Japan 1 Australia 0
Australia remembered what football was all about on Saturday night. For anyone who was at the pre-game at the Royal Oak Hotel in Lidcombe or later at the Brewery at Sydney Olympic Park, you will have experienced what it truly means to be a football fan, surrounded by like-minded souls who just wanted to have a good time in the name of te sport they love. The boisterous, joyous mood was transported to Stadium Australia for a pre-game featuring Australian music royalty, which flowed straight into the choreographed pre-game sequence that we’ve all enjoyed for the last three weeks. The stadium was filled with the hazy mist of the pre-game concert as the photographers were corralled into position and the high-tempo music blasted throughout the quickly-filling stadium, Melissa Barbieri proudly entering the field with the trophy and thrusting it skywards as if she had won it once more.
The pre-game formalities were taken to another level, the fireworks crackling as the players waited in the tunnel and the flag-bearers moved into position as the bells tolled. This was just superb, the music was blasting, the stadium was almost full, the flags were extra-big, five instead of the standard three that we’ve seen, and the pulsating heartbeat music heralded the players onto the field. Smoke once again filled the stadium, the players lined up ready for the national anthems. Epic would be an understatement, the Sarah Brightman Phantom of the Opera number for Japan ending seemingly prematurely, while the stadium was filled with Advance Australia Fair, sung perfectly, the final line delivered faultlessly with just the right amount of delay to the final three words. Spine-tingling? Yes. A full Stadium Australia, even the non-viewing seats behind the opaque substitutes’ benches were filled, and not one person on level six was complaining about their view.
The countdown to kick-off was impeccable, the Matildas Active popping up at the other end of the stadium to where we’d normally expect them to be. Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr combined for the first chance, a scuffed shot pushed behind for a corner, the stadium rising as one to salute the attacking intent. As the Matildas Active chanted, the stadium erupted in a slow hand-clap. Hana Takahashi drilled a cross-shot from the right that Mackenzie Arnold did well to smother. Japan had the ascendency already, Australia were in control in defence despite weathering the pressure, Riko Ueki unable to get good contact on a cross. The crowd was a peculir dynamic, the Matildas Active, fresh from their epic pre-game, making a racket, but instead of joining in with the chants, the rest of the fair-weather glory-hunting crowd was happy with the Aussie Aussie Aussie chant, a dagger to the heart of anyone who has followed Australian football longer than one game.
Kaitlyn Torpey was composed. Steph Catley was calm at the back and Australia broke, a ball played into Foord for a good chance, and she hit it early but goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita made a routine stop. Torpey raced back into position to thwart a break and received warm applause from the crowd. The game was playing out just as the Matildas wanted it to, the ball being stretched out to the wings and the Japan team struggling to find openings to exploit. The Viking clap was echoing around the stadium when Japan struck, and what a goal it was, Maika Hamano taking a ball in from the wing and unleashing an unstoppable shot, somewhat out of the blue, that Arnold could get nowhere near. There was no Viking clap after that. Mini Gorry was the unlikely player heading on goal seconds later as Foord hassled, and the Matildas were not fazed by the goal at all. Toko Koga’s injury saw the teams retreat to the sidelines as the Mexican wave started on 20 minutes, a sign that the majority of the crowd was invested in the occasion but not the football.
The Matildas were patient, the long ball only an option if there was nothing else on, Catley trying it out only for Sam Kerr to be punished for a clear push. If Australia were going to get back into the game, they would need to loosen their grip and push further onto their opponents, giving Japan more opportunities themselves. Torpey’s foul on Ueki gave the all-blue Japan side a chance from the right, superstar Yui Hasegawa firing in the cross, but Australia stayed strong. Katrina Gorry was battling, but she was often played into unwinnable positions in the midfield pivot, Japan breaking swiftly and with intent. Hinata Miyazawa couldn’t control her shot as Japan tentatively ventured forward, Gorry was penalised for a clear foul from behind, and the game remained perfectly poised, no one in the stadium able to predict which way the momentum would sway. Foord chased down Yamashita and got lucky, the goalkeeper briefly stranded, but she was all alone and could only smash in a speculative shot from distance. Kyra Cooney-Cross did well to stop the Japan surge at the expense of a corner, and from the clearance, Kerr found Foord and we almost had a breakaway, Gorry unable to make anything of the position. Japan were defending stoutly, the Matildas had belief. The incessant Oi Oi Oi continued around the stadium. Hikaru Kitagawa fired in a superb shot that Arnold saved, Miyazawa having spread the play beautifully.
There had been only one stoppage midway through the first half, the three extra minutes about right, and when Kerr fed Foord, the crowd rose, but Foord’s shot was scuffed wide. Torpey was warned that it was her last chance after bringing down her opponent again, and the Matildas defended well to bring the half to a close with no further damage. The entertainment continued at half time, the music thumping to distract from the queues for the women’s toilets and the unfulfilled queues for food.
The Matildas started the second half with intent, Carpenter and Fowler stretching the Japan defence, unfortunately it was Gorry who was the target for the header. Joe Montemurro couldn’t believe that the ball hadn’t gone out right in front of him, the assistant referee disinterested when the ball appeared to have crossed the line. Japan almost unlocked the Matildas defence with a ball from the left that was almost identical to the first South Korea goal in the group stage, and when Kitagawa crossed deep from the left, Ueki had a free header but put it wide under no pressure whatsoever.
The next goal would be crucial. Australia stepped up a gear, Carpenter too strong in the tackle and Foord coming in from the left to slide in majestically to keep Japan from building from midfield. Foord got into a good position but played a blind pass out of play. The Matildas Active fans were unbelievable, surrounded by multiple chants of Oi Oi Oi but maintaining their impressive drum beat despite the distractions. Cooney-Cross remembered her lines from a game gone by, trying an audacious chip from halfway that was never troubling Yamashita, and Japan went on the attack, Maika Hamano swinging in a cross from the right, Cooney-Cross doing well to win a free kick as she burst from defence. The contest was now following the script of every Japan game so far in this tournament, Japan pressing and Australia unable to clear their lines with anything meaningful. Gorry was surprisingly replaced by Hayley Raso and looked distraught, the din when the substitution was made bringing the volume to a new level. Let’s go Matildas, let’s go chanted the high-school mums and dads, the Matildas active responding with a more appropriate Aussie chant, but they were fighting a losing battle.
Torpey was well-placed but unable to connect correctly with a cross from the left as Australia threatened, and they pushed forward in search of the equaliser, Foord winning a corner on the left to lift the crowd to yet another level. The crowd erupted. A cross from Fowler was too far for Kerr, and the crowd dampened again. The Matildas had 20 minutes, and they were still in this game. When the crowd wanted to, the thunderous clap was effective, Carpenter racing down the right but she couldn’t make the cross count. Raso brought the crowd to a crescendo, flinging herself at Foord’s cross from the left, Kerr unable to do anything with the rebound. An injury to Kitagawa gave the players one last chance to get coaching from the sideline, the Mexican Wave finally making its way around the packed stadium of 74,397 fans. Torpey had the crowd going again, battling to win a corner and revving up the fans like an excited capo. The Matildas were swarming their opponents, it was all Australia, but with only ten minutes remaining on the clock.
Both teams made double substitutions, both teams retiring top quality players. This was going to be a grandstand finish, but Australia did look as though they would come up short. Carpenter and Raso combined to unlock the Japan defence, the ball falling for Van Egmond on the rebound, but Japan blocking well. Even the VAR check couldn’t provide any hope – possible penalty was the message, the crowd had no idea what it was for. Raso was hauled down with no free-kick, the assistant once more not interested in making a decision of any kind, and the minutes ticked down, the crowd completely enthralled by now.
Carpenter’s cross was perfect, Kennedy’s header thrilling, but Yamashita made the save. Japan were hemmed in, the crowd rose but Australia couldn’t make the breakthrough. Four minutes stood between the Matildas and heartbreak. The crowd was buzzing, this was as good as it gets for an Australian crowd at home, and the Matildas attacked again, time the enemy, and a flowing move brought a corner as Wheeler’s cross was headed behind. One last chance. even Arnold was up, the Matildas lost the ball and it looked like curtains for a second, but still the Matildas had a chance. It was now or never, but when Japan thrashed the ball out of play, the final whistle sounded and Japan had won. The Matildas players crumbled to the floor. What an incredible effort they had made. One goal had been enough, and what goal it was. A familiar story. The boos that accompanied the full time whistle were totally unjustified and straight from a pantomime; this had been a superb final that had kept the capacity crowd entertained and enthralled until the very end.
The teams formed their circles, Japan quite rightly in the centre circle as if owning the stadium, Australia consoling themselves after an epic battle. The stage was assembled in the centre of the stadium, the train of fireworks trolleys getting into position. This venue will not be looked back on fondly by the Matildas after this tournament, but they gave the crowd superb entertainment, hard running and thrills and with just a little but more composure in the first half they could have been well and truly in the game and could have taken this final further into the night. With the elaborate stage now constructed, the players congregated at the north end of the stadium as the thumping music distracted from the sight of the multiple volunteers leaving the field. The stadium was ringed by young Matildas fans looking for a high-five or a selfie with their heroes, but the trophy presentation was such an epic event that most mums and dads would have taken their families home to bed, the clock ticking well past ten o’clock before the formalities had even started.
Melissa Barbieri didn’t look as full of joie de vivre as she had done pre-game, bringing the trophy carefully to its mantle. Japan were awarded the fair play trophy for the tournament, the best goalkeeper award, the top goalscorer award with Riko Ueki taking that one, but Alanna Kennedy took out the MVP of the tournament, the remaining crowd saluting their hero. In a lovely touch, Japan provided a guard of honour for the Aussie team as they walked onto the stage to collect their losers’ medals, but tonight belonged to Japan, and they were given a guard of honour in return by the valiant Matildas as they walked up to collect their winners’ medals and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup trophy that they had rightly deserved after a sensational tournament.
We can now begin to reflect on a fantastic three-week football bonanza that has gripped the football nation, and take stock that Australia will not be hosting another international football tournament until the Olympics in 2032. If you didn’t fill your boots with this tournament’s 27 international matches on home soil, you’ve got a long time to wait for the next. Sayonara from Stadium Australia.