Australia 10 Uzbekistan 0
It was party time from the opening whistle at Marvel Stadium as the Matildas qualified emphatically for the Paris Olympics. Contrary to the worries of the newby fan, who stressed about the aggregate rule right up to kick off, Australia’s darlings had their eyes firmly set on filling their boots at this cavernous venue, and duly delivered an avalanche of goals to smash a stunned Uzbekistan team. It took all of 35 seconds for the first goal, an unfortunate deflected own goal from Kaitlyn Torpey’s first touch, and from then on, Michelle Heyman notched four, Torpey, Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord had us at eight by half-time and the second half was a procession, Hayley Raso scoring and Amy Sayer finalling fulfilling Tony’s trust with the tenth goal in added time.
Last time we were in Melbourne, our 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification from the group stages was under threat and our Matildas passed that test with flying colours against Canada. This time we were almost 100% guaranteed to make it through to the 2024 Paris Olympics, so the pressure was off and there was not a hint of doubt that today would end any other way than a healthy win. Leaving the working day at midday in Sydney, the football tourists were boarding our flight at 1.30pm (after sharing a lift with Mr and Mrs Carpenter) and stepping out into the searing heat of Melbourne just after 3.30pm. We were checked in and over at the Matildas Active meeting point of Platform 28 on Bourke Street well before 5pm.
Familiar faces from around the country descended on Melbourne, and the buzz was all about the purple goalkeeper shirts, plenty of successful shopping expeditions having been made judging by the volume of number 18 shirts in the pub. Melbourne Victory fans mingled with Sydney FC fans, the Perth Glory crew were in town and Brisbane was represented. A relatively short pre-game was curtailed when we noticed the majority of the pubgoers had gone, and we joined the masses walking up the steps to the stadium just across the road. There was a sea of green and gold, with flecks of purple, and the excited chatter suggested a marvellous occasion here, with not a care in the world about the result and a desire to see and maybe interact with some of our country’s biggest sporting stars in a moment of celebration.
Last time we played at Marvel Stadium, we walked all the way around the stadium to our gate and it took ages. This time, with the helpful securiy guard on the gate urging us to enter through any gate, we were inside the stadium immediately and had a much quicker walk to our Active area at the far end of the stadium. The familiar issues with people claiming their seats in the Active area were thankfully not in evidence, and we had free rein of the front ten or so rows, and were under no pressure to use our seats for what they were designed. The drums were there, there were flags and there was a willing choir of eager Matildas fans ready to take on this tricky stadium and make ourselves heard.
The pre-game welcome to country was fabulous, just as the stadium filled up to the brim, and it was reassuring to see that rogue sprinkler issues are not limited to Sydney FC games. There was real danger that Auntie Joy would be drenched by the spray, and the fireworks carts were quickly wheeled out of range as the field received a welcome soaking on this hot evening. The fire makers were impressive too – spouting green and gold flames once the national anthems were sung. The scene was set, the Uzbekistan team received applause with their anthem and as they took the field, but there was heightened fervour for the Matildas, screams and roars whenever any of the players did anything in the lead up to kick off.
The line-up was strong for the Matildas, as usual there was absolutely no interest in the opposition line-up, and there would be no threat anyway from a team of unknowns. The kick off was met with a huge roar after the countdown, and the Matildas stumbled through the opening exchanges. We didn’t have to wait long for an opening goal, and the aggregate score was taken to 4-0 in our favour when Mini Gorry fed Kaitlyn Torpey in space on the right, and her low cross was deflected into the goal by an unfortunate Uzbek defender for a soft opening goal. What a start! All the action was up the far end, and our view of it all was rubbish, but the second goal arrived only a few minutes later, Torpey again turning the ball in from the right, Clare Hunt with the air kick and poacher Michelle Heyman swept the ball home without hesitation. Celebrations were muted on the field, if not in the stands. Four minutes on the clock and now five goals ahead on aggregate. This was a duck shoot.
The big screen was our saviour, and the Matildas were three ahead on the night when Heyman nodded home a tantalising cross for a routine goal, and with a quarter of an hour on the clock, Mary Fowler’s cross was experty finished for four, Heyman notching an incredible hat-trick. Torpey was delighted to have scored her first goal for the national team soon after, drilling home after a melee in the six-yard box. The Active bay was bouncing, the songs were rolling off the tongue, the new Michelle Heyman chant becoming prophetic, and it was a matter of time before we saw more goals. On another day we would have been talking about the misses, as shots were blocked or went just over, but tonight was all about the goals. Uzbekistan did at least force a save out of Mackenzie Arnold, so she did get her number 18 shirt dirty, and we had to wait 15 minutes for the best goal yet, Fowler smashing a shot home from 12 yards out after good work by Gorry and Heyman.
To be honest, the thrill and excitement of a close contest never materialised, so the only thing left to do hope for was a damaging scoreline with some Haarlem Globetrotter-style showboating, and Caitlin Foord duly obliged, spinning to fire home after some comedy defending from Uzbekistan. Australia were purring, and with moments left of the first half, the Torpey-Heyman double act was at it again, Heyman stooping to head home her fourth goal. How many? 1-2-3-4!
Half time is usually an opportunity to walk around the stadium to see what’s happening – presentations to former players, half-time heroes, bumping in to familiar faces, that sort of thing, but there was no way of negotiating the concourse. After getting past the queue for the women’s bathroom that was blocking the men’s, finding an oasis from the madness proving the severe gender imbalance in the crowd, the idea was to continue around the stadium, but the crowd wasn’t moving and I headed back instead to the Active bay. It was like the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal women are at home. Eight goals ahead at the break, so this is what it would have been like if crowds were at the Asian Cup when we thrashed Indonesia in India during lockdown. Surely we’d see some changes at the break – and yes, a flurry of changes saw Gorry, Foord, Heyman and Ellie Carpenter make way, with Hayley Raso, Tameka Yallop, Amy Sayer and Emily Van Egmond entering the fray. So good to see quality being replaced by quality, and there really is competition for spots.
Raso was on fire from the off, and was the main outlet out wide. The Uzbek goalkeeper had to be replaced, not that we could see why she was down – a good metre of view obscured by the advertising hoardings.
Her replacement was busy and much less porous. Raso beat the keeper to a ball and cut inside, choosing to fire on goal instead of playing in a teammate and it was a bad miss when the ball hit the side netting with the goal gaping. There were moments when the crowd thought the ball was in, Yallop having a good shot just wide, Fowler just over, and it was a mirror-image of the first half without the end product.
The security guard at our end, clad in green football boots, who was instrumental in the expulsion of one high-profile fan tonight who refused to sit down in the adjacent active bay, then showed us his football skills, fetching a stray ball and returning it with a flourish to a big cheer from the crowd. It was certainly party time here, and Tameka’s tequila chant was given plenty of air time. There was no suggestion of frustration at not scoring another goal, but it was surprising, Hunt heading over from point blank range, and EVE missing an easy chance. Charlotte Grant came on to rapturous applause – she certainly is a much-loved member of the squad, such a rapid rise for the hard-running all-action defender.
Hayley Raso finally gave the young fans what they wanted, played in on the right to drill home with a precise finish and the crowd was back to fever pitch. As we’ve seen in previous games, Sayer seemed to be the focus for everything going forward, as if the team was willing her to get that first goal. She had a great chance that flashed wide and another from right in front that we couldn’t see, and we were resigned to seeing her registering another blank against lowly opposition. That was until the final minute of stoppage time, when Grant raided up the left and played in the perfect ball. Sayer didn’t hesitate when the ball dropped her way and slotted home a lovely finish to make it 10-0. Her expression and manner was of embarrassment and relief, but it would not have been out of place had she leapt over the advertising hoardings and run a lap of the stadium twirling her shirt around over her head. The fans loved it, and those with half and idea of the scenario could understand why all the players were delighted for her.
The crowds forming at the front of the bays signalled the end of the game, and a peculiar orchestrated celebration with an archway and white t-shirts and fire kept the players in the distance in the middle of the field for some time. A message on the scoreboard suggested a signing session for 20 minutes, but the players had been nowhere near the fans for 20 minutes. Kyra Cooney-Cross piggy-backed Mini to show that the serious part of the Tony G post-game huddle had concluded, and the players raced over to the section where their friends and family were and camped out for a while, as the persistent and patient fans remained at the fence waiting to meet their heroes.
The whole field was cleared by the time the final players headed down the tunnel. An unfortunate fan who had stumbled in the crush to meet the players was helped down the tunnel in obvious discomfort, and the security guards finally wrangled the last few fans, happy for the overtime, but keen to bring the night to a close. The short walk out from where we came in and down the steps, and Platform 28 was the venue for a debrief, a few interstate Matildas fans continuing the festivities into the night. The impending early morning flight back to real life curtailed our night, and five hours later we were on our way to Tullamarine and back to Sydney in time for the working day on a scalding hot Thursday.
What a trip! On one hand, this was a rushed 20 hours sojourn and difficult to justify the cost of flights and accommodation (and $17 beers!) when ready cash is so scarce for us non-boomers in these tricky times. On the other hand, we were back doing what we love, following the adventures of our teams around the country, lending our vocal support with a dedicated group of people just like us, and enjoying the atmosphere and the vibe of this Matildas phenomenon.
In years gone by, maybe even just two years ago in fact, talk of following the national teams to Texas, to Bangladesh or to Paris would have been realistic; alas now it all seems a bit out of reach, and the Matildas have been handed over to a new generation of fan. The atmosphere tonight was sensational, even if the view was terrible. The Active bay was drowned out by the screams whenever Hayley Raso or Ellie Carpenter touched the ball, and it almost felt as though the Active fans have completed their mission and the Taylor Swift-style mania that has enveloped our women’s national team is the new norm. Let’s see how that goes if the Matildas hit a difficult patch post-Olympics and post-Gustavsson; a cold winter’s Tuesday night in Campbelltown against East Timor in World Cup qualifying doesn’t sound that tempting does it?
* Before you react, the title is a nod to a chant that Newcastle United fans made up when they beat Sunderland, when ace marksman Albert Luque scored his one and only goal for the club in 20-odd attempts. If Tony G has faith in Amy Sayer, that’s good enough for me.