In a packed Gold Coast stadium, the Matildas took one step closer to claiming the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after beating Iran 4-0.
Ahead of the Matildas’ next match against Korea, some of the team’s biggest supporters said the Tillies are inspiring their own success on the field.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was five, but when I was younger the boys wouldn’t let me join their games – they’d only let me be referee,” Tillies superfan Georgia tells Woman’s Day.
“One day I finally got the chance to play, and I scored a goal on them! That moment made me realise I belonged on the field just as much as anyone else.”
MEETING THEIR IDOLS
Georgia, a ten-year-old junior player from Canberra, says her favourite players on the team have helped develop her “never give up” attitude.
“I’m a huge Matildas fan, and they’ve inspired me by how resilient they are on and off the pitch, I love how Michelle Hayman came back from retirement to play again,” she says.
“It shows that you should never give up on something you love. Mary Fowler speaking out about mental health has helped me understand that being open and brave is just as important as being good at football.”
Similarly, 14-year-old Neveah from NSW says watching the Matlidas take on the rest of the world has helped her overcome her own feelings of self-doubt.
“I started playing soccer when I was six, just having fun at community games with my friends. As I moved into development squads and rep teams, it got harder,” Nevaeh shares.
“I struggled with anxiety, self-doubt and the pressure of trying to be good enough – there were times I wanted to quit, but I kept showing up. Every time I stepped onto the field, even on the hard days, I built a little more resilience.”
But with the backing of her teammates, coaches, families, and her favourite Matildas players, Nevaeh feels inspired to keep smashing her goals.
“They remind me that football is about courage, determination and believing in yourself,” tells Nevaeh.
“Elie Carpenter especially shows what it means to stay strong and keep pushing. Allianz gave me the chance to meet the team before their Perth match, and hearing from them in-person made me realise that even the players I look up to have had their own challenges.”
BECOMING UNSTOPPABLE
Also impressed with the Tillies’ performance against Iran was their coach Joe Montemurro.
“We were braver, we created many opporunities, we did look to break lines a lot earlier,” he told Paramount Plus.
“Youn can see that the rhythm and the tempo was a little bit more than Sunday – but all good steps forward.”
With the Women’s Asian Cup finals just weeks away, both Georgia and Nevaeh are hopeful the Matildas could secure a win.
But win or lose, both say they’re incredibly proud of the girls in gold and green.
“Watching the Tillies reminds me that girls can be strong, confident and unstoppable. Now that I’ve been selected for the U12 Belnorth SAP team, I want to keep proving that girls can do anything,” says Georgia.
“I’m so proud of how far I’ve come, because resilience isn’t about being perfect, it’s about never giving up,” Nevaeh tells.
