Para Matildas Crowned Football World Champions
The Australian women’s IFCPF team have claimed the World Cup after an inspiring come from behind win in the final.
Australia has won its first ever senior football World title, with the Para Matildas producing a gutsy performance to claim the IFCPF World Cup with a 6-2 win over defending champs USA in Spain.
It was a nervous start for the previously unbeaten Aussies, who found themselves behind 2-0 after only a handful of minutes due to some powerful play from the Americans and a sluggish start of their own. That deficit could’ve been more had it not been for goalkeeper and co-captain Katelyn Smith, who produced a couple of excellent saves.
It was Smith who got the Aussies back into the match on the scoreboard, when her long goalkick caught the opposing goalkeeper napping, and the ball found the back of the net. It was not the first the keeper had executed that play during the tournament, and it wouldn’t be the last time in this very match.
Australia started to get on top midway through the first half. Their passes were beginning to find the mark in attack, and their defence repelled the Americans when required. Katelyn Smith had the opportunity to level the scoreboard after a handball from the USA in the box, however the co-captain’s penalty crashed into the post and bounced out. The US took a 2-1 lead into the break, but the Para Matildas would have felt OK with how they had settled into the game after the shaky start.
The same starting five took the field to start the second half, and teenager Annmarie de Uriarte was looking to pounce on any loose passes from the Americans, while the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot Georgia Beikoff was also making her presence felt in the attacking end. Eloise Northam’s reliability, both with foot skills and distributing the ball from throw/roll ins, was a calming presence for the Para Matildas.
Katelyn Smith stepped up for another penalty early in the second half after Northam was pushed down in the box, and this time she made no mistake to level the score at 2-2. Three minutes later, the goalie made it a hat trick with yet another perfectly executed long range shot from her own penalty box to give Australia the lead, and Smith ran over to celebrate with her coach and teammates.
With Australia in the ascendancy, the women in green and gold began to create more opportunities. Georgia Beikoff’s first touch was clean after the ball bobbed around in the box from a centring ball to make the lead two goals, and the striker ran to the far side of the ground to celebrate with the Australian players’ family and friends. Two more goals, including a well deserved one to 16 year old de Uriarte sealed the result in the final minutes.
There were scenes of joy when the fulltime whistle was blown, as the Aussie bench cleared and ran on to the field, with support staff and families not far behind. The result is significant for Australian football, with this team becoming the first national side to wear the crown of World Champions. Before they left for Spain, HER WAY asked co-captain Carly Salmon what it would mean to be the first Australian team to achieve the feat.
“Just thinking of the football teams that we have,” Carly Salmon pondered, “Obviously the Matildas are absolutely phenomenal, definitely a team we look up to. But to be able to get that title over them would definitely be pretty cool!”