Australia, World Cup organizers relieved after Matildas find groove
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[August 01, 2023]
By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A Women's World Cup that had been in danger of
losing both its co-hosts before the knockout phase enjoyed a vital
shot in the arm when Australia raced into the last 16 with a 4-0
trouncing of Canada.
After a shock 3-2 defeat by Nigeria, the Matildas risked joining New
Zealand on the discard pile, which would have been a crushing blow
for tournament organizers as well as home fans.
Instead, Tony Gustavsson's Australia found their groove without the
services of injured captain Sam Kerr to eliminate Canada and send
most of the 28,000-strong Melbourne crowd home happy.
The win garnered rave reviews in the nation's newspapers on Tuesday.
"This gift of a home World Cup is meeting all its KPIs," sports
writer Greg Baum said in The Age newspaper.
"But in the end, only one criterion counted and will count. It was,
and is, down to the Matildas and particularly Sam Kerr."
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Australia's opening match against Ireland drew 75,784 fans to
Stadium Australia in Sydney, a record crowd for a women's soccer
match in the country.
The Matildas' return to the venue next week for their round of 16
clash could test the mark. Their opponents will be decided after the
games to be played on Tuesday.
"Every single fan out there, thank you!" a fired-up Gustavsson said
after the Canada rout, jabbing his finger into a TV camera.
More than 1.6 million tickets have been sold across Australia and
New Zealand for the tournament so far.
Crowds have been particularly healthy in Australia, even for non-Matildas
matches.
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![](../images/080123PIX/sports73.jpg)
Soccer Football - FIFA Women’s World Cup
Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Group B - Canada v Australia -
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia - July 31, 2023
Australia's Steph Catley celebrates scoring their fourth goal
REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
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Some 40,000 spectators flocked to the Sydney
Football Stadium to see Colombia upset heavyweights Germany 2-1 on
Saturday, with the South American nation's fans creating an electric
atmosphere with drums, horns and singing.
Though Matildas' tickets will be at a premium, the team's presence
in the knockout rounds will likely encourage more locals to take in
other games as neutral fans.
Australia have never made it past the quarter-finals of a World Cup
but the Matildas' players believe the crowd energy could help them
go all the way to the final.
"We're just getting started," said Australia forward Caitlin Foord.
"We're already in the rhythm of it and we've just got to keep going,
keep building on it now."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Muralikumar
Anantharaman)
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