The tight team quickly turned into a collection of points. The Australians somehow wanted to be together and yet each for themselves. Sam Kerr walked a few meters on the lawn and sought her peace away from it. First the 29-year-old stood upright and looked into the distance, then she leaned forward, leaning on her legs. Finally she had to sit down. It seemed as if she was trying to understand what had just happened with every change of position. But she kept shaking her head. No, Kerr couldn’t understand that.
That evening in the former Olympic Stadium in Sydney, she herself was so close to keeping the hope of winning the world title alive. But now that journey was over. Behind them, the English women danced exuberantly in front of the part of the 75,784 spectators who wore a white and red outfit. The hostesses are eliminated, the European champions made it to the final. England meets Spain there on Sunday (12 noon, ZDF), who beat Sweden on Tuesday.
Those who sat in the stands dressed in yellow and green, however, still celebrated the players as if they had just won. When Kerr gathered herself and called her colleagues to take a less euphoric lap of the stadium, they cheered loudly. “I’m very happy with the way the fans supported the team at a devastating emotional moment,” said Australia coach Tony Gustavsson at the press conference. “I think one reason is that they were proud that all the players gave their all. Because they did.”
Instead of cheering, the Australians are disillusioned on the pitch
The fact that the Australians wrote a winter fairy tale at this World Cup despite missing the final was already evident before the semi-finals even started. The big party that had taken place in front of the stadium like a street festival with a live band, light show and food stalls carried over to the inside area. When the Australians came onto the pitch to warm up, there weren’t many spectators in the stadium, but the volume was the same as in some packed arenas. “The legacy we wanted to leave through this World Cup was to inspire the next generation,” goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold said before the game. “I think we’ve done more than that, more than we set out to do.”
The hosts started their home tournament as outsiders, not least because record goalscorer Kerr injured her calf before the start and was unable to play until the round of 16. But the team emancipated itself from its superiority and, carried by the growing enthusiasm, it developed into one of the favorites for the title. They’ve already made history anyway: the quarterfinals against France they won the longest penalty shoot-out ever at a World Cup. And have come as far as no Australian football team has ever done before.
It was also the “Matildas” who were able to inflict the only defeat on the English team since Wiegman took office in September 2021. Apart from the 0-2 in April, England had not lost in 30 games. On Wednesday, however, they struggled to get in front of goal in a really dangerous way, with England remaining in control. In a game that was intense and fast from the start, it was a throw-in that gave the European champions the lead. The ball landed at Ella Toone. At her shot came in the right angle the Arnold so celebrated after the penalty shootout not ran in the 36th minute.
After so many attempts to attack, it was Sam Kerr who brought Australia back into the game. Alessia Russo lost the ball, Katrina Gorry quickly passed Kerr, who sprinted in front of the center line and didn’t stop until she scored such a dream goal to make it 1-1 from 24 meters into the top left corner (63 ‘), which it deserves would have had to be a winning goal and not just an interim result. “Knowing Sam, she probably thinks the goal wasn’t worth anything,” said her coach Gustavsson. “But it shows who she is and what she can do.”
England goalkeeper Mary Earps can only jump and look after Sam Kerr’s shot.
(Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
A few minutes later, the English women had come close twice to make it 2-1, but in the 71st minute the ball was in it: After a long pass, Lauren Hemp was defended too poorly and was the next to overcome Arnold. “I said to her, I’ve never seen you play that well,” Rachel Daly said of Hemp. “Honestly, this girl is scary! And she’s only getting better and better.”
The Australians then kept trying and came very close to equalizing on a number of occasions. Kerr alone had the best chance with his head and then a volley from close range. But instead of celebrating, she stood there disillusioned in the 86th minute – and must have guessed it was over. At that moment, Hemp played a cheeky and clever pass with astonishing ease, which took the Australian defense by surprise and became the ideal template for Russo’s 3-1 lead. “She has grown in this tournament, as has our entire team,” England coach Sarina Wiegman said of Russo. “At that moment I thought: We won’t give that up anymore.”
The Dutchwoman is now the first person in football to reach the final of a World Cup with two different nations. In 2019, Wiegman had succeeded with the Netherlands after they had won the European title together in 2017 – like in 2022 with England.