In the lead up to the Matildas clash against Sweden for 3rd place in the Women’s World Cup, we break down some interesting facts you may not know about the team.
- The Matildas set two records in their recent spine-tingling quarterfinal win against France. Not only did they make history making Australia qualify for their very first World Cup semi-final, they also won by way of the longest penalty shoot-out ever seen in a World Cup.
2. Australia stands alongside Brazil as having the most LGBTQI+ players in this year’s World Cup with a total of 9 players and 3 reserves. Among the list is Mackenzie Arnold, Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter.
3. Sam Kerr is regarded as one of the best female soccer players of all time. She beat 50-goal Tim Cahill, becoming the highest-scoring player in Australia in 2023. She’s got 63 goals to her name!
4. Speaking of Kerr, when she was 5-years-old she hid her gender to continue playing in a boys soccer team in her hometown of Perth. Eventually her dad and coach put a stop to it, deciding that the play was becoming too rough. Kerr was consistently coming home battered and bruised. She recalls being devastated as there was no such thing as female soccer groups at the time.
5. Hayley Ruso has been wearing a ribbon in her hair ever match since she entered the sport as a child. It also helps her grandma spot her on the field. Also, Mary Fowler wears gloves not to keep warm but to stop her from fidgeting.
On today’s episode of The Briefing Podcast, Tom Tilley speaks to football fanatic and sports podcaster Johnny Keko, who was in the stands watching the twists and turns of last night’s match against England. We also dive into what we can expect for our clash against Sweden on Saturday.