The Matildas have completed their final preparations before the World Cup kicks off next week with a 1-0 victory over world No.5 France in front of a record-breaking crowd of 50,629 at Marvel Stadium.
It’s their latest scalp against a top-10 outfit after ending England’s 30-game winning streak in April with a shock 2-0 victory.
Australia’s Mary Fowler scores a goal against France in send-off friendly.Credit: Getty
The bumper crowd surpassed the biggest attendance for a standalone women’s soccer match in Australia, previously held by the Matildas when they played the United States in 2021 in front of 36,109 people at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.
Australia handed France their first defeat under new coach Herve Renard, who took over in March this year following player disputes with former manager Corinne Diacre. Les Bleues had gone three from three under him against Olympic champions Canada, Colombia and the Republic of Ireland, their last friendly before they arrived in Australia on Monday.
But they have been sent a warning on the eve of the major tournament as Australia had the better of the occasion in front of a raucous green and gold crowd.
The game’s solitary goal came at the 66-minute mark. Hayley Raso crossed inside to square the ball and found an unmarked Mary Fowler waiting to shoot it home. Fowler came on for the second half as a game-changer.
Mary Fowler scored in an excellent team goal by the Matildas.Credit: Channel 10
Australia showed a lot of promise and played the attacking style Gustavsson has been promising for the past three years. The crowd erupted whenever Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord or Sydney FC forward Cortnee Vine made a run towards goal with a high-paced counterattack, but the Matildas often lacked a key pass, last touch or shot to finish the job. In the opening half, France had eight shots to Australia’s two.
At times this came down to moments of hesitation, something fans would be hoping the Matildas get out of their system before their tournament officially begins.
The two sides’ captains and experienced players, French defender Wendie Renard and Australian striker Kerr, featured in an entertaining and fierce match-up, which gave the other a good test in a sign of what’s to come over the next month.
Australia’s Sam Kerr and France’s Wendie Renard compete for the ball.Credit: Getty
There were a few interesting substitutions as Gustavsson wanted to give as many players as possible game time in the final dress rehearsal. Fowler started on the bench but was the obvious spark for the latter stages of the match. She replaced Vine, who was subbed off despite an impressive first half.
Foord substituted off for midfielder Tameka Yallop, who came off again not long after looking to hurt her knee – potentially a jarring – and had it strapped with ice on the bench. She was replaced by Aivi Luik.
Emily van Egmond was brought in to replace Kerr, Alanna Kennedy was taken off for Australia’s most-capped player Clare Polkinghorne and Steph Catley retreated to the bench, replaced by young defender Courtney Nevin.
As expected, Kyah Simon didn’t feature on Friday night as she continues a careful comeback after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee last October.
There was a moment of worry from both camps in the opening half as Australian defender Catley and French forward Kadidiatou Diani clashed heads following a French clearing of a corner. Each player was assessed on field, Diani more than Catley, but were back on their feet minutes later.
In bad news for France, Selma Bacha was stretched off minutes after going to ground not long before the final whistle.
France’s Sarkina Karchaoui received a yellow card for slamming Foord to the ground as she tried to turn away with the ball.
While the match was key to World Cup preparations, it was also a celebration of women’s soccer on the eve of what’s set to be the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history, with more than 1 million tickets already sold for tournament.
The fans packed Melbourne’s Docklands venue.Credit: Getty Images
Gustavsson said earlier this week he wanted the side to use the match to connect with fans and draw strength from the home crowd to take into what will potentially be the biggest tournament of their lives.
“This is about emotional and the legacy that these players have already started to create,” said Gustavsson on Thursday. “And connect and unite the nation, to be excited, to have that buzz, it’s a little bit more like a celebration game in that sense.”
Australia play their opening World Cup game against Republic of Ireland next Thursday at Sydney’s Stadium Australia in what is set to be a sold out 83,000-strong crowd, while France first play Jamaica on Sunday, July 23, at Allianz Stadium.
Depending on how the draw plays out, Australia and France could meet again in the quarter or semi-finals.
