Fifty thousand six hundred and twenty nine fans converged on Marvel Stadium in Naarm Melbourne to send the Matildas off to the World Cup, filling the enclosed arena with cheers on a crisp Friday night as various landmarks around the city were lit up in green and gold. Australia took on France in their send-off, as good a tune-up as any to prepare them for the tournament. And Australia walked away with a 1-0 win to boot.
It was a new home record crowd for Australia — a record that will soon be obliterated once the tournament begins.
The start of any World Cup can almost seem surreal; in the same way that the seasons changing can sometimes sneak up on you, it’s an event long-planned finally coming to fruition in an instant. Last week, the tournament was still something to prepare for, a future concept. This week, we’re almost to the point of counting down in hours instead of days. The Australia team has been loaded onto a plane to their base camp in Meanjin Brisbane with a fare-thee-well and a pyrotechnics show.
A fiery pre-match display. (Photo: Steph Yang)
“I feel like we’ve been preparing for it for a long time, for a number of years,” Australia winger Hayley Raso said after the game. “And then all of a sudden, it’s here. It was an amazing send-off…
