THE SQUIZ
The dust has settled on the Matildas’ World Cup semi-final against England, and it’s fair to say that despite the loss, the consensus is the team did us proud… The Tillies are now looking to capitalise on their record-breaking/history-making efforts by pushing for changes that last beyond this year’s tournament. Captain Sam Kerr called for more investment in the sport, saying, “We need funding in our development, we need funding in our grassroots… we need funding everywhere”. She added: “Hopefully, this tournament changes that because that’s the legacy you leave – not what you do on the pitch.”

WELL, THE WORLD CUP HAS HAD A LOT OF ATTENTION…
It’s been massive… As far as Women’s World Cups go, it’s been the best-attended ever, breaking ticketing records after 1.5 million were sold the first week – and that number rose to more than 1.7 million by last week. It’s also the best-attended in terms of team numbers – 32 countries took part, up from 24 in 2019. There’s been a lot said about the Matildas’ achievements uniting Aussies in a way that hasn’t been seen since the 2000 Sydney Olympics (and even getting NBA stars onboard). And it’s undoubtedly captured TV viewers’ attention… The Australia v England broadcast on Wednesday night reached a total audience of 11.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched TV program since the ratings system started in 2001. Still, some critics say more should have been done to market the global event – you can’t please everyone…

SO WHAT NOW?
Midfielder Katrina Gorry yesterday encouraged Aussies to keep up the momentum for women’s football after the tournament, saying, “The shift in Australian football has just been incredible”. And it’ll be easy to keep the vibe going this weekend with the Matildas playing Sweden tomorrow at 6pm Eastern time in a battle for bronze (or “rose gold”, as one fan put it). Coach Tony Gustavsson says the team will “dig deep”, making it one to watch. And at 8pm on Sunday, it’s time for the final with England going up against Spain. We’re going for Spain – holding grudges isn’t our best trait, but what can you do…