It is a mere 3 days since the Women's World Cup finished but the memories from this last month are still keeping me going. For me though, it's not just the memories that this World Cup created but the realisation that this is indeed just the beginning.
As a tribute, I wish to post this open and heartfelt letter. Dear Matildas,
I have a confession to make, one which I am not proud of and for someone who loves sport, one that I am ashamed of. I confess that at the start of the World Cup, I didn't know much about the team, didn't know much about the players, who you were and where you played your club football.
I now understand that this lack of knowledge was from a lack of information seeking not to mention the lack of news outside the occasional result and controversy.
I confess myself disappointed by this, by my lack of interest and knowledge.
This last month though, what you have done for this country is something that will never be forgotten.
You picked us up and led us all on a roller-coaster journey, the likes of which, we won't be forgetting any time soon. It was a journey of hope, of wide-eyed innocence for those of us who hadn't experienced the thrill of following you through a tournament, of pressure and expectation and what unfolded is honestly something I wish to experience again and again.
This journey was naturally going to come to an end at the conclusion of the tournament but there is a quote from Tony Gustavsson that has stuck with me "I don't see this as the conclusion, only the start of a journey" While I am quite probably paraphrasing this, he is right, but in a way that I honestly didn't see coming. See, the truth is, over the last month of football, I fell in love with the Matildas. I fell in love watching the poise and composure of Mary Fowler. I fell in love watching Mckenzie Arnold save us in THAT PENALTY SHOOTOUT against France. I fell in love watching Ellie Carpenter compete and after reading her backstory of how she made it back from her ACL, her spirit.
I fell in love watching Sam Kerr score THAT GOAL against England.
Above all though, I fell in love with a team that embodied the Australian spirit and sought to play the game in the right way; a team that had the fight and determination to overcome all obstacles; a team who, while being under the most unbelievable pressure still had time to comfort a kid suffering from overstimulation less than 5 minutes before the vital game against Canada.
The way you carried yourself despite the pressure and expectation of being the host country is something I truly admire. As much as I was bewildered by some of Tony Gustavsson's coaching, I won't lie, he has provided a couple of meme-worthy moments and he was able to do something that not many can...tap into what makes this country passionate about sport and unite us all behind a common cause.
For me, this month was one of the biggest joys. Watching you was one of the biggest joys which allowed me to forget my current issues and focus on something bigger and better than my mental health.
It's safe to say that after this tournament, I am all in on the Matildas and I will proudly say that I am a #MatildaTillIDie
Thank you for giving hope and showing that sport does still have some purity left and I cannot wait to see what you do in club football along with the Paris Olympics and beyond. Lots of genuine love
Scott
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