A shocking decision has robbed Australia’s World Cup of its buzz and fans from Albania to Zimbabwe should be laughing at us, writes MIKE COLMAN
How good was that blockbuster between the US and the Netherlands in the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Thursday?
What is that? Didn’t you see it?
Well, what about that moment when Colombian cancer survivor Linda Caicedo threw one into the back of the net against South Korea? Or when she scored in her side’s underdog victory over Germany just two days after collapsing in training? That certainly brought a tear to your eye.
Serious? Did you miss that too?
How about a number of Yanks refusing to sing their national anthem, the Dutch coach telling Portugal to lie down, or the referee in the Spain-Zambia game who manages to make the wrong decision after a disagreement with the VAR?
Aussie football fans (pictured at their side’s match against Nigeria) have been buying tickets and Matildas merchandise in droves, but their one-off local World Cup experience has meant they’ve come up short and robbed the event of much buzz
No no no? Did you miss them all?
Come on, what’s wrong with you? It’s all these little moments that bring together people from all over the world that make this tournament one of the most colorful, engaging and watchable sporting events in the world.
How could you not watch every mesmerizing moment?
Ooooh, why didn’t you tell me you don’t have Optus?
Around this time last week, Australians were complaining that Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews had ridiculed us all over the world for pulling the pin on the Commonwealth Games.
Hardly. Do you think the majority of people around the world care about the Commonwealth Games? They are too busy with football or, as we call it, football.
And this week, people everywhere from Albania to Zimbabwe would really laugh if they knew that the co-organizers of the FIFA Women’s World Cup could watch only a few of the games on free television.
Australians have missed incredible moments, like Colombian cancer survivor Linda Caicedo scoring in her team’s 2-1 underdog win over Germany (pictured), just two days after she collapsed in training and was rushed to hospital
That we are so isolated – or so poorly served by our broadcast regulators – that pretty much the only pool games we get to see without going behind a paywall are those involving our own team?
Shouldn’t this be the World Game? Not here in Australia, it isn’t. It’s the game of the Matildas. To see someone else – like, say, the defending champion USA or World No. 2 Germany – you have to put your hand in your pocket.
How many times in recent weeks have we heard the talking heads on Channel 7 gushing about how big, exciting and unmissable the Women’s World Cup was going to be?
Too bad they didn’t mention how limited their coverage was.
And what about Mr Inclusion himself, Anthony Albanese, doing his man-of-the-people act outside the stadium before the kick-off of the Australia-Ireland match?
Locals also couldn’t see controversial incidents, such as the mindless rendition of their national anthem by the US team before their game against the Netherlands (pictured)
After saying he was looking forward to seeing Sam Kerr lead the team that night (five hours after she was ruled out with an injury), he stressed how great it was that so many little girls would be inspired by watching their part . models in action during the tournament.
True, but what if those little girls would have liked some role models not to wear green and gold, such as players from Italy, Vietnam or China – the countries of their ancestors?
I’m sure their parents and grandparents would have.
Not to mention the country’s largest and most loyal ex-pat football community, the English.
Not winning a football world cup every four years is their national sport. They like to enjoy every painful moment.
Sure, they can pay their $24.99 a month for Optus Sport or add $6.99 a month if they’re existing Optus customers, but why should they?
It’s known as the World Game – but because the vast majority of games go behind the Optus paywall, Aussie footy fanatics haven’t been able to experience the true global feel of the tournament
Australian taxpayers are already paying for the ABC and SBS. The ABC alone spends about $550 million annually on production costs.
As part of the national broadcasters’ commitment to the Australian public, wouldn’t you think they might have found an extra $10.4 million – the amount Optus spent on acquiring the rights to the Women’s World Cup – and made all 64 games available for free? -air, instead of just the 15 that Optus resold to Seven?
After all, this tournament is a very big deal. One that should give women’s football, and women’s sport in general, the biggest boost this country has ever seen.
If all of the Women’s World Cup had been available for free – like last year at the Men’s World Cup – the crowd around the tournament would have been very different. Instead, games like Germany vs. Colombia (pictured) were out of reach for millions of Aussie viewers
Presented and promoted properly, it should engage the entire country in a way that only the Melbourne and Sydney Olympics have done in the past.
Mishandled, it will be a missed opportunity that will never come again.
Sadly, that seems to be the case, as many of the tournament’s most magical moments are only available to the lucky few.
Take, for example, Brazil’s third goal in their opening 5-0 victory over Panama.
According to the Optus Sport website, it was “something of singular beauty, summarizing the flair and flamboyance that we all hoped Brazil would come to this year’s tournament.” It has cemented Brazil as a must-watch team in the future.”
As long as you’re willing to pay $24.99 a month for it.