It’s more than just a World Cup semi-final at stake. It is, as one Aussie newspaper put it, 146 years of grudges, gloating and gripes.
And when Australia’s Matildas take on England’s Lionesses they will hoping to complete a hat trick of victories over the old enemy this summer.
First the Aussies retained the Ashes, then they defeated the Roses in the Netball World Cup final. Now they are hoping to dash the nation’s hopes of footballing glory.
It means that when the Lionesses step on to the pitch at Stadium Australia on Wednesday morning they are set to face not just the Matildas but a cauldron of intensely partisan Aussie fans baying for victory.
Wednesday morning’s semi-final will be the first World Cup soccer match played between England and Australia.
Sports writers have been quick to stoke up the sense of expectation among fans and to remind them of a rivalry between the nations that goes back to 1877 when an England cricket side toured Australia for the first test matches.
In the Sydney Morning Herald, Emma Kemp said the match will “double as a renewal of one of the great sporting rivalries between Australia and England”. And reminded us: “The Matildas got the better of the Lionesses in April, winning 2-0 in a friendly in Brentford.”
Will Swanton wrote in The Australian: “The clash with the Lionesses is a huge occasion. Layer it with 146 years of grudges, gloating and gripes, spanning all sports, and you go to blockbuster and beyond.
“Blockbuster ain’t the word. The beautiful game is a beautiful thing when it pits sworn enemies against each other.”
Added to the mix is the fact that this semi-final will be played at the same venue (Stadium Australia), where England beat Australia in spectacular fashion in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
So, argued Swanton, this historical nugget injects the match with an added piquancy.
“Jonny Bairstow’s stumping,” he added. “W G Grace. The Gatting Ball. The sporting blood feud between Australia and England has centred on cricket since 1877. Here comes football.”
The England v Australia match, he added, is “a familiar opponent in an unfamiliar sport”.
An editorial for the paper hammered home Swanton’s message. In its weekend edition, it said there were just “two more sleeps” before the Matildas take on the Lionesses, adding with some bravado: “We’re in with a great shot to put the Lionesses in their place.”
But not everybody is up to speed with this deep-seated rivalry. When England’s manager, Dutchwoman Sarina Wiegman, was asked about it, she seemed slighty baffled.
“I’m going to have a word with my backroom staff to find out what it’s about,” she said. “I think in general the Australians and English get on really well. And I like the people here. But that doesn’t mean there’s no rivalry.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/UnrNiHm
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