Finally, the wait is nearly over. The Women’s World Cup kicks off in just a few days in France and for most, the first whistle at Parc des Princes in Paris can’t come soon enough.
The men’s World Cup is the biggest and most beloved competition on the planet, but the women’s version is very quickly taking on a life of its own. As the best female player in the world, Ada Hegerberg, says: “It’s not always about the money. It’s about attitude and respect.”
The tournament continues to confront one of the biggest issues facing the world – how society must change its attitude towards women – and has become an event where real change can be measured. Every fours years another legacy becomes reality.
We cannot hide from it. Women like Hegerberg won’t let us and, even though she won’t be playing for Norway over the coming weeks, she is likely to still play her part as a champion for women off the field just as much as she would if she were on it.
The World Cup is a stage not only for athletic greatness but also for change by encouraging diversity and driving a move towards equality.
Matildas veteran Lisa De Vanna said she would trade in all her medals to just to be there. She knows what a rare opportunity it is to represent your country on such a stage and, even though this will be her fourth World Cup, she still treats it as if it was her first.
Players like De Vanna take to the field for the pure love of the game and they are sure to cherish the next four weeks or so. While they experience the tournament to the full, we will ride the highs and lows along with them, the best and worst feelings in the world.
These women are courageous athletes and competitors. They’ve had to fight to get to where they are today. They’ve had to push themselves and each other, harder and further for the right to play in the greatest event of all. It’s just a game, of course, and life goes on in victory or defeat, but the potential of what can be achieved in this tournament is yet to be realised.
“We are Matildas” is the catch-cry of Australia’s campaign in 2019. The invitation for every Australian to join the journey is real and this is a team the nation can be be proud of. It’s not just the scorelines, but how these women inspire us to keep pushing, to keep striving for more and to never say die.
When asked what their football journey meant to them using just one word, most Matildas said “challenging”, and rightly so. But one player’s response was perhaps more telling: Sam Kerr said “fun”.
With this outlook, Kerr has elevated herself right up there with the likes of Hegerberg as one of the best players in the world and could now lead her team to a quarter-final, a semi-final and, maybe, even further.
While we, as fans, can dare to dream of winning the whole thing, the team will only be thinking of their first game against Italy on Sunday. It’s standard preparation mode for a major tournament to save players from the getting overwhelmed by looking any further into a potential four-week pilgrimage.
The players won’t want to expend any unnecessary energy as, needless to say, it is an intense experience for them. How they deal with it varies; some thrive off the nerves, others less so. Experience will play its part; the likes of Clare Polkinghorne and fellow veteran Lydia Williams will be treating the opener in Valenciennes as just another game. And it would come as no surprise to see a big smile on Aivi Luik’s face if she takes to the field as a World Cup debutant at the age of 34.
American legend April Heinrichs has suggested it will be the fastest-paced World Cup yet seen and it’s difficult to argue with that assessment. The ability to retain possession for longer under extreme pressure with goalscoring intent is becoming the most valued of playing styles. But also a new level of tactical sophistication is expected to evolve this tournament – not so much the tempo of the game but more how each team connects, adapts and thrives in such a pressure pot atmosphere.
So if you haven’t already, try and clear your schedule for the next month, there will be few matches you want to miss. Whether it’s first-timers Jamaica or Scotland, or hosts France and defending champions USA, history will be made one way or another as these women continue to strive for greatness.
