Olympic Park in Sydney has a capacity of 83,600 people, but local authorities estimate that hundreds of thousands will flock to this "sacred ground" on August 16th to witness the home team's clash with England.
Coach Tony Gustavsson's players deserve the love and attention of the people of this Pacific island nation, who have followed their arduous but glorious journey at the World Cup held on home soil (co-hosted with New Zealand). After defeating the Republic of Ireland and losing to Nigeria in their opening two matches, Australia advanced from the group stage by beating Olympic champions Canada 4-0. Following their victory over Denmark in the knockout round, Australia faced a tense quarter-final clash with France, winning only in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Over the past few days, Australian media outlets have been continuously fueling the "football fever" among the country's citizens, with the renowned Sydney Herald Tribune boldly "predicting" that the home team will win both remaining matches to become champions of the 2023 World Cup.
The Australian team is hoping for a miracle in the semi-final match on home soil. Photo: REUTERS
England are the reigning European champions, and the women's team has not lost an official match since Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman took over. However, many still remember that England suffered a 0-2 defeat against Australia in a friendly match in April.
That victory will undoubtedly provide added motivation for the rematch in the most important battle in Australian women's football history. England will likely be wary of their co-hosts, as Australia has many players currently playing in England, most notably striker C. Foord and captain S. Kerr, who are key players for Arsenal and Chelsea respectively.
England certainly don't want to miss the chance to reach the World Cup final for the first time. They have already reached the semi-finals of their fifth consecutive major tournament and are eager to complete a "double," winning Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup.
Spain reaches the final for the first time.
The semi-final match, played on August 15th in front of 43,217 spectators at Eden Park in New Zealand, only truly became exciting in the final 10 minutes or so. Sweden, despite being considered the favorites, played very cautiously, conceding 73% of the ball possession to Spain.
The substitutions made by both coaching staffs in the second half proved effective. In the 81st minute, 19-year-old striker Salma Paralluelo opened the scoring for Spain. This was also the second goal in two consecutive matches for this young talent, who is currently winning the World Cup with the Spanish women's team (A). Over the past five years, Paralluelo has won the U17 and U20 World Cups with Spain.
Sweden equalized 1-1 in the 88th minute through Rebecca Blomqvist, but the joy of the Nordic team was short-lived. Seventy seconds later, captain Olga Carmona scored with a long-range shot to seal a 2-1 victory, sending Spain to their first-ever World Cup final.
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