booooo). Seriously keep politics out of the sport. The only people I see discriminated against in our society are not who the Woke crowd think they are - never been a better time to be a minority - ever!

Such typical bloody right wing nutter wank