Australians have been swept up in the excitement for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, kicking off on Thursday, with record ticket sales and dozens of live sites.
But some fans are going to extra lengths to make the most of what is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
‘A bit bonkers’
Gabi Boyd has wrapped up work for the next month. The Melbourne fan and her partner will go to 17 matches in eight of the nine host cities across Australia and New Zealand.
“We had this idea to try to get to a match in every host city — which we’ve just about pulled off,” Ms Boyd says.
During the first stage of the tournament she will be in a different city every day.
After that she has booked two sets of flights, tickets, and hotels so they can follow the Matildas whether they finish first or second in their group.
“It’s going to be a bit bonkers, but should be really fun,” she said.
Ms Boyd came to the sport relatively late in life and she says it was a misconception that big fans were all players.
It was living in South Africa in 2010 as it prepared to host the men’s World Cup that sparked her passion.
“The whole country went absolutely football mad and swept me along with it. So ever since then I’ve been an absolute diehard football supporter,” she said.
In recent years, the women’s game has become her main focus.
As a member of the Matildas Active Support group she has spent the past three and half years preparing for this World Cup, planning fan experiences, organising for Matildas fans to sit together, and practising chants.
“I find it to be such a diverse, warm and welcoming group. And it’s such a culture of deliberate positivity,” Ms Boyd said.
‘There’s no faking’
For Dr Quang Dao and his daughter Gracelyn it is not just about cheering on the Matildas, it is a chance to spend time together.
The Sydney father and daughter are going to three matches and will be watching many more together on television throughout the tournament.
“I think it’s really great that we’ll get to see the Matildas play in Australia, in our home country,” says Gracelyn, 19.
“I think the other thing that we’re super excited about is to spend some time together as father and daughter.”
Dr Dao plays four or five times a week, including with the Docceroos — Australia’s medical soccer team.
He introduced Gracelyn to the sport.
“I love to go to Grace’s games and support her and scream from the sideline. We have a coach, he trains us once a week, and that’s our weekly time together,” Dr Dao said.
“This year, one of our goals is to play together,” Gracelyn said.
“In the summertime we’re hoping to form our own team with our friends and family so that we can actually spend that time playing together as well.”
Dr Dao says the women play hard and tough football.
“There’s no faking, there’s no rolling on the ground, they are real football players and the skills are there,” he said.
Gracelyn is optimistic about the Matildas’ chances and is hoping for a public holiday if they go all the way.
“It’ll be a really great celebration,” she said.
‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ memories
Emma Fitzgerald has taken time off work so she can watch every game live — either at the stadium, at her football club, the pub, or home.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing and I just want to really immerse myself in it all,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
Having spent the first 30 years of her life in England and now living in Sydney, Ms Fitzgerald is supporting both the Lionesses and Matildas.
If it comes to the crunch and it is England versus Australia she will choose her childhood home.
Ms Fitzgerald, who plays and coaches with West Pymble Football Club, has tickets to 10 games and is particularly looking forward to taking her niece to see the Matildas play.
Having only started playing soccer when she went to university, Ms Fitzgerald is pleased more girls are taking up the sport at a young age, including her niece.
When a little boy told her niece ‘girls cannot play football’ she did not put up with it.
“She stood there all indignantly, as a five or six-year-old, and put her hand on the hips and went ‘my auntie Emma plays football, girls do play football’.”
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As well as watching games Ms Fitzgerald is also hoping to attend some open training sessions.
She is secretary of the Manchester United Australian Supporters Group so will be on the lookout for the club’s female players representing their national teams.
‘The country stops’
Priscila Zatorski cannot wait for her two daughters to experience the atmosphere at a Brazil football match for the first time.
“The country stops. Everybody’s focused on the game, everybody’s cheering, everybody is so friendly, everybody’s together,” she said.
“We have music, it’s like you are in a show, and it’s very fun. It’s hard to explain, it’s better to feel.”
With no games scheduled in Sydney, the Croydon family will travel to Adelaide to see the team play Panama.
Despite football’s dominance in Brazil it is not considered a sport for girls to play.
“I was always raised to believe that soccer was a masculine thing,” Ms Zatorski said.
Instead, she played handball and volleyball which were more acceptable for girls.
It was not until she moved to Australia six years ago and her daughter began playing for Burwood FC that she decided it was time to give it a go.
“I love it. I’m very competitive. I love the girls on my team. We’re very supportive of each other,” she said.
“I feel that I belong to the community and I would say that soccer is big part of this.”
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