After barely being beaten out of a place at the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in 1991 on goal difference (by New Zealand in the Oceania qualifiers), the Australian women’s national team has never failed to qualify for the World Cup, finishing as top team in Oceania in the 1995, 1999 and 2003 Oceania World Cup qualifiers.
The Westfield Matildas qualified for the 2007 finals via Asia for the first time, after reaching the final of the 2006 AFC Asian Women’s Championship in Adelaide. Australia qualified for the following year’s World Cup after defeating Japan in the semi-final 2-0 (top three nations in the tournament qualified for the World Cup); the final however saw the Westfield Matildas go down to China only after a penalty shoot-out, to finish runners-up in the tournament. The Aussies went that one better in a memorable 2010 AFC Asian Women’s Cup in China, defeating the highly-fancied Korea DPR side on penalties in the final following a 1-1 scoreline after 120 minutes of play and earning the country another shot at the World Cup.
Australia appeared to gradually learn and improve throughout each of its first few World Cup forays, as the aggregate goal differences over each World Cup shows: a goals for-and-against record of 3-13 (minus 10) in its 1995 World Cup matches reduced to minus 4 in 1999, and went down to minus 2 in the 2003 campaign. By the 2007 tournament, a positive goal difference over the four matches, which included Australia’s first World Cup finals win (4-1 over Ghana) and quarter-final appearance (a 2-3 loss to Brazil) displayed how far the Aussie women’s team had come over the previous 12 years. Further testament to the team was provided when coach Tom Sermanni was named 2007 AFC Coach of the Year.
In 2011 Australia put in arguably their best FIFA Women’s World Cup performance to date with a strong showing in Group D where the team came out of the group with six points following wins against Equatorial Guinea and Norway as well as a narrow 1-nil loss to Brazil. In a tournament where Australia had the third youngest team, with an average age of 22, the team performed strongly and received many plaudits for their style of play and character. Australia were knocked out in the quarter final by eventual third-placed Sweden, losing 3-1 to the world’s fifth ranked nation.
2015 saw Australia start their FIFA Women's World Cup campaign against eventual winners the United States in their opening Group D clash. Playing some scintillating football, the Westfield Matildas pushed the Americans all the way before losing 3-1.
Next up was Nigeria, and a Kyah Simon double was enough to earn Australia a crucial 2-0 win, setting up a clash with Sweden, the side that had knocked them out four years earlier. Despite a 1-1 draw Australia finished second in their group and would face an imposing Brazil side in the Round of 16.
That match in Moncton would go on to become part of Australian football folklore, as the Westfield Matildas shocked the more-fancied Brazilians. Another Kyah Simon goal, this time in the 80th minute, sealed a memorable result.
A quarter-final against eventual runners-up Japan would prove a bridge too far, with the Green and Gold going down 1-0 in Edmonton.
Drawn in Group C, the Westfield Matildas began their FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 against the fast improving Italy. It was a bright start for Australia as captain Sam Kerr opened her FIFA Women's World Cup account with a penalty conversion in the first half. However, it wasn't enough for victory as the Italians recorded a late winner to take the three points.
A familiar opponent was next for Australia as, for the fifth major tournament in a row, they were to met Brazil. It was a match befitting the rivalry built between the two nations with the Westfield Matildas coming back from a 2-0 deficit to claim a famous 3-2 victory in Montpellier.
A superstar prior to the tournament, Kerr made Australian history in the final group match against Jamaica. The prolific striker netted all of Australia's goals, becoming the first Aussie to score a FIFA World Cup hattrick, in their 4-1 win over the Reggae Girlz to set up a Round of 16 clash with Norway.
After Norway took a first half lead in the Round of 16 encounter, Australia worked their way into the match and put pressure on the Norwegians. That pressure finally told in the second half with Elise Kellond-Knight scoring straight from a corner to bring the Westfield Matildas level. A back and forth struggle resulted in penalties with Australia ending their tournament in Nice.
2023 will see the Westfield Matildas compete in a home FIFA Women’s World Cup. Co-hosted with New Zealand, the tournament will be the first in the Southern Hemisphere, the first in the Asia-Pacific region, the first co-confederation FIFA tournament and the first time Australia will host a senior FIFA tournament.
It is set to be a festival of football!
- Football Australia
- Follow the Matildas: https://www.matildas.com.au/follow-westfield-matildas-journey-2023