SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Prior to the Women’s World Soccer Cup, co-hosts Australia and New Zealand were given little chance to reach the championship round.
Well, half of it became a done deal, for the Aussies are still playing, this time at a scheduled 5 o’clock Wednesday morning, and it will face England in the title match played in Sydney, Australia.
England had been expected to advance. In its opener back on Aug. 8, it just got past Nigeria via 4-2 on penalty kicks that brought the 0-0 final. Then it edged upset-minded Columbia, 2-1, four days later in New Zealand.
Still, for the Great Britain ladies, they will be far outnumbered in the Sydney stands, for from an Australian soccer program that had sometimes played before perhaps 500, attendance is expected to go up and over 60,000.
Simply put, the stands have already sold out, but there will still be the Matilda supporters spread around the area. Simply put, the English will be vastly outnumbered.
If this was played in New Zealand, it wouldn’t be so. But that’s the way it went for the Aussies, win your semifinals there and travel home for the finale.
Thus, it will be the home side in its standard yellow and black against the blue and white visitors.
Attendance down under? Well, Australia’s round of 16 triumph over Denmark had the highest-rating television audience in its five days.
The quarterfinal win last weekend drew almost five million viewers for the free-to-air TV rightsholder, excluding public screenings and paid streaming.
That’s the most for a sports event since tennis star Lleyton Hewitt reached the finals of the Australian Open championship in 2005.
Even more than the grand finals in the nation’s dominant football codes, Aussie rules, and rugby league in 20 years.
Yes, the down under Australian nation has reached fever pitch on the pitch, outback steaks are being well consumed.
This program has played with very much heart, and passion has been so inspiring.
Both it and England had to adjust from elite-level football rules, and all were gone through Saturday to players, staff and supporters.
In Saturday’s dynamic 2-1 penalty shootout over a good France group, there were no empty seats as it became standing room only.
Very noticeable, the Aussies and the French were seen alongside each other, but it went well, no penalties on the supporters, just a close game.
The other Australian victory was 2-0 over Denmark, and that, too, was tight until the Matildas tallied a late goal to increase the score.
Honestly, good luck to the Brits who hope to have their share of the packed house, but it seems almost everyone in kangaroo land wants to watch Aussie ball either on TV or as dedicated fan zones in the host cities.
These are areas that have attracted tens of thousands of people or in pubs and clubs from the state capitals to tiny Outback communities.
If they win the whole thing, a parade will follow, but let’s not count England out of celebrations. Win and it will no doubt have a parade.
